Two Bicycles in Beijing Book Review Read Your World

Two Bicycles in Beijing Book Review – Multicultural Children’s Book Day #ReadYourWorld

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This book review is part of the Multicultural Children’s Book Day program and Miss Panda Chinese is delighted to be a part of the MCBD community and join fellow authors, publishers, organizations, and fans of diverse children’s books to share good reads that expand the world and minds of children.

Note: Thank you to Teresa Robeson for providing a copy to review. All opinions are my own.

TWO BICYCLES IN BEIJING

Author: Teresa Robeson

Illustrator: Junyi Wu

Publisher: Albert Whitman & Co.

ISBN: 978-0807507643

Grade level: Preschool – 3

A Multicultural Children’s Book Tells a Story about Friendship and Beijing with a touch of the Chinese language

“One, two; yi, er.

Side by side, two bicycles, Lunzi and Huangche, come out of the factory. Side by side, they watch the city of Beijing from their shop window. Then a young girl comes in and buys Huangche, rolling him away from Lunzi! With the help of a delivery boy, Lunzi begins an epic journey to find her friend amid the sighs and sounds of Beijing.”

Author Teressa Robeson has a magic touch in her writing. It’s poetic and warm. In this book, the beauty of the friendship started with the two bicycles, Lunzi and Huangche in the bicycle factory and lasted until the dramatic rescue at the end.

The characters in this book are Chinese. The scene is set in Beijing, China. I appreciate the inclusion of a few Mandarin words in the story. Some of them have an important cultural element in them. What needs to be mentioned is that these words are not only used throughout the story but are also translated into English, which is helpful to parents and teachers. What a fun way to expose children to a new language as they read this adventurous and heartwarming story of Lunzi and Huangche.

The illustrations by Junyi Wu are simply beautiful. From the streets of Beijing to the tiny details of the Chinese characters, it captures the city atmosphere so well and is sure to add much to the young reader’s experience.

More Highlights of The Story

As I read the story and went through the vivid and action-filled illustrations, it took me down memory lane of my very first trip to Beijing. The story connected me with the sounds on the streets, the people I met, and the being on the ground at historical sites I only read about in books before…

TWO BICYCLES IN BEIJING is a beautiful book for young readers, parents, and teachers. Not only does it share the story of an unlikely friendship, but it also gives readers a glimpse of everyday life in Beijing.

Readers will also appreciate the Glossary of Mandarin Chinese Terms included in the book. Furthermore, there is also a page dedicated to Beijing and Its Sights that gives a simple brief about the significance of Beijing, Nanhguan Park, Beihai Park, and Tiananmen Square

Activities and Extended Learning with Two Bicycles In Beijing

This book is full of potential for engaging activities, discussion, and learning opportunities. Here are some ideas.

Discussion: Talk about the importance of friendship and how one can help a friend
Exploration: Comparison of your city and Beijing
Connecting the world: Geography and History of Beijing. Fun Facts About Beijing
Creative writing and art engagement: Have kids create stories about their own bicycle journey. Also, have kids draw a map and look up facts about the places they want to visit or ride to.
Craft projects: Have kids design their own bicycle and make it out of cardboard. Let kids draw their ideal bike path. Have kids create their own “future” bike with various art media or recycled materials.

I hope you have a chance to read Two Bicycles in Beijing with your children. You can support diverse chidlren’s books by requesting a copy at your local library. Also, you can gift a copy of this book to a child’s classroom or school library.

Make sure you also read other books by Teresa including Queen of Physics and keep an eye on her upcoming new titles.

Purchase Two Bicycles In Beijing

Find Two Bicycles In Beijing on Amazon, Bookshop, Walmart, and where books are sold.

“Side by Side, Lunzi and Huangche sat in a bicycle shop in Beijing. They leaned to the left together and gazed at the world together. They watched people bustle past and traffic shiz by. They watched customers enter the shop, pick out bicycles, and leave. They wished they could stay like this forever, But one day…” -Two Bicycles In Beijing

About the Author

Teresa Robeson is the APALA Picture Book Award-winning author of QUEEN OF PHYSICS (also ILA Nonfiction PB Honor and NCTE Orbis Pictus Nonfiction Recommended Book). Other publications include TWO BICYCLES IN BEIJING and an essay in NONFICTION WRITERS DIG DEEP, edited by Melissa Stewart. Her upcoming works include WHO IS TIBET’S EXILED LEADER? THE 14TH DALAI LAMA and a second one on Bruce Lee with Penguin Workshop, an informational fiction picture book, CLOUDS IN SPACE: THE NEBULA STORY, with MIT Kids/Candlewick, and CLEAR AND BRIGHT, a picture book with Astra Young Readers.

Learn more about Teresa’s work and support her work at:

Website: https://www.teresarobeson.com/books.html

Instagram: @tmrobeson or https://www.instagram.com/tmrobeson/

Twitter: @TeresaRobesonor https://twitter.com/teresarobeson

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Two Bicycles in Beijing Book Review • Multicultural Children’s Book Day