I really like Ten Blocks to the Big Wok by Ying-Hwa Hu, published by Children’s Book Press 2022.
Uncle Eddie & Mia walk to the Big Wok for dim sum, and along the way, they count all sorts of interesting Chinese cultural items such as neighbors practicing Tai Chi Chuan, lychee fruit, silk fans, fortune kittens, lanterns, dumplings, and more.
This BIPOC counting book is also bilingual. Chinese text runs under the English text. Back matter explains each of the items Mia counts. There’s also a page of how to count in Chinese.
As a kindergarten teacher, I also love that this book teaches ordinal counting along with cardinal counting. Here’s an example, “On the fourth block, four miniature trees spread their shade in a peaceful Penjing garden.”
And at the end of the book, Mia arrives to the restaurant. Then the countdown from 10-1 as they eat all sorts of goodies at dim sum.
As my students are learning numbers and how to write them, I will challenge them to make their own personal counting book with items either from their culture or that are meaningful to them.
This book could also be used for the upcoming Lunar New Year on January 22, 2023. I love books with multiple layers!
