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5 Minutes for Books:
Mandy and Pandy Teach Kids Chinese

March 29, 2010 by Jennifer Donovan

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

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mpplaysportsI am not quite as fortunate as Janice and Susan to have a French language immersion school as an option for my kids, but Kyle’s Kindergarten teacher is fluent in three languages (English, Spanish,and Portuguese). Before teaching in his school, she taught English as a second language. Because of her interests and gifts, she incorporates a lot of fun and educational language activities. Kyle has learned many songs in other languages, including Jingle Bells in all three of the languages she knows. Each week the class learns to say “Good morning” in a different language. As a result of these fun activities, Kyle has taken an interest in foreign languages that I want to encourage as much as I can.

Mandy and Pandy Play Sports is a board book perfect for PreK to younger elementary students. The text is fairly simple, and each page features the story in English, then in Mandarin Chinese characters, and then spelled out phonetically in Chinese. There is a CD that goes along with the book. The first track was a sort of introduction (and a little odd to be honest), but the second track was a clear rendition of the story — first spoken in English, then repeated conversationally in Chinese. The subsequent tracks tell the story only in Chinese, and slower so that you could learn to speak it.

The story includes various sports from baseball, to football, to swimming, to volleyball, to soccer, to gymnastics, to track which increases it’s appeal to kids interested in all sorts of activities. Oftentimes we only see one type of sport, but Pandy (the friendly Panda Bear), tells Mandy at the beginning of the book, “I enjoy playing many sports.”

I like that it’s a board book, because it’s sturdy, even for the over-two set. The other amazing thing about the set is that the CD has an inset place to rest right inside the book cover. I hate that our other book and CD sets come in a vinyl case, and the CD just floats around in there, and inevitably gets separated. Bravo to the designers on this feature!

These really are a fun way to introduce your children to another language. After listening to it, my son was making Chinese-esque word sounds while he was playing. I asked him if he was speaking Chinese, and he said, “I don’t know, am I?” Well, I don’t know either, but how cool that he is taking it all in!

If your child enjoys Ni-Hao Kai Lan, this might be a fun add-on for him or her.

We have a copy of Mandy and Pandy Play Sports to give away to one of you (U.S. addresses only). If you’d like to win, leave a comment telling us which Mandy and Pandy book title you think would post interest you. You can also keep up with Mandy and Pandy by becoming a fan on Facebook.

We don’t have a winner to announce, because the Bookish Board Games giveaway is still open through Saturday. Click over to win two games from I Can Do That! Games.

The winner of this book and CD set, and the winner of the Bookish Board Games will be announced in this column on Monday April 5.

You can also still enter to the Fireworks Over Toccoa sweepstakes through March 30 — 300 books will be given away.

Written by book blogger Jennifer Donovan, who manages 5 Minutes for Books and also blogs at Snapshot. A copy of the book was provided for review purposes.

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About Jennifer Donovan

Jennifer Donovan has been a part of the 5 Minutes for Mom team since 2007. She writes product reviews, covers events, and manages the 5 Minutes for Books weekly column and website. She lives in Houston and blogs at Snapshot about life with her family.

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45 Comments

  1. pamelachen says

    April 18, 2010 at 12:30 pm

    awesome, I love mandy and super pandy

    Reply
  2. Mayas_Mom says

    April 12, 2010 at 2:39 pm

    Language is really important to us! Our kids love the Little Pim DVDs and would love some books!

    Reply
  3. howard says

    April 11, 2010 at 9:42 am

    awesome! i think there’s a special discount just this month too: http://www.mandyandpandy.com/store/

    Reply
  4. Debz says

    April 10, 2010 at 1:27 pm

    We just came home from China in Sept. with a little 4 year old, would love to help her keep up her native toung! This would be an awesome tool!
    Thanks for letting me play!

    Reply
  5. Passie says

    April 9, 2010 at 6:03 pm

    I’m french and my daughter is born in the USA so at now age 3 she is fluent in both languages. On top of that we both learned and continue to improve in ASL. I’m also teaching her Spanish because we live in the South and it’s kinda required here. We’ve recently discovered Kai-Lan and we both hopped on board. I’ve had a good look at the six book and I feel the best for us would be the very 1st one: “Ni-Hao Ma”. We’ll be moving to Europe in the Summer and my child will next start with her Dutch. I believe being multi-lingual helps you understand the little differences in all of us.

    Reply
  6. Ruby Hill says

    April 5, 2010 at 7:51 pm

    Would love to have Mandy & Pandy Play Sports!

    Reply
  7. vivian says

    April 4, 2010 at 11:22 pm

    one in china ty

    Reply
  8. Melanei says

    April 4, 2010 at 9:48 pm

    Mandy and Pandy Say “Ni Hao Ma?” looks the best!

    Reply
  9. maja says

    April 4, 2010 at 9:03 pm

    the zoo one would be great

    Reply
  10. John Deal says

    April 4, 2010 at 4:43 pm

    The visit the zoo book sounds good to me.

    Reply
  11. Lily Kwan says

    April 4, 2010 at 2:12 pm

    Mandy and Pandy Visit the Zoo looks very interesting!

    Reply
  12. Gianna says

    April 4, 2010 at 2:12 pm

    Mandy and Pandy Visit China

    Reply
  13. kathy pease says

    April 4, 2010 at 11:10 am

    i like Mandy and Pandy Play, “What Colors Do You See?”

    Reply
  14. Melissa Painter says

    April 4, 2010 at 4:52 am

    I’m most interested in Mandy and Pandy Say “Ni Hao Ma?”

    Happy Easter!

    Reply
  15. Terra Heck says

    April 4, 2010 at 12:22 am

    I’d like Mandy and Pandy Visit China. Thanks.
    partymix25(at)hotmail(dot)com

    Reply
  16. Chrysa says

    April 3, 2010 at 11:20 pm

    I like Mandy and Pandy Visit the Zoo

    Reply
  17. Ed Nemmers says

    April 3, 2010 at 3:34 pm

    Mandy and Pandy Visit the Zoo!

    Reply
  18. Melissa B. says

    April 3, 2010 at 8:47 am

    Mandy and Pandy Visit the Zoo is most interesting to me.

    Reply
  19. erma says

    April 3, 2010 at 8:37 am

    I like Mandy and Pandy Visit the Zoo book.

    Reply
  20. Holly G. says

    April 3, 2010 at 3:47 am

    My son loves animals, so it would have to be Mandy and Pandy Visit the Zoo.

    Reply
  21. Amy Roenfanz says

    April 2, 2010 at 4:06 pm

    Thanks for the opportunity. I think Ty would most like the one on China. We brought him home from China in Sept. 2008 and this would be helpful.

    Reply
  22. Winning Readings says

    April 1, 2010 at 9:14 am

    Looks like fun! We posted about this giveaway at Winning Readings: http://winningreadings.blogspot.com/2010/04/mandy-and-pandy-play-sports.html

    I’d love the Visit China one, too – for some cultural educating!

    janemaritz at yahoo dot com

    Reply
  23. Catherine says

    March 31, 2010 at 12:00 am

    These look like great books! Today is the first day I’ve heard about them. My amazing baby girl is adopted from China and I really like the title, ‘Mandy and Pandy Visit China’. Just looking at the cover gave me goosebumps as it was less than 5 months ago that we visited the Great Wall and Forbidden City. China is an AMAZING country and I cannot wait to teach my daughter about the beautiful country she was born in!!

    Reply
  24. PS Mom Reviews says

    March 30, 2010 at 8:38 pm

    I think we would enjoy Mandy and Pandy Say “Ni Hao Ma?”.

    Sarah – [email protected]

    Reply
  25. rita says

    March 30, 2010 at 6:18 pm

    I love languages and want my grandkids to learn other languages as well.

    Reply
    • rita says

      March 30, 2010 at 6:19 pm

      Oh, No. 1 would be my preference/

      Reply
  26. susan varney says

    March 30, 2010 at 5:34 pm

    mandy and pandy go to china [email protected]

    Reply
  27. Michele Anne says

    March 30, 2010 at 2:57 pm

    I think my nephew would love the one about sports. These look really great.

    Reply
  28. Shannon Baas says

    March 30, 2010 at 12:42 pm

    I like Mandy and Pandy visit the zoo.

    Reply
  29. Cheryl Gayer says

    March 30, 2010 at 10:18 am

    Would love the book about China. With a lid of 4/25/06 we hope to bring our daughter home this year. As a first grade teacher, I would love to have it to share not only with my daughter, but also my class to encourage students interest in foreign languages!

    Reply
  30. Ruth says

    March 30, 2010 at 12:24 am

    I’d like the one about sports.

    Reply
  31. Tonggu Momma says

    March 29, 2010 at 9:46 pm

    Oh, we would LOVE this! My daughter and I both take Mandarin classes. I’d have to say our preference would be “Mandy and Pandy visit China” because we WILL be visiting China sometime in the next 12 months, as we are almost to the end of our long, long wait to adopt from China a second time.

    Reply
  32. Carolyn says

    March 29, 2010 at 8:35 pm

    This looks like a great series. Visiting China would be great!

    Reply
  33. Brian says

    March 29, 2010 at 8:29 pm

    We would love the one on Mandy and Pandy visit China
    Thank You.

    Reply
  34. Linda Kish says

    March 29, 2010 at 8:04 pm

    Mandy and Pandy Visit the Zoo

    lkish77123 at gmail dot com

    Reply
  35. Ellen C. says

    March 29, 2010 at 6:09 pm

    My son would like the Mandy and Pandy visit the zoo book. Thanks for the chance.

    Reply
  36. Benita says

    March 29, 2010 at 5:37 pm

    The one on China is appealing, but I’d be happy if I won any of these.

    bgcchs(at)yahoo(dot)com

    Reply
  37. Kyle says

    March 29, 2010 at 3:59 pm

    I’d love a Mandy and Pandy book to build a library for our Chinese daughter….30 months in waiting. Thanks

    Reply
  38. amber says

    March 29, 2010 at 1:26 pm

    I’m half Chinese and my one year old son is a quarter Chinese; we went on a trip to China when he was about 8 months and I would like to continue his exposure to Chinese Culture. I would probably purchase the Many and Pandy say Ni Hao Ma as it sounds like a great introduction, though like the other Momma’s have stated the visit China book would also be great, especially if it highlighted some of the places we have been!!
    Thanks for the opportunity to win,
    amber 🙂

    Reply
  39. Magi says

    March 29, 2010 at 9:54 am

    I would love to win this for my daughter. I went to the website and really liked all their books, especially Mandy and Pandy visit China.

    My daughter was born in China. She’s going to be four in April and is fascinated by all things from China. I hope to encourage and maintain her interest in her culture.

    Reply
  40. Kathy Eason says

    March 29, 2010 at 9:38 am

    ould like the one on China, you can never have enough info for the girls and boys adopted. Our daughter is fron Jiangxi in 8/07.

    Reply
  41. Chris says

    March 29, 2010 at 9:23 am

    These look like great books! Would love to win one to share with our daughter adopted from China in 2008. Since we don’t have any of them, any would be great, but if I had to choose, I would say the one about China looks like the best one. Thanks for the opportunity!

    Reply
  42. Alyson says

    March 29, 2010 at 5:51 am

    I would like the book on visiting China; having adopted Alyzabeth there, she is always interested in talking about China. Thanks!

    Alyzabeth’s Mommy for 18 Months!

    Reply

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