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I 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.
pamelachen says
awesome, I love mandy and super pandy
Mayas_Mom says
Language is really important to us! Our kids love the Little Pim DVDs and would love some books!
howard says
awesome! i think there’s a special discount just this month too: http://www.mandyandpandy.com/store/
Debz says
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!
Passie says
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.
Ruby Hill says
Would love to have Mandy & Pandy Play Sports!
vivian says
one in china ty
Melanei says
Mandy and Pandy Say “Ni Hao Ma?” looks the best!
maja says
the zoo one would be great
John Deal says
The visit the zoo book sounds good to me.
Lily Kwan says
Mandy and Pandy Visit the Zoo looks very interesting!
Gianna says
Mandy and Pandy Visit China
kathy pease says
i like Mandy and Pandy Play, “What Colors Do You See?”
Melissa Painter says
I’m most interested in Mandy and Pandy Say “Ni Hao Ma?”
Happy Easter!
Terra Heck says
I’d like Mandy and Pandy Visit China. Thanks.
partymix25(at)hotmail(dot)com
Chrysa says
I like Mandy and Pandy Visit the Zoo
Ed Nemmers says
Mandy and Pandy Visit the Zoo!
Melissa B. says
Mandy and Pandy Visit the Zoo is most interesting to me.
erma says
I like Mandy and Pandy Visit the Zoo book.
Holly G. says
My son loves animals, so it would have to be Mandy and Pandy Visit the Zoo.
Amy Roenfanz says
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.
Winning Readings says
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
Catherine says
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!!
PS Mom Reviews says
I think we would enjoy Mandy and Pandy Say “Ni Hao Ma?”.
Sarah – [email protected]
rita says
I love languages and want my grandkids to learn other languages as well.
rita says
Oh, No. 1 would be my preference/
susan varney says
mandy and pandy go to china [email protected]
Michele Anne says
I think my nephew would love the one about sports. These look really great.
Shannon Baas says
I like Mandy and Pandy visit the zoo.
Cheryl Gayer says
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!
Ruth says
I’d like the one about sports.
Tonggu Momma says
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.
Carolyn says
This looks like a great series. Visiting China would be great!
Brian says
We would love the one on Mandy and Pandy visit China
Thank You.
Linda Kish says
Mandy and Pandy Visit the Zoo
lkish77123 at gmail dot com
Ellen C. says
My son would like the Mandy and Pandy visit the zoo book. Thanks for the chance.
Benita says
The one on China is appealing, but I’d be happy if I won any of these.
bgcchs(at)yahoo(dot)com
Kyle says
I’d love a Mandy and Pandy book to build a library for our Chinese daughter….30 months in waiting. Thanks
amber says
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 🙂
Magi says
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.
Kathy Eason says
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.
Chris says
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!
Alyson says
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!