Flip for Joy 乐翻天- Online Children’s Chinese bookstore {Review and Giveaway}

Like many Singaporeans, we now have a deeper appreciation for many of the policies that were put in place by the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew, and for me one of them was the bilingual policy. Though Mr Lee was the very same man who promoted English as the common language so that we could survive and grow when we became independent, he saw a need for the citizens to have a sense of belonging and identity to their roots. So a year later in 1966, students were made to learn their Mother Tongue so that they could be connected by our common cultural heritage.

Today, most families are English speaking and I speak for myself too. Despite my attempts to speak more Mandarin to Sophie, I always fall back to my comfort zone when we converse and find myself speaking in English.

So one way that I try to make learning Mandarin more enjoyable is by reading Mandarin books to Sophie. And a sneaky way that I’m do it every evening is to read her one English and one Mandarin book before bedtime. But with so many choices of books, how do you get started?

Flip for Joy 乐翻天

Introducing Flip for Joy 乐翻天, a Singapore-based online children’s bookstore that specializes in Mandarin books from all over the world.

As an ex-JC Chinese language teacher, the owner Meiru is passionate about the language and hopes that more children will be effectively bilingual. So you can be assured that every title handpicked by her is done with careful consideration to ensure that they are engaging, fun and interesting for children.

Wide variety of titles
I believe that while my end goal is to get Sophie to read more in Mandarin, it’s also important that it’s an enjoyable experience for her. That’s why it’s important to read widely from story books to knowledge books as well as classic titles.

In this area, many of Flip for Joy’s books are bestsellers and award-winning titles that are enjoyed by children all over the world.

We received a few titles from Flip for Joy and here’s our review of them.

1. 十万个为什么（幼儿版)

This is a series that I particularly like. In this series of four books, the themes include animal world, plants and nature, general knowledge and the human body and astrology and geography. From the topics covered, I would feel that it’s appropriate for children six years and above who are curious about the world around them.

 

The questions were interesting and were some of the exact same questions that Sophie would ask on a daily basis. Such books that enhances our general knowledge is always more than welcome.

 

And what I like was that it uses simple language often in a story setting to explain  a question. Plus, you’ll be relieved to know that it has Hanyu Pinyin.

 

2. 老虎来喝下午茶

Another title that delighted Sophie was the book 老虎来喝下午茶.

That’s right, this is the Mandarin version of The Tiger who Came for Tea, a popular classic of a little girl named Sophie who was visited by a tiger when she was having tea with her mummy. My little Sophie hopes that a tiger will one day knock on our door to come for tea too.

This is a beautifully illustrated story book which has been translated into multiple language that has been a children’s favourite since 1968 and is sure to delight every child.

 

3. 讲一个故事吧！

Parents and kids alike can identify with this story where the little bunny asks for one more book each time to delay bedtime.  I teased Sophie that the bunny sounded like too much like her and she told me it’s what all kids do! In the end, the little bunny devised a book of his own making sure that it was a very very long book that didn’t end.

What’s interesting about this book, is that it comes with a craft activity where your child can make a storybook , just like the character in the book. My kind of book for sure and I can’t wait to get started on it.

 

4. 我会读古诗

One of the beauty of Mandarin is how the language can be so poetic. This is still something that I’m learning to appreciate since I had limited exposure to it. And one way to pick up is with this interactive book, 我会读古诗, with 40 classic poems.

The audio recording which plays at a touch of the pictorial button allows kids to read along and even learn how to recite. At the end of the poem, there is also a description of the poem and two new words to learn ( with hanyu pinyin).

5. 有一天

This is an emotionally charged book which narrates the relationship between a mother and daughter as the mother witnesses the milestones in her daughter’s life. The story shows how a protective mother has to allow her daughter to spread her wings as she grows independent, experiences heartache,  and becomes a mum herself like a full circle.

The illustrations by Peter H. Reynolds and his water colour illustrations brings out the soft emotions evoked as I read this with Sophie.

Reading this was especially poignant, as I wrote an entry, Letters to my old child, some time back. While it may now have a lot of words, it made me see how precious my relationship with Sophie is and hw much she means the world to me. Sophie was surprised to see me tearing up and gave me a big hug after that.

This book makes a wonderful book for all by mums, no matter if you’re a new mum or a seasoned mum, and it will bring a tear to your eye. So bring out the tissues and be prepared to be moved.

 

– – – – – – -– – – – – –  GIVEAWAY FOR A JUGGLING MOM READERS – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Thanks to Flip for Joy, 2 readers will get to win a S$20 e-card which can be used for purchases at Flip for Joy.

 

Giveaway has ended. Thank you for your participation. 

 The two lucky winners are Phyllis Tan and Priscilla Kek. You have each won a S$20 e-card which can be used at Flip for Joy.

To Participate

To take part in the giveaway, you need to complete these three steps:

1. LIKE  Flip for Joy’s Facebook page.

2. LIKE & SHARE my Facebook post with a friend whom you think will like to win this too. (Please ensure your profile is not set to private, otherwise I’m unable to PM you)

3. For an additional chance, name me a title (or two) that you’ll like to purchase from Flip for Joy and tell me why?

Both Step one and two must be done to qualify for a chance in the giveaway. PLUS a bonus chance if you fulfill Step 3.

Giveaway ends on 9 April 2015, 11:59pm and will be announced on the blog and Facebook page. Good luck!

 

Please note:

• This giveaway is only open to readers residing in Singapore
• Winners must respond within 24 hours, otherwise a new winner will be drawn
• Winners will notified of their gift card via email

 

* A Juggling Mom was sponsored the above titles to write this post. No monetary compensation was received. All opinions and photos are mine. 

 

Tagged: book, Book review, giveaway