Crouching Tiger
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5.0 • 2 Ratings
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- $8.99
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- $8.99
Publisher Description
“Poignant but not treacly, Crouching Tiger deals with an immigrant child’s conflicting emotions toward a grandparent from the old country . . . . Nascimbene’s delicate ink and watercolor illustrations are exquisite.” — The New York Times Book Review Vinson is very excited when his grandfather comes from China for a visit. When Grandpa practices tai chi in the garden, Vinson asks to learn, hoping it will be like kung fu, full of kicks and punches. But tai chi is slow and still, and Vinson quickly gets bored. He can’t understand why Grandpa insists on calling him by his Chinese name, Ming Da, or why he has to wear a traditional Chinese jacket to the Chinese New Year parade. But as the parade assembles, Vinson sees the respect his grandfather commands and starts to realize just how cool his grandfather might be.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Nascimbene's (First Grade Jitters) delicately drafted ink-and-watercolor artwork distinguishes this child-of-immigrants tale about Ming Da, who scorns his Chinese grandfather until Grandpa's perfectly timed martial arts kick saves a stranger from injury. That gets Ming Da's attention; he agrees to let Grandpa teach him tai chi, and when the New Year comes, the lion dance parade offers him a chance to show off his hard work to all of Chinatown. Compestine (The Runaway Wok) excels at portraying Ming Da's embarrassment ("I jammed my headphones into my ears to avoid talking to Grandpa"), though more sentimental moments may put off jaded older readers (" Could you teach me, please?' I asked in a low voice"). The beauty Nascimbene discovers in Ming Da's suburban world the leaves that fall around Ming Da as he practices, parade-goers scattered like confetti, the stars that accompany Ming Da and Grandpa on the way home echoes the beauty Ming Da eventually finds in Grandpa's tai chi poses. Readers will warm to the duo's growing friendship and the gifts that come as Ming Da allows himself to enter Grandpa's world. Ages 6 10.
