My First Book of Chinese Calligraphy

My First Book of Chinese Calligraphy is a fun and engaging introduction to one of China's most celebrated arts and crafts for kids. Calligraphy—the art of producing decorative handwriting or lettering with a pen or brush—has been around for thousands of years. In this fun calligraphy-for-kids book, readers will follow along with Mimi, an eigh- year-old, who takes her first steps towards learning this magical art. Dive in, and explore:

The Evolution of Chinese Writing—how Chinese characters first began, thousands of years ago, and how they have evolved
The Order of the Strokes—learn how to write the strokes in the correct order
The Radicals—what are they, and how to unlock their secrets
The Four Treasures of Calligraphy— the four essential tools to get started
Movements and Position—how to master your mind's focus, your breathing and even how to move
The Five Styles of Calligraphy—Zhuan Shu (seal), Li Shu (clerical), Kai Shu (regular), Cao Shu (cursive), and Xing Shu (running)
The Eight Strokes— how to draw the eight strokes; with them, you can write anything
Writing a Character in Calligraphy—create an entire character in calligraphy


The included interactive CD-ROM enables learners to play creative games to see, hear and try Chinese writing; listen to the pronunciation of the Chinese characters; observe calligraphers in action and print the characters to create practice pages.