- This is a book infused with animated colours and spirited images. A rare collaboration between mother and daughters, the book embodies labour, fun and love. Reading the book, I can imagine being a child again splashing the spring rain puddles, digging my toes in the summer sandy beach, wading through the autumn leaves in my woolen stockings, and making a fresh set of footprints in the morning snow before building my snowman. What is it about those feet, the children’s feet on the cover pages of the Four Seasons? They just make you lift the pages, walk you through the joy of their worlds, and take you in as part of it, all accompanied by the music of the simple and lyrical language. I trust both parents and children will enjoy reading the book, together or alone, in all four seasons. It is simply a pleasure.
Recently, I met a young reader in person in Edmonton. Six years old Andre has his set of Fun in Four Seasons with him for home reading and on trips. According to his parents, the books are worn out because he reads them a lot. I asked him which season is his favorite, he replied "Spring, because I like to jump in puddles too". That warms my heart. Nothing is more rewarding than hearing a reader's positive feedback!
Two years also saw some big changes in my life. I changed my job and moved to Kingston Ontario. This past 6 to 8 months have been hectic, settling into a new community, finding new direction for my career and parenting my teenage daughters. Looking back at the stories I created with them when they were little and the Chinese learning we shared, it is such a precious memory. It is a cliche when we say kids grow up so fast, but it is very true. We are still conducting Chinese lessons at home. I plan on writing and publishing more stories. To order the books, please email me at iningtracychao at gmail dot com. OR visit amazon.ca. The best way to find it is searching by my name "Ining Tracy Chao".
