Chinese Easter Book by Gail Gibbons: 复活节 Review & Craft Stick Puzzle

Finding Chinese 复活节 (Fùhuó jié / Easter) books is not easy.  I have searched for Chinese Easter books at every online Chinese bookstore, and the options are few to none.  At last, I found Gail Gibbons’ Easter book in simplified Chinese!

Gail Gibbons is known for her narrative nonfiction picture books, and I am always looking for realistic Chinese books for my kids.  This Chinese Easter book is a great way to teach the principles of Easter to young children.

Title: 复活节 (Fùhuó jié / Easter)

ISBN: 9787544712934

Author: Gail Gibbons

Publisher:译林出版社

Language versions/Where to Buy:

• Simplified Chinese
  • Chinese Books for Children
  • Little Monkey and Mouse
  • China Sprout
  • Tao Bao
• English
  • Amazon

Type: Narrative nonfiction book, picture book

Level: Preschool to 3rd grade

复活节 (Fùhuó jié / Easter) Book Review

Background

• 复活节 by Gail Gibbons is 23-paged book about the origin of Easter and how modern traditions arose from the religious event.  The book begins with a religious background about the Last Supper, Crucifixion, and then the Resurrection.  The latter part of the book concludes with modern-day traditions, including Easter egg games and the legend of the Easter Bunny. 
• The text is simple with a few lines on most pages.  However, there was a lot of new vocabulary for both my daughter and myself.  For reference, my daughter can read ~700-800 characters, but most pages had a few unfamiliar characters.
• Proportional, watercolor-and-ink illustrations are a refreshing change from the cartoon-heavy children’s book options, which makes this book Montessori-friendly.
  

What we like about this Chinese Easter book

• The narrative is suitable for a young child.  The book explains that the Crucifixion is a nailing of the cross with illustrations of the three crosses (see photo below).  However, traumatic details are left out while giving room for the parent to have further discussion with their child.
  
• I also appreciated that the author removed the commercialized aspect of the holiday and acknowledges why many children believe in the Easter bunny.

Downsides

• On the front and back covers, the pictures of the Easter egg and basket are misleading.  Initially, I thought that the content would be focused on the secular traditions.
• The book uses the phrase “滚蛋比赛 (gǔndàn bǐsài / Egg games)”.  However, it would be preferable to say 滚鸡蛋比赛 (gǔnjīdàn bǐsài/ Chicken egg games) since 滚蛋 (gǔndàn) is a Chinese interjection meaning “Be gone!”, “Get out!”, or “Go to Hell!”

Hands-on Chinese Easter activities

While our family believes in focusing on the religious meaning of Easter, we also take part in some modern Easter activities.

Since my daughter is a puzzle-lover, I made a craft-stick puzzle of the egg on the book cover with acrylic paint.  For character reinforcement, I wrote “Happy Easter” in both simplified and traditional Chinese on the craft sticks for reading practice.

More Easter Activities for children

• “Jesus is King” crown craft and coloring pages
• 3 Cardboard Cross Craft Decorations for Easter
• Chalk eggs with glue resist

If you’re interested in more hands-on learning activities, explore our Multilingual Activities Library!

Chinese Christian resources for families

• Stream of Praise Music Ministries DVDs and CDs
• Stream of Praise Chinese Music Board Books
• Max Lucado Books for Kids in Chinese
• 12 Bible Verses on Faith and Parenting in English, Chinese, and Korean

To see more Chinese children’s book recommendations, check out our Chinese book reviews!

Bilingual Chinese Christian Facebook group!

For more resources and support, please join our Facebook group Christian Parents Raising Bilingual Children in English & Chinese!  We welcome people of all races and ethnicities who want to join the discussion and share bilingual Christian resources!

Image by Sunny Hortsmann