“Adventures in Ancient China” by Linda Bailey, illustrated by Bill Slavin. 2003. Kids Can Press. Picture Book. Ages 6-10.
This is one in a series of books about the time-traveling adventures of the Binkerton twins, Josh and Emma, and their kid sister, Libby. Their journeys into foreign lands and the past begin when they first step into a dilapidated travel agency called (guess) “ The Good Times Travel Agency”.
In this book, the kids end up knee-deep in a flooded paddy field in ancient China. While Josh and Emma bicker about whose fault it was for landing there, Libby wanders off on her own. The twins set off on a perilous journey to find their sister so they can return to the present. They battle freezing cold nights, hard labor working on a “ dragon’s backbone “(go find out what this is) and thoughts of giving up. They unwittingly stumble upon China’s “best-kept secret” (not telling here) and end up being pursued by zealous soldiers, bent on keeping the secret from leaking out to foreign lands.
The whole book is action-packed. Facts about ancient China are presented in the context of the kids’ adventures and there are additional notes on each double page. You get insights about The Great Wall of China, Chinese inventions, The Silk Road, medicine and occupations.
My 6 year old is so enthralled with this book that she wants to find out more about China. That’s reason enough for me to get the whole set: Middle Ages, Ancient Egypt and Vikings.
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