Grandfather Counts 
By Andrea Cheng
Illustrated by Ange Zhang
9781584300106
Gong Gong (Grandfather) is coming from China to live with Helen's family. Helen is excited, but anxious. How will she and her siblings, who know only English, communicate with Gong Gong, who speaks only Chinese?
At first Gong Gong keeps to himself, reading the Chinese newspapers he brought with him. Then one day, as Helen sits outside watching for the train that runs behind her house, Gong Gong joins her. He starts counting the train cars in Chinese, and then teaches Helen the words. Helen reciprocates by teaching Gong Gong to count in English. Soon Helen and Gong Gong are teaching each other more words, and a special bond between them begins to develop and grow.
A moving intergenerational story, Grandfather Counts highlights the universality of the love shared between grandparent and grandchild, a love that helps them cross the boundaries of language and culture.
Teacher's Guide
- Awards
-
"Choices"
Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC)
50 Multicultural Books Every Child Should Know 2001
Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC)
Honor Book
Society of School Librarys International
Reading Rainbow Selection
- Interest Level
- Grades 1 - 3
- Reading Level
- Grade 2
- Themes
- Asian/Asian American Interest, Biracial Interest, Cultural diversity, Grandparents, Multiethnic interest, Sharing & Giving
- Accelerated Reader
- Level: 3.6
Points: .5
Andrea Cheng is the author of several children's books, including several for LEE & LOW. In addition to writing, Cheng is an English as a Second Language (ESL) program director/instructor. She lives in Cincinnati, Ohio, with her husband and their three children. To find out more about Andrea Cheng, visit her Web site: www.andreacheng.com
Ange Zhang has illustrated several children's books, including The Fishing Summer and Winter Rescue. A former designer at the Beijing Opera Company in China, he now lives in Canada.
