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ENTRY TYPE:
WORK TITLE: The Quest for a Tangram Dragon
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE: https://christineliuperkins.com/
CITY:
STATE:
COUNTRY: United States
NATIONALITY: American
LAST VOLUME: SATA 300
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Born in Boston, MA; children: Stephanie, Melinda.
EDUCATION:Stanford University, B.A., 1976; Harvard University, M.Ed.; Stanford University, Ph.D., 1988; postdoctoral work at Max Planck Institute for Psychological Research.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Writer and researcher.
MEMBER:Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.
WRITINGS
SIDELIGHTS
Christine Liu-Perkins is a writer of fiction and nonfiction for children. Liu-Perkins earned degrees in psychology and human development, including a doctorate in educational psychology from Stanford University. “I have always been curious about why people do what they do,” noted Liu-Perkins on her website. “Research and writing allow me to explore questions and answers about people’s lives.”
After her children were born, she wrote nonfiction articles for both children and adults. Her nonfiction children’s book At Home in Her Tomb: Lady Dai and the Ancient Chinese Treasures of Mawangdui came about over fourteen years, as she tracked down sources, organized notes, and figured out the best way to frame the information she obtained. As Liu-Perkins commented on the Wild Writers blog, she was inspired to complete her book “because of the fun part—learning new things, seeing connections, and enjoying the writing because I have lots of wonderful stuff to work with.”
At Home in Her Tomb explores the life and death of Xin Zhui, or Lady Dai, a noble Chinese woman who lived more than 2,000 years ago, during the Han Dynasty, and whose tomb was discovered in 1971. Located in Changsha, Hunan province, Dai’s tomb was stocked with well-preserved treasures, including books, and Liu-Perkins details not only their contents but what they have taught archaeologists about life in China at the time Jesus was born.
“Liu-Perkins is a knowledgeable and enthusiastic docent,” Elizabeth Bush observed in Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, as she takes “readers through the particulars of the excavation and revel[s] … in the enormous amount of information the find revealed.” With opening scenes that envision what Dai’s life was like, At Home in Her Tomb “does an excellent job of making kids care about this discovery,” noted Ilene Cooper in Booklist. A Kirkus Reviews critic wrote that the “fictionalized vignettes of Lady Dai’s life … add charm and perspective” and come to life in a text that “is clear, inviting and filled with awe.” As Joanna Rudge Long concluded in Horn Book, in At Home in Her Tomb “Liu-Perkins ably demonstrates [that] … such a find not only extends our factual knowledge but also deepens our appreciation of the diversity of past civilizations.”
(open new)In the informational picture book The Quest for a Tangram Dragon, Liu-Perkins paired up with illustrator Lynn Scurfield introduces young readers to the tangram puzzle. They use seven geometric shapes and rearrange them into many different images of animals and other widely recognizable objects through a narrative. Little Triangle makes a butterfly by combining itself with another Little Triangle. When they meet Square, they join up to make the shape of a bat. Other shapes, ranging from Big Triangles to Parallelogram, add to the shape-making process, where all seven shapes form to make a dragon. The book comes with an attached sheet, where young readers can make their own shapes or copy the ones found in the book.
A Publishers Weekly contributor observed that “the creators introduce geometric thinking while sparking creativity and underlining themes of teamwork and perseverance.” A contributor to Kirkus Reviews commented that the informational picture book is “inviting, if more utilitarian than literary.” Writing in School Library Journal, Mary R. Lanni concluded that “this fun, STEM-focused book blends Chinese culture, history, and mathematics into a useful and memorable story.”(close new)
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Booklist, March 15, 2014, Ilene Cooper, review of At Home in Her Tomb: Lady Dai and the Ancient Chinese Treasures of Mawangdui, p. 72.
Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, May 1, 2014, Elizabeth Bush, review of At Home in Her Tomb, p. 465.
Horn Book, July 1, 2014, Joanna Rudge Long, review of At Home in Her Tomb, p. 116.
Kirkus Reviews, February 1, 2014, review of At Home in Her Tomb; June 1, 2024, review of The Quest for a Tangram Dragon.
Publishers Weekly, July 22, 2024, review of The Quest for a Tangram Dragon, p. 68.
School Library Journal, March 1, 2014, Carol Goldman, review of At Home in Her Tomb, p. 181; July 1, 2024, Mary R. Lanni, review of The Quest for a Tangram Dragon, p. 59.
ONLINE
Christine Liu-Perkins website, http://www.christineliuperkins.com (December 31, 2024).
Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators website, https://www.scbwi.org/ (December 31, 2024), author profile.
Stanford Archaeology, Center School of Humanities & Sciences, Stanford University website, https://archaeology.stanford.edu/ (December 31, 2024), author profile.
Wild Writers blog, http://thewildwriters.com/ (April 14, 2014), Christine Liu-Perkins, “Lessons from Writing My First Book.”
Christine Liu-Perkins
I’m a writer who loves asking questions and digging into research for answers.
My first nonfiction book, At Home in Her Tomb: Lady Dai and the Ancient Chinese Treasures of Mawangdui, explores a time capsule of life in early China. The Mawangdui tombs not only housed an amazing trove of archaeological treasures (including a famous mummy), they also revealed how a family provided for the afterlife of their loved ones.
My newest book, The Quest for a Tangram Dragon, is a fun picture book story introducing readers to the famous Chinese puzzle. A seven-piece square can change into thousands of animals, people, objects, and geometric shapes. Be inspired to start creating your own tangrams!
I was born in Boston and grew up near Kansas City. My parents had emigrated from China to America.
As a child I liked to climb trees, ride my bicycle, write letters to pen pals, play the flute and piano, and eat dim sum at our family reunions every summer.
My first grade photo
My first grade photo
I loved learning about all kinds of things in school. If I finished my classwork early, my fifth-grade teacher let me write reports for fun. I would read the encyclopedia and write about topics such as zinc, Benjamin Franklin, and the process of making maple sugar (with illustrations).
Reading was one of my favorite things to do. I loved biographies of people overcoming challenges, life in far-away places, and stories of adventure or humor. Every school day in seventh grade, I checked two books out of the library, read them that evening, and exchanged them the next day for two more books.
Steffi, Mindy, and me in 1996
Steffi, Mindy, and me in 1996
Because I’ve always been curious about what motivates people, I studied psychology (BA, Stanford), human development (MEd, Harvard), and educational psychology (PhD, Stanford). I then did postdoctoral work in Munich, Germany, at the Max Planck Institute for Psychological Research.
After my two daughters were born, I started writing nonfiction and fiction for children, as well as magazine articles for grown-ups. Writing allows me to explore topics that fascinate me and lets me use the research skills I honed in all those years of schooling.
The tiny figure in the middle is me walking on the Great Wall in 2002.
The tiny figure in the middle is me walking on the Great Wall in 2002.
A big influence on me has been experiencing life in different parts of the world. I have been in more than thirty-six states and lived in the Northeast, Midwest, West, and Southeast regions. I’ve also lived in Asia, Western Europe, and Africa and visited thirty-nine countries on six continents. In my experience, every part of the world has its special beauty, delicious foods, and friendly people.
Now I live in Colorado, though I travel to new places whenever I can.
Christine is the author of THE QUEST FOR A TANGRAM DRAGON, AT HOME IN HER TOMB: Lady Dai and the Ancient Chinese Treasures of Mawangdui, and various articles for children and adults. She loves asking questions and digging into research for answers. Always interested in what motivates people, she completed a PhD in educational psychology at Stanford University. The daughter of Chinese immigrants, she was born in Boston and raised in Kansas City. Growing up both Chinese and American taught her to see the world from more than one perspective. She has lived in various cities across the USA, Asia, Europe, and Africa, but now calls Colorado home. She is a former Co-Regional Advisor for the Rocky Mountain Chapter of SCBWI.
christineliuperkins.com
Author
Christine Liu-Perkins
Christine writes nonfiction and fiction for children, focusing on Chinese and Chinese American history. Her book on one of China's major archaeological sites, At Home in Her Tomb: Lady Dai and the Ancient Chinese Treasures of Mawangdui, received starred reviews, appeared on multiple “best books of the year” lists, and was recommended by both the National Science Teachers Association and the National Council for the Social Studies.
Christine graduated from Stanford University in 1976, earned an MEd at Harvard University, and completed her PhD at the Stanford Graduate School of Education in 1988. She then did postdoctoral work at the Max Planck Institute for Psychological Research in Munich, Germany. Her husband and their two daughters have also received degrees from Stanford.
Christine Liu-Perkins is the author of AT HOME IN HER TOMB: LADY DAI AND THE ANCIENT CHINESE TREASURES OF MAWANGDUI and various articles for children and adults. She loves asking questions and digging into research for answers. Always interested in what motivates people, she completed a PhD in educational psychology at Stanford University. She did postdoctoral work in Munich, Germany, at the Max Planck Institute for Psychological Research. The daughter of Chinese immigrants to the USA, she was born in Boston and raised in Kansas City. Growing up both Chinese and American taught her to see the world from more than one perspective. She has lived in various cities across the USA, Asia, and Europe, but now calls Colorado home. Find out more at www.ChristineLiuPerkins.com
LIU-PERKINS, Christine. The Quest for a Tangram Dragon. illus. by Lynn Scurfield. 40p. Bloomsbury. Aug. 2024. Tr $18.99. ISBN 9781547608058.
K-Gr 2--For hundreds of years, tangrams have been used to support mathematical awareness and problem-solving. In this book, the pieces of the tangram come alive, and they are on a quest to find the dragon who has the power to break the drought in their beloved home. As the pieces join together, they find ways to investigate the world around them by becoming creatures like a butterfly, a fish, a dog, and more. With each new addition, the possibilities of what the pieces can become grow to new heights. This charming picture book brings the tangram to life in an approachable and unconventional way. The pieces of the tangram all have unique personalities, and they demonstrate persistence as they work together to create shapes that are beneficial to their quest. Though there are complementary backgrounds on each page, the tangram pieces themselves are the primary focus of the images, and their specific colors help readers to identify each one. Unfortunately, the text is small and remains static throughout the book, but the storytelling makes the tale well-suited to be shared with classrooms practicing tangrams themselves. Chinese language, culture, and history are embedded within the story, and back matter gives readers insight into the design of the book while inspiring them to create tangram shapes of their own. VERDICT This fun, STEM-focused book blends Chinese culture, history, and mathematics into a useful and memorable story.--Mary R. Lanni
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2024 A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/
Source Citation
Source Citation
MLA 9th Edition APA 7th Edition Chicago 17th Edition Harvard
Lanni, Mary R. "LIU-PERKINS, Christine. The Quest for a Tangram Dragon." School Library Journal, vol. 70, no. 7, July 2024, pp. 59+. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A806586494/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=17dca2bf. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.
Liu-Perkins, Christine THE QUEST FOR A TANGRAM DRAGON Bloomsbury (Children's None) $18.99 8, 20 ISBN: 9781547608058
Introducing the classic puzzle known as the tangram, a simple tale shows how seven geometric shapes can be arranged into a host of animals and other things.
"NÇ hÇo! Hello!" While searching for a dragon to bring rain to the dry land, Little Triangle meets and makes a butterfly with Second Little Triangle. The duo encounters Square, and they all combine to create a bat. Parallelogram, Medium Triangle, and a pair of Big Triangles join the fray--until at last all assemble into a dragon that soars into the sky to create clouds. Scurfield draws simple faces but leaves the shapes intact in the illustrations so that hands-on readers have the option of placing their own "tans" from an attached sheet of cutouts (not seen) on top of each. In several full-spread galleries, she adds dozens of other tangram figures to create. Along with noting in the afterword that the seven pieces can be made into thousands more, Liu-Perkins looks at the many ways this low-tech puzzle promotes concentration and persistence, teaches mathematical concepts, and fosters creativity and storytelling skills. She also traces its history and uses in China, where it was invented, and beyond, and notes that the animals that the shapes form have cultural significance in China. The plotline may be too rudimentary to excite much response in younger audiences, but this may well open a gateway to hours, if not years, of mind-expanding play.
Inviting, if more utilitarian than literary. (Informational picture book. 6-8)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2024 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Source Citation
Source Citation
MLA 9th Edition APA 7th Edition Chicago 17th Edition Harvard
"Liu-Perkins, Christine: THE QUEST FOR A TANGRAM DRAGON." Kirkus Reviews, 1 June 2024, p. NA. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A795673762/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=497d9d1a. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.
The Quest for a Tangram Dragon
Christine Liu-Perkins, illus. by Lynn Scurfield. Bloomsbury, $18.99 (40p) ISBN 978-1-5476-0805-8
In this collaboration-focused guide to the Chinese tangram puzzle, Liu-Perkins and Scurfield introduce seven shapes on a mission to end a drought. Across a wilted landscape, rendered in fluidly lined acrylic ink and paint as well as charcoal, sky-blue Little Triangle sets off in search of a kind dragon to help bring rain. The shape shows off its limited solo talents before encountering other shapes with which to create new forms. It combines with an orange triangle to take flight as a butterfly; when a square joins the party, they combine to form a bat. Gaining other geometric friends along the way, the crew "angled, tangled, and wrangled" themselves into various animals until reaching a steep mountain. After seemingly endless configurations, they're close to giving up--until one more idea brings about a solution. Offering narrative life to an age-old puzzle, the creators introduce geometric thinking while sparking creativity and underlining themes of teamwork and perseverance. An author's note and more about tangrams concludes. Ages 4-8. (Aug.)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2024 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Source Citation
Source Citation
MLA 9th Edition APA 7th Edition Chicago 17th Edition Harvard
"The Quest for a Tangram Dragon." Publishers Weekly, vol. 271, no. 28, 22 July 2024, p. 68. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A803518191/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=3017cef5. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.