Amazon Books (customer review)

There are several things I really like about this very unique book at an old traditional game called mahjong.

The first is that not only is this book written in English, but also has lots of Chinese Characters. Not only do they have the characters for Daddy, Mama, Big sister, Little brother and Mahjong, but also word associated with the game such as " Hu Le!" (I win!), " Peng " (3 of a kind), " Chi" (3 in a row), counting in Chinese from 1 to 10 and Do you want this tile? And your typical pestering of siblings ... Sounds terrible, Don't touch, and Don't act crazy!

The second is that instead of drawing illustrations on paper, Beth who is a ceramic arts professor made the illustrations on ceramic plates. How cool is that! The drawings are simple, colorful and have qualities that can and are found in families across the world! Upon 1st reading and looking at the books illusrations I thought, they are Ok, nothing really special, then upon reading the dust jacket I found out that illustrations where actually glazed & fired plates. With that in mind, I went back and carefully looked at each plate and was really impressed! Now, I can easily see those plates now hang proudly on the walls in their parents home!

The third is that in the last 2 pages there is more information about Mahjong, and if you are interested in learning mahjong from reading this book (like I now am), they have thoughtfully compiled a list of 9 books on Mahjong for you to read.

The fourth is that the two sister when as young sat on their fathers knee and watched their parents and family members play mahjong and now they too play mahjong with their families. What a lovely way to pass on a family tradition and beloved game.