By: Gilbert Delhaye and Marcel Marlier    
Originally Published in: Belgium
Format: Paperback
Language: Simplified Chinese
Pages per book: 29
Lines per page: 1-2
Luka® can read these books!

This 小小玛蒂娜故事书 (xiǎo xiǎo mǎ dì nà gù shì shū) Little Martine Storybook is an abridged version of the classic 60-book Martine series, adapted for children as young as 3 years old. Each book includes 3 stories, a subset of the original 60 stories. Each page has 1 to 2 lines of text. 

The set gives the reader a window into the idyllic childhood of Martine (known as "Emma" in the UK and "Debbie" in the U.S.) as she grows from a toddler to a mature little girl. For the Chinese learner, this series is great because it will introduce a ton of new vocabulary which is fun and relevant to a child. The reader can vicariously spend a day at a farm, going camping, working in the garden...doing house chores, playing with friends outside, and learning good manners. 

Martine, the protagonist in the series is confident, brave, elegant, happy and generous. She is full of energy and empathy, and often finds herself helping friends overcome a variety trials. Adorable Martine is portrayed in such vivid detail that she has become a literary friend and role model to children around the world.

In summary, we think these beautifully illustrated and wholesome stories will delight your young Chinese learner today and might continue to inspire future generations of learners in the decades to come.  

Book titles:

　1. 《玛蒂娜和小麻雀》 (Mǎ dì nà hé xiǎo máquè) Martine And The Sparrow 
(Includes 3 stories: Martine And The Sparrow, Martine And the Kitten, Martine And The Puppy)
　2. 《玛蒂娜去公园》 (Mǎ dì nà qù gōngyuán) Martine Goes To The Park
(Includes 3 stories: Martine Goes To The Park, Martine At The Farm, Martine's Four Seasons)
　3. 《 玛蒂娜学游泳》(Mǎ dì nà xué yóuyǒng) Martine Learns To Swim
(Includes 3 stories: Martine Learns To Swim, Martine Learns To Ride Bikes, Martine's Ballet Class)
　4.《玛蒂娜去动物园》(Mǎ dì nà qù dòngwùyuán) Martine Goes To The Zoo
(Includes 3 stories: Martine Goes To The Zoo, Martine In The Forest, Martine On The Beach)
　5. 《玛蒂娜和神秘礼物》(Mǎ dì nà hé shénmì lǐwù) Martine And The Mysterious Gift
(Includes 3 stories: Martine And The Mysterious Gift, Martine's Missing Dog, Martine Goes Camping)
　6. 《玛蒂娜过生日》(Mǎ dì nàguò shēngrì) Martine's Birthday
(Includes 3 stories: Martine's Birthday, Martine's Pretty Dress, Martine's Christmas Eve)
　7. 《玛蒂娜表演戏剧》(Mǎ dì nà biǎoyǎn xìjù) Martine And The Play 
(Includes 3 stories: Martine The Babysitter, Martine The "Mom", Martin And The Donkey )
　8. 《玛蒂娜在邻居家》(Mǎ dì nà zài línjū jiā) Martine's Neighbor
(Includes 3 stories: Martine's Neighbor, Martine Visits Grandparents, Martin Does House Chores )
　9. 《玛蒂娜生病了》(Mǎ dì nà shēngbìngle) Martine Is Sick
(Includes 3 stories: Martine Is Sick, Martine Goes To School, Martine The Gardener)
　10. 《玛蒂娜去园游会》(Mǎ dì nà qù yuán yóu huì) Martine Goes To The City Fair,
(Includes 3 stories: Martine Goes To The City Fair,Martine In The Circus， Martine In A Play) 

 

Marcel Marlier (1930-2011), Creator of Martine 

Is my child ready for this set?
"Read to me":
Ages 3+ will enjoy having these books read to them either by Luka® or a caregiver.

"Read by myself":
The limited text per page and the prevalence of common language make it a good "bridge book" for readers. Although the text is short in these books, the vocabulary is extensive. Only children familiar with 1000+ characters will be able to read independently. 

Option to pair with Luka®:
Consider adding Luka®, the reading robot, to your order. Luka® reads 70,000 books in Mandarin Chinese! ​
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Set Luka® in front of the book, and it will read aloud any page your child turns to-- creating a unique, independent physical book reading experience even if your child isn't ready to read by themselves. Click to read our founders' personal review of Luka here.

Happy learning!