By: 北猫
Originally Published in: China
Format: Paperback
Language: Simplified Chinese
Pages per book: 133
Lines per page: 5-8
Audio book: Available by QR code on book
Luka® can read these book! Luka reads the 4 story books, but not the 1 exercise book in this set. 

These  米小圈漫画成语  (mǐ xiǎo quān màn huà chéng yǔ) Mi Xiao Quan Idioms books are a companion series of the wildly popular 米小圈上学记 (mǐ xiǎo quān shàng xué jì) Mi Xiao Quan's School Experience set.  

One of the elements that makes Chinese a difficult language for foreigners to learn is the frequent use of classical idioms, 成语(chéng yǔ). Chinese idioms, most of which consist of four characters, are used daily all over modern China in written and spoken Chinese.

What better way to learn popular Chinese idioms than through hilarious comics?

In this set, the playful elementary school boy Mi Xiao Quan, invites young readers to join him on several hilarious modern encounters with this traditional form of language, 成语(chéng yǔ)！

Each of the first 4 books introduces 128 commonly used idioms illustrated through comics. All these 4 books are read by Luka. Each half page explains one commonly used 4-character idiom, put it into a sentence, and  provides its synonyms and antonym; the next half page is a comics story about this idiom in the setting of an elementary school kid's everyday life told through color illustrations. What a brilliant way to inject fresh, modern spirit into classical idioms! What an unique way to make "learning" easier and more fun! 

The 5th book is an exercise book with games for children to put the idioms in action. Luka does NOT read this exercise book. 

成语(chéng yǔ) are considered the collected wisdom of Chinese culture and succinctly summarize the practical experience and moral lessons from generations of Chinese. This set is not only a must-have bridge book series to introduce your child to more advanced chapter book reading, but also a great peek into modern Chinese culture, and wisdom from the East.  

On our last trip to China, each of the many primary school aged children that we interviewed, whether boy or girl, recommended the Mi Xiao Quan series as a set of their favorite books.  

If your child has been gradually straying away from Chinese books and you are looking for something truly entertaining to get him excited about reading Chinese, try Mi Xiao Quan! 

If you are interested in hearing what other parents and educators have said about Mi Xiao Quan, check out mom, pediatrician, and blogger, Betty Choi's 米小圈 book review . 

Book titles: 

Is my child ready for this set?
"Read to me":
Ages 6+ 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. The involved plot and detailed illustrations will capture the interest of experienced readers ages 6+. 

Option to pair with Luka®:
Consider adding Luka®, the reading robot, to your order. Luka® reads 70,000 books in Mandarin Chinese! 

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!