By: Joanna Cole (Author), Bruce Degen (Illustrator),  蒲公英童书馆 (Translator) 
Originally Published in: United States
Format: Paperback
Language: Simplified Chinese
Pages per book: 40-48
Price per book: $6.88
Lines per page: 5-20
Luka® can read these books!

Expose kids to science vocabulary in the format of these exciting Chinese 神奇校车 (shén qí xiào chē) Magic School Bus stories!

This book set (original picture book version/图画书版) is a reprint of the wildly popular set originally published in the late 1980's. The original set resulted in the creation of the Canadian-American animated series which so many parents today will fondly remember watching at school or on PBS! This set has been revised with updated scientific information, but, these books still have the same appeal and follow the same story lines as the original set.

These stories captivate kids' imaginations while simultaneously educating them about science. Additionally, most of the story lines involve resolving social or emotional issues commonly faced by school-age children. 

The 12 books in this Original Picture Book Version (图画书版) are of similar language level as the Magic School Bus 10-Book Set (Cartoon Version (动画版)), and is bigger in size. 

Both  this  Original Picture Book Version (图画书版) and the Magic School Bus 10-Book Set (Cartoon Version (动画版)) are of a slightly more advanced reading level than the Magic School Bus 20-Book Set (Level 2 Reader Bridge Version(桥梁版).   

All stories across the three sets of the Magic School Bus series in our collection are unique and do not overlap with each other.

Complement this set by allowing students to watch the original English animated series on Netflix and ask if they can recognize any of the scientific facts that have been updated in the book version.  Alternatively, to provide more Mandarin immersion time, try the newly released Netflix-original series The Magic School Bus Rides Again which is available with Mandarin audio and Simplified or Traditional subtitles.  

Book titles:

《地球内部探秘》(Dì qiú nèi bù tàn mì) Inside the Earth 
《气候大挑战》(Qì hòu dà tiǎo zhàn) The Climate Challenges
《探访感觉器官》(Tàn fǎng gǎn jué qì guān) The Magic School Bus Explores the Senses
《漫游电世界》(Màn yóu diàn shì jiè) The Electric Field Trip
《奇妙的蜂巢》(Qí miào de fēng cháo) Inside a Beehive 
《穿越飓风》(Chuān yuè jù fēng) Inside a Hurricane 
《追寻恐龙》(Zhuī xún kǒng lóng) In the Time of the Dinosaurs 
《海底探险》(Hǎi dǐ tàn xiǎn) On the Ocean Floor 
《迷失在太阳系》(M íshī zài tài yang xì) Lost in the Solar System 
《在人体中游览》(Zài rén tǐ zhōng yóu lǎn) Inside the Human Body 
《水的故事》(Shuǐ de gù shì) At the Waterworks 
《科学博览会》(Kē xué bó lǎn huì) The Science Fair Expedition

Read more about the magic and comparison of the Magic School Bus books, read this review from Chalk Academy.    

Is my child ready for this set?

"Read to me":
Ages 5+ 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 7+. 

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!