AWARDS

Dove Family Foundation Approval:

In today's world it is important to be able to communicate in more than one language. Chinese has become one of the top languages. Bao Bei will teach you as well as your young children phrases, numbers and fruit. This colorful entertaining educational tool will help you expand your child's language skills.  This video is filled with wonderful animation, puppets and real children that will make this DVD a fantastic learning experience.www.dove.org

Creative Child Awards

Early Start Mandarin Chinese with Bao Bei the Panda Volumes 1 and 2, a PREFERRED CHOICE AWARD (DVD of the Year Finalist) (DVDs for Preschoolers category)

REVIEWS

Eclectic Homeschool Online - Early Start Mandarin Review

With the help of Bao Bei, a Panda, and a cricket, preschoolers will learn some Mandarin Chinese and enjoy themselves for 30 minutes, too.

In an appealing way, Bao Bei the Panda introduces the four main children who speak Chinese: Katya, Nikolai, Wesley, and Hope. Hope is three years old and completely adorable. She helps 3 year olds know that they can speak Chinese as well as the big kids.

The focus of A Wonderful Day is the vocabulary for getting dressed in the morning and playing on the beach. The beach scenes are particularly nice for children who have not seen the beach themselves. All kids love playing in the sand, whether at the beach or in the sandbox, so the setting has their attention.

The vocabulary is repeated by all the children in a way that helps the preschooler retain what they have learned. It is also good to hear the same word repeated by several people to train the ear to hear the word properly and to be able to pronounce the word correctly.

I am so impressed by the DVD series Early Start Mandarin Chinese. Believe me, learning Chinese was not on my list of things to do, because I thought it would be too difficult for my old brain, but this series has given me hope that even I, with enough repetition, can learn Chinese."

Eclectic Homeschool Online - Cooking with Kids Review

"Ni Hao Productions DVD Cooking with Kids: Exploring Chinese Food, Culture and Language is absolutely wonderful! It's made by kids for kids and the hostess, Katya, seems like a friend coming over to share her love of the Chinese language and cooking with you.
Much of the show takes place in the kitchen, with Katya explaining recipes as well as inserting the Chinese word for the utensils and food. Her helpers, Wesley and Nikolai, are delightful and capable assistants who add to the fun.

Honestly, I love Chinese food so much I already have my own wok, and I've always admired the Chinese culture. But frankly, I thought that Chinese as a language was just too different from English for me to learn. Ni Hao Productions has changed my mind! This family-friendly video is exciting and encouraging! Today, I started learning Chinese! Thank you Ni Hao Productions. Ni Hao means Hello; isn't that great?!"

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL REVIEW (www.Schoollibraryjournal.com)

PreS-Gr 3–Designed primarily for the preschool crowd, this live-action DVD series stars Bao Bei (“Treasure” in Chinese), a child-voiced panda hand puppet. Bao Bei, an animated cricket, and a multiethnic cast of children teach viewers simple phrases and words in Mandarin Chinese. Volume 1 introduces basic colors and animal names. It also provides some phrases and words that would be useful in making friends. Volume 2 covers numbers and fruit. Each is well-designed for auditory learners, containing a lot of repetition. Reviews are frequent, but not monotonous. The vocabulary list found at the end of the programs show the words written in English and phonetic Chinese, but they are not orally reinforced. Audio quality is good, with all words clearly enunciated. The constant lively background music may irritate adults, but will please young audiences. The series is a visual delight, clearly organized, and nicely paced. Parents will appreciate the limited scope of the vocabulary covered, which will not overwhelm young children. A good, simple introduction to Mandarin Chinese.–Teresa Bateman, Brigadoon Elementary School, Federal Way, WA

Island Family Magazine
(www.IslandFamilyMagazine.com)

Kids Can Learn to Cook Chinese Food!
In the new DVD "Cooking with Kids: Exploring Chinese Food, Culture, and Language," kids (aged 12 and under) cook an entire Chinese meal on their own with an easy-to-follow recipe for you to try at home. These kids speak Mandarin Chinese and they also teach viewers the Mandarin words for the ingredients they use. "Cooking with Kids" is available at www.EarlyStartMandarin.com. Our almond cookies recipe was then included in the article.