A Unique Book for Children to Explore Beijing!

We are proudly announcing that our picture book debut, Beijing: A Symmetrical City is coming soon early summer !

The 1st ever beautifully illustrated book for young audience based on the design philosophy and architectural details of Beijing, China-- one of the world’s oldest cities, founded about the same time as Rome. 

This captivating read provides an immersive exploration into a unique city layout. Perfect for kids and adults with an interest in architecture, history, multi-culture, travel and beyond,Beijing: A Symmetrical City:

• Features gorgeous illustrations in typical Chinese style 

• Teaches the historical significance of the names and placement of the most important buildings in the city

• Provides background on the architect and builders that changed the course of history

• Unearths ancient Chinese philosophy behind the symmetrical city layout, rooted in harmony, balance and order.

The layout of Beijing is deeply rooted in the ancient culture of China. Award-winning illustrator, and author Dawu Yu has created captivating images that highlight the little-knownsymmetry of one of the world’s most aesthetically pleasing cities. Children can become mini experts on the historical hub. Each page features “Fun Facts”, providing knowledge overlooked not only by tourists, but also many residents of Beijing.

Dawu Yu was born in 1948 and grew up in the city. Almost all his childhood time was spent alongside the walls of the Forbidden City, the inner city in the center of Beijing, which preserves hundreds of years of history. When the Earth Tranquility Gate was torn down in 1954, his grandfather put him in a cart and brought him there to look at this north gate of the ancient inner city of Beijing one last time.

Dawu Yu created this beautiful book after years of meticulous research. "Decades later, I feel fortunate now about painting the old Beijing,” says Yu. “I am overwhelmed with emotions and memories, perhaps because I have deep feelings for the historic city." 

One Kite is a children's picture book project jointly founded by 1 Plus Books, Eirya Foundation and Shan Fu Studio in 2018, California. One Kite aims to introduce the best original Chinese children's picture books to English-speaking young readers and educators. One Kite specializes in curating the books with best-ofbreed qualities, artistic values and cultural values; we also collaborating with talented writers, illustrators, designers and publishers in both China and America.

For more information,  please visit our website at https://1plusbooks.com/one-kite.  

Limited time offer is available for digital read and review at NetGalley, please click "Read more" to reach the site, or simply scan the QR code below:

You are welcome to leave a review or share the link with your friends! 

Part of the Advanced reviews:

Part architectural tour, part intro to Chinese history and culture, this book showcases one of China’s most famous landmarks. Beautifully rendered drawings are a feast for the eyes.

--Kirkus Review

I found the book delightful! The information gives the young people a real vision of this ancient city, and I wish I had read it before I visited Beijing in 1995! Loved all the drawings!"
--Marsha Gilpatrick, retired elementary school principal, California

I loved it. It's short, but beautifully illustrated. It transported me to ancient Beijing and made me wonder. The illustrations are detailed, and there are maps and schematics. Functions of historical buildings are explained, even for ones that aren't there anymore. It was a quick, but very cool read.

--Evelina, NetGalley

A very informative book for those wanting to learn a little more about one of UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites. I can also see this as a terrific book for libraries to have on hand as well. I did find some of the font size a little small for me, but it is probably how I viewed it.

-- Christi M, NetGalley

The book was very interesting to me. Quite a few times throughout the reading, I searched up some of the buildings because the descriptions were very intriguing.
--Sophie Zhu, 11th grader, California

The book is really informative. I think the “Fun fact” and “Knowledge tips” are very good, they help you understand the whole thing better. The little maps on corner of the pages can show you the current location and you won’t “get lost” while reading.
--Annabelle Oertel, 8th grader, Germany

What a cool book! Before reading this I knew absolutely nothing about Beijing's architecture, and this was such a great primer on its past and current structures. I would recommend this for students 5th grade and above, and also for adults looking for a quick, illustrative book on architecture in Beijing.

--Lindsay M, NetGalley

I had the chance to read this book with my daughters 8 and 10. The girls were very interested in this nonfiction book. Is a great book to learn geography, since we started pointing out where China is located. Some words were new to them but that is great opportunity to check the dictionary and learn new vocabulary. We learned about dynasties and the way of life in that era in China.
The illustrations are beautiful. My girls loved it!

--Glorimar R

An unusual way to explore a city, especially if complex and fascinating like Beijing: very detailed and suggestive tables, short in-depth texts that, with the evident love of those who have always lived there, help to discover it. 

A nice book a read discovery.

Sara P, NetGalley (This review was written in Italian, we translated it into English)