Chinese / People's Republic of China
Ping pang xiang liang
(The sound of ping-pong)
Liu, Haiqi
(text)
Yang, Bo
(illus.)
Guiyang: Gui zhou ren min chu ban she (Guizhou People’s Publishing House), 2023. – 305 p.
(Series: Pu gong ying tong shu guan)
ISBN 978-7-221-17565-6
Sport | Table tennis | Physical education | Persistence
Reading age: 8+
White Ravens issue: 2023
When Zhang Fangxiang decides to play ping-pong, it is a big decision at a time when a little kid cannot easily get hold of a ping-pong paddle and ball, much less find a table at which to practice. However, Zhang finds a way to save money for his own paddle, makes himself an expert in mending ping pong balls, finds a coach, and rapidly improves his skills. When challenged to a match at a tournament, he loses and learns the important lesson of accepting failure with grace. The novel is based on Liu Haiqi’s (b. 1954) own childhood experiences and is representative of his writing, with its recognizable colloquial style and fundamental humor and warmth. Liu, former CBBY Deputy Chairman and renowned writer and publisher of children’s books, is the author of »You ge zi de xia tian« (The summer of pigeons), »Wu wei xiao shu li xian ji« (Adventures of a tailless mouse), »Ba ba shu« (The father tree), and »You yong« (Swimming). Among others, he has received the National Award for Outstanding Children’s Literature. [FW, ZX]