Ni Hao, Little Friends

Say Ni Hao (hello!) to this clever, colorful introductory guide to Mandarin Chinese hosted by an energetic (and clearly experienced) teacher who leads a group of very excited children in song and dance as they learn numbers and colors, as well as names of various foods and animals. All the tunes are familiar; “This Old Man,” for example, becomes “Xiao Deng Long,” a counting song using paper lanterns, and each concept builds on its predecessor, so that after learning numbers, colors, and fruit names, phrases such as “four purple plums” or “I like the yellow banana” are introduced. Simple but familiar teaching tools such as blocks or number cards are used in combination with on-screen words displayed in both simplified Chinese characters and Pinyin (westernized pronunciations), with key words repeated often. While the set is simple, and the sound is sometimes less-than-perfect, the company has made the most of its small budget in producing this otherwise excellent language video that is affordably priced (and includes a full-color vocabulary and song booklet). Enthusiastically recommended for both home and classroom use. Aud: K, E, P. (E. Gieschen)