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Once Upon a Time in China #1

The Emperor Who Built The Great Wall

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Meet the brilliant, all-powerful First Emperor of China. In this book, read about his interesting life and how he became one of the most important men in Chinese history.

Even though the First Emperor lived more than two thousand years ago, his memory still lives on. Each year, thousands of people visit the Great Wall, as well as the army of Terracotta Warriors hidden in the emperor’s secret tomb. And did you know that China was named after him?

In "The Emperor Who Built The Great Wall", discover for yourself why he built the Wall, how he made China the biggest country on earth, and what he hid in his secret tomb.

The simple language and beautiful illustrations make "The Emperor Who Built The Great Wall" a wonderful reader or bedtime story. It is suitable for all ages, but children aged 5-12 years will especially enjoy reading, listening to, or reading along with this book.

31 pages, Paperback

First published February 8, 2015

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About the author

Jillian Lin

20 books9 followers

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5 stars
40 (50%)
4 stars
11 (13%)
3 stars
22 (27%)
2 stars
4 (5%)
1 star
3 (3%)
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
Profile Image for Montzalee Wittmann.
5,334 reviews2,367 followers
April 20, 2019
Wonderful into and pics that make history interesting!

The Emperor who Built the Great Wall by Jillian Lin is packed full of easy to understand information for kids complete with fantastic illustrations that follow the story. The book starts with the Emperor as a 13 year old and tells the good and bad things he did as he acquired the land that is China today. It also includes building the Great Wall. Kids will find they learn will bring entertained.
Profile Image for Mary Eve.
588 reviews4 followers
February 28, 2021
Once Upon A Time In China...



If you're home schooling the little(s), this is a great series for children five and up. The story is illustrated well and introduces children to China's first ruler, Emperor Qin. Qin is responsible for building the Great Wall of China. Well, he didn't actually build it himself. Emperor Qin forced captured enemies and slaves to construct the wall to protect the empire from nomadic tribes. The Great Wall is the longest man-made structure on Earth – 5500 miles of wall! During construction it was referred to as "the longest cemetery on Earth". The book wraps up with a quiz and map. Informative and comprehensive.
Profile Image for Tony Parsons.
4,156 reviews105 followers
February 24, 2021
China Quin Kingdom. King/Ruler Qin Shihuang (13) was going to rule his dynasty with an iron fist.
He began to build a military.
They soon took over other Kingdoms around them.
Jing (soldier) told King/Ruler Qin Shihuang King (Yan) wanted to give him a present.
Emperor Qin Shihuang had taken over the Yan Kingdom.
Each Kindoms weapons were melted down & made into giant statues.
He made coins, & built roads, rivers, & had a transportation system for goods.
They Kingdom got enormously powerful & was being attacked.

What do you think was Emperor Qin Shihuang next project?

I do not receive any type of compensation for reading & reviewing free books from publishers & authors. Therefore, I am under no obligation to write a positive review, only an honest one.

An awesome book cover, great hand-drawn colored pictures, charming illustrations & proper font & writing style. A very professionally written children’s Chinese culture (elementary; MS age) storybook. It was quite easy for me to read/follow from start/finish & never a dull moment. There were no grammar/typo errors, nor any repetitive or out of line sequence sentences. Lots of exciting scenarios, with several twists/turns & a great set of unique characters, settings, etc. to keep track of. This could also make another great children’s educational presentation (Chinese culture), movie, an animated cartoon, or better yet a mini-TV series. There is no doubt in my mind this is an extremely easy rating of 5 stars.

Thank you for the free author(s); Goodreads; eBookStage; Amazon Digital Services LLC.; book
Tony Parsons MSW (Washburn)
3,822 reviews44 followers
September 5, 2018
🌏 The emperor who wanted to live forever comes back to life in a great children's book!☺📖
September 4, 2018
Format: Kindle Edition
Verified Purchase

👍What a great story, short and to the point, to instill an interest in history and pride of heritage in children! Plus, even adults may learn new facts about one of the world's great cultures. I certainly did. Plus, the format is great, with the illustrated story followed by extra facts and a short multiple choice quiz at the end. The added map at the end pinpointed the areas of China covered in the story. I can see this read in a classroom environment or in a short family storytime.
Profile Image for Donna.
1,434 reviews9 followers
March 14, 2019
This is a children's book, beautifully illustrated by Shi Meng, but I actually enjoyed it myself and learned a lot from it (including how to pronounce some Chinese words with the easy pronounciation hints!). I think it's a really great way to teach children about another culture, and I'd definitely love to read more of the series to learn more, and my nieces also want to read more too. So if you or your children are interested in learning more about China, why not give this book a read.
Profile Image for Goddess of Chaos.
2,889 reviews12 followers
September 20, 2017
Quick young children's read

I'm looking for books for kids 6 and under, on interesting topics, that will capture some aspect of the imagination. This hits every mark, and has the added bonus of using a vocabulary I think our youngest readers can handles, adds interest for them with the dual language, and after the story urges them to think.
Profile Image for Debbie Benson.
10.4k reviews36 followers
September 4, 2018
It is concise and easy to read with nice illustrations. Late there is actual pictures and nice maps in the book. The history is provided in easy to understand format without hiding the bad facts. After the story part, there is a point form recap and even better a short questionnaire to set the facts in the mind.
4,419 reviews37 followers
June 24, 2020
Informative children's book about the great wall of China.

Good color artwork. This book briefly covers the life of China's first emperor, Qin. It covers his efforts to unify china. Qin have China a universal currency and a universal alphabet as well as the Great Wall.
Profile Image for Lynn.
3,045 reviews86 followers
October 18, 2020
An interesting short story of the first emperor of China, especially as it is written in both English and Chinese! The illustrations were colorful and help the story along quite well! Wonderful story of little ones! Good introduction to the history of China!
1 review
July 23, 2018
Amazing 💜💜

I chose a 5 star rating because I love this book it teaches kids about different country s
In the world 💗💟💝
Profile Image for Courtney.
4,298 reviews
March 22, 2019
My children love to read and I am so happy that there are books like this one out there that I can read to them.
Profile Image for Megan Norred.
98 reviews1 follower
April 1, 2020
Great to learn

Read while out of school. The kids liked it and I even learned. I also enjoyed the pictures and questions at the end.
Profile Image for Jeani.
1,215 reviews
May 20, 2024
This is very well done and quite an accessible read for early elementary students just learning about the Great Wall and this Emperor.
Profile Image for Swapnil Palod.
3 reviews
January 14, 2019
Good book for kids.

The author used simple language and my kids loved it. Good illustrations in the book. I would certainly get other books by the author.
Profile Image for Alana.
29 reviews2 followers
April 30, 2019
Awards: None
Grade level: K-2
Summary: Through colorful illustrations, learn about some Chinese history. The story is in both English and Chinese.
My Review: I think this book would be good to send him to a Chinese ELL family because I am showing interest and appreciation for their culture. Although the story itself could be better, it gives a good introduction to young learners about history of other places.
In Class: This can be read at the beginning of Chinese New Year to learn about the basic ideas of history. From there, we can have discussions about culture and all of the aspects. If there is a Chinese family, they can come in and be a mystery reader for this book and read it in their native language. It's so important to expose young students to different languages too.
Profile Image for Heathyre.
41 reviews2 followers
April 2, 2015
The Emperor Who Built The Great Wall by Jillian Lin is an age appropriate book for children.

They get to meet a young emperor, named Qin (13 years old), who was king of the Qin Dynasty in China. He wanted fame and set about to conquer the other dynasties in China. Qin also became the first emperor of China. He became powerful and strict. The book said Qin melted down weapons and killed people, who broke the law. He also wanted the country to use the same currency and same system of writing. Children will learn of his life, his kingdom and why he built the wall.

The author does a great job at captivating these young minds with a story that is fun and the illustrations are beautifully made and complement the story very well. The book is perfect for children 5-12 years old. It has great illustration the story is simple and great for children to learn and understand.
At the end of the book there is some cool "did you know part" and a quiz.

I received a copy of “The Emperor Who Built The Great Wall" by Jillian Lin for evaluation purposes. All opinions expressed are still 100% my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with Federal Trade Commission 16 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsement and Testimonials in Advertising.
Profile Image for Stacie Wyatt.
Author 4 books16 followers
March 31, 2015
I read The Emperor Who Built The Great Wall, in exchange for honest review. The book was written by Jillian Lin. The book is for early readers. Children, who can read bigger words and longer sentences.

The book is about a young emperor, named Qin (13 years old), who was king of the Qin Dynasty in China. He wanted fame and set about to conquer the other dynasties in China. Qin also became the first emperor of China. He became powerful and strict. The book said Qin melted down weapons and killed people, who broke the law. He also wanted the country to use the same currency and same system of writing.

He also helped build The Great Wall in China. You can read more about Qin and his accomplishments in the book. I loved the book. I loved the information more for myself, than my kids. I also liked the graphics, especially the maps of the regions.
Profile Image for Mihaela Day.
82 reviews5 followers
March 20, 2015
The Emperor Who Built The Great Wall by Jillian Lin is an adorable book for children. They get to meet the First Emperor of China and the wall he is famous for building – The Great Wall of China. Children will learn of his life, his kingdom and why he built the wall.

The book is very well written, age appropriate and the language is simple and easy to understand. The author does a great job at captivating these young minds with a story that is fun and the illustrations are beautifully made and complement the story very well. The book is perfect for children 5-12 years old. My children liked it and it was a good addition to their library! :)
3,822 reviews44 followers
September 5, 2018
🌏 The emperor who wanted to live forever comes back to life in a great children's book!☺📖
September 4, 2018
Format: Kindle Edition
Verified Purchase

👍What a great story, short and to the point, to instill an interest in history and pride of heritage in children! Plus, even adults may learn new facts about one of the world's great cultures. I certainly did. Plus, the format is great, with the illustrated story followed by extra facts and a short multiple choice quiz at the end. The added map at the end pinpointed the areas of China covered in the story. I can see this read in a classroom environment or in a short family storytime.
Profile Image for Coleen.
1,022 reviews51 followers
February 24, 2015
the great wall

Like many others, I have always been fascinated by
China and the Great Wall. This book is short and sweet and gives a succinct account of how the wall originally came into
being. Plus it explains Qin and the unification of the smaller groups in China. It seems to be a book that my granddaughter will
enjoy and that was my main reason for getting it. Nevertheless, I totally enjoyed it also. I would recommend it as a short e-book to
anyone interested in either China or the Great Wall.
Profile Image for Jacalyn.
Author 3 books15 followers
August 23, 2015
Quick historical for the kids.

This would be a great book for reading with your kids as a teaser into the history of China/The Great Wall. There is even a little trivia in the back. The art is nice and there's just enough details that you won't bore older kids but not so much depth that a younger kid would get bored or lose retention.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews