Learning Chinese is notoriously difficult & has long put off the most linguistically savvy Westerners... until now. Breaking down the great wall of language, Shao Lan has unpicked Chinese characters & created a simple system for quickly understanding the basic building blocks of the written language. Working with renowned illustrator Noma Bar, she has delevoped a unique set of delightful illustrations that offer a glimpse into the wonder of the Chinese language & culture. The books main section introduces the building blocks the key characters on which the language is built & reveals how they can be combined to form a wealth of more complex words & phrases. In fewer than 200 pages, readers of all ages will have made the first steps towards a genuine appreciation of Chinese, loving every new character they learn.