We're Riding on a Caravan
An Adventure on the Silk Road
ISBN: 1841483435
By Laurie Krebs, Illustrated by Helen Cann
Barefoot Books, Cambridge, MA (September, 2005)
Book Description:
"Set out on a journey of discovery and adventure along the ancient Chinese Silk Road, where you'll see exotic lands and meet local merchants as you travel with a family of silk traders from Xi'an to Kashgar."
Editorial Reviews:
"...Krebs offers a glimpse into a part of human culture most youngsters-or oldsters-may not know at all. In rhyme, she tracks China's Silk Road....There's a running chorus, 'We're riding on a caravan, a bumpy humpy caravan.' and there's the first person plural narrative, also rhymed, from Xi'an to Kashgar as silks are traded for wool, rice for bread. The colorful pictures, made with bits of silk brocade and marbled paper collage as well as watercolor, show many kinds of costumes and many ages and genders of caravan travelers." Kirkus Reviews
"Lilting verse and multipatterned illustrations follow one family's arduous, yet fascinating yearlong, 2,000 mile caravan trip over China's Silk Road. Krebs's (We All Went on Safari) verse...brims with details...A map of the Silk Road and informative sections on the history of silk and the Silk Road's major cities conclude this attractive volume. Publisher's Weekly
"Five months ago we reached Hami, worn out and sick and cold / For winter in the desert was as harsh as we'd been told. / We warmed ourselves with goat-head soup and steaming cups of tea / And rested there for several days before we left Hami."
"With text in verse and a sing-along refrain, "We're going on a caravan, a bumpy, humpy caravan / We're riding on a caravan to places far away," this targets an audience younger than most books on the Silk Road. Krebs writes from the perspective of a Chinese family from Xi'an, recounting its year-long journey to deliver precious silks to a bazaar at Kashgar." Booklist
" This picture book would be a valuable addition to a school collection emphasizing positive historical interactions between cultures." Library Media Connections
" This is a wonderful book, with an interesting story told in such a way as to make it a joy to read aloud to youngsters." Children's Literature