I'm a Big Sister

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This is why when you’re looking for big sister books for your child, it’s important to look for books that strike the right balance. Because yes, books about becoming a big sister should touch on the challenging parts of being an older sibling, but they should also point out the fun and heartwarming parts of stepping into the role of big sister. Ei-ling, the eldest daughter, worked as Sun Yat-sen’s secretary but rebuffed his advances. She went on to marry H.H. Kung, a wealthy businessman who would later become Chiang Kai-shek’s finance minister. Ching-ling, or Red Sister as Chang refers to her, would become the Madame Sun Yat-sen, and later served as vice-chairman to Mao Zedong. Little Sister May-ling would become Madame Chiang Kai-shek, and, arguably, one of the most notable sisters for her contributions to the war efforts against Japan, her publicized mission in the United States, and her crucial role to Chiang Kai-shek as an interpreter during post-WW2 peace talks. Jung Chang is probably best known for her hugely successful family autobiography Wild Swans, however she has also written two historic books Mao: The Unknown Story and Empress Dowager Cixi. Now she tells the extraordinary story of three sisters who due to marriage and family association found themselves at the centre of the tumultuous events that engulfed 20th century China. We have Red Sister, Ching-ling who married the still revered ‘Father of China’, Sun Yat-sen and due to our allegiance to the Communist cause went on to become Mao’s vice-chair and remain diametrically opposed to her nationalist supporting sisters. There is Little Sister, May-ling, who would marry the nationalist leader of pre-Communist China Chiang Kai-shek and as first lady insert much influence and there is Big Sister, Ei-ling who again exerted much influence over Chiang Kai-shek and controversially through undoubted corruption (ably supported by her husband who himself became President of the Republic of China) became one of China’s richest women.

la bio di Jung Chang, come quella precedente su Mao, è accurata e storicamente ben documentata, scritta in maniera avvincente, attraversa l'intera storia della Cina del novecento arricchendo gli scenari a beneficio di chi fosse interessato a uno sguardo obliquo sulle motivazioni e le scelte dei protagonisti The Soong sisters came from a world of privilege—they had every comfort they could want and were the first Chinese women to be educated at American universities. They even spoke English more comfortably than their native tongues. What set them on their paths to destiny was perhaps their father’s love for the country. By quietly funding Sun Yat-sen’s revolutionary schemes to democratize China, Charlie Soong inadvertently introduced his daughters to the world of politics. Big Sister, Ei-ling, became Chiang's unofficial main adviser - and made herself one of China's richest women. While the book is fairly positive on this family you see the Soong's and Kung’s helping themselves to public funds. You see Sun-yat-sen only interested in being president and creating the civil war the ended China’s democracy (that he supposedly founded) to have this status/power. There is some description of Chaing and his 2 million nationalists taking over the 7 million people of Taiwan and how his dictatorship was set up. You see May-ling is only concerned about who will run Taiwan after Chaing’s death because she wanted to keep her large staff (in New York City).

These big sister books are the ones my kids asked for again and again (and again). But that’s okay by me because these are the best books about becoming a big sister that I’ve ever read. They’re a delight to read aloud! Hello In There—My toddler loved lifting the flaps that show how the baby’s growing, and she related to how hard it is to wait to meet your little sibling. I’m not normally a great fan of non-fiction, especially political tales, however this riveting biography is so well written it at no time becomes weighed down. The three sisters, their lives and loves, make for some fascinating reading. Moving from grand parties in Shanghai to penthouses in New York, from exiles’ quarters in Japan and Berlin to secret meetings in Moscow we read about power struggles, godfather style assassinations, secret talks and bribes making this a book that is compulsive reading. Everywhere Babies—What a lovely little book! In this one, you’ll find diversity of babies and families, heartwarming details about life with babies, and the most gorgeous illustrations. My kids ask for me to read this one every day, and they nearly have every word memorized.

The absolute best big sister books take it one step further. They present the challenges of becoming a big sister, then show the older sibling feeling empowered to work through those challenges and come up with their own solutions.As a person who loves China and is fascinated by Chinese history, I was captivated by this book. I had already learned a great deal from Jung Chang's book Empress Dowager Cixi: The Concubine Who Launched Modern China. I appreciate how Jung Chang has brought to light the lives of important Chinese women. This book ended out on my list due to a challenge from a friend to read something way out of my comfort zone. I know very little about China or its history, and was invited into this wing of the library because there were three women who were important and relevant as to how China shaped into the nation it has today. This is a magnificent biography of the three Soong sisters, Ei-ling, Ching-ling, and May-ling. Each of the girls were sent, as young children, to be educated in the United States. Ei-Ling, known as "Big Sister," married H.H. Kung, a business man, and ultimately became the wealthiest woman in China. Ching-ling, known as "Red Sister," married the "father of China," Sun Yat-sen, and ultimately rose to be Mao Zedung's Vice-Chair. May-ling, known as "Little Sister," became Madame Chiang Kai-Shek and first lady pre-Communist Nationalist China. This is an extraordinary and riveting account of the life stories of the Soong sisters and their involvement and influence in the sweep of the turbulent history in China during the twentieth century.

You Were the First—The child in this book is a boy, but it’s not explicitly called out, and my oldest daughter still loved it. This sweet book will help reassure your child that you will still love them even after the new baby arrives. All three sisters enjoyed tremendous privilege and glory, but also endured constant mortal danger. They showed great courage and experienced passionate love, as well as despair and heartbreak. They remained close emotionally, even when they embraced opposing political camps and Ching-ling dedicated herself to destroying her two sisters' worlds. But Penny desperately wants to sing her joyful song, so she sings it to herself in the mirror and to her toy animals, but that does not satisfy her. She wants the attention of her parents; the same attention that they are giving to the babies.

Wolfie the Bunny—This book makes my kids (and me) giggle every time. At first, the main character is unsure of her new little brother, but she comes around in the end after an experience that bonds them. Side note: One line in this book has lived on as a running joke in our family since the first time we read it. Love this story! Ching Ling sposò, contro il parere della famiglia, Sun Yat-sen e successivamente divenne nota come "sorella rossa" vicepresidente di Mao, il quale per tutta la vita la usò per legittimare il suo potere di successore di Sun This is an ambitious undertaking, pruning the eventful lives of these 3 women to fit into one book. Jung Chang takes this on and covers all the highlights. The book is easily readable. The presentation is neutral to positive. The sisters's loyalty to one another is stressed. In each of the marriages, the Soong sister appears to be the better partner.