Chinese Character Storybook – Illustrated Characters + Digital Workbook | Artistic, Brain-Friendly Method (🎉 8-Year Anniversary Edition)
Welcome to the 8-Year Anniversary Edition of the Chinese Character Storybook – a visually immersive, story-driven journey into Mandarin.
This illustrated book blends artistic character visualization and deep etymology research with a downloadable digital writing workbook, all built on a brain-friendly method that helps learners recognize, understand, and retain characters with confidence. Whether you're a parent, educator, or self-learner, you'll find that Chinese characters aren’t just memorized—they’re experienced and remembered.
See our readers' reviews at the bottom of the page.
📖 How to Use This Book + Companion Workbook
Learning Chinese doesn’t have to be about memorizing strokes. With Chinestory, it's about character visualization, meaning, and discovery.
Here's how to make the most of your storybook and companion workbook:
✳️ Step 1: Start by Reading the Story Like a Novel
Let yourself get immersed in the adventure of Yi, a teenage boy on a journey of self-expression.
Don’t worry about pausing for every new character yet—just follow the storyline and let the language flow over you.
✳️ Step 2: Revisit the Characters and Visual Clues
After reading, go back and explore the illustrated characters.
Each one is drawn based on real etymological roots—not random mnemonics—revealing the Hanzi DNA that helps you "Learn 1, Unlock 10".
Here is how you carry out this step:
✅ Visualize each character inside the illustration
✅ Take a mental snapshot
✅ Peel back its historical and semantic meaning
✳️ Step 3: Follow the Icons for Interactive Learning
Throughout the book, you'll see fun icons that guide you:
- 🔍 A new character appears—pay attention!
- 🌱 A root expands—track its transformation!
- 🧩 Challenge yourself to unlock unfamiliar words
- 🗣️ Speak, ✍️ write, or 🎵 sing along with the characters
- 🌳 Return to the tree of knowledge and hunt for patterns
These icons turn passive reading into active discovery.
✳️ Step 4: Use the Companion Workbook for Practice
Print the tracing sheets or open them on your favorite tablet or iPad (via QR code in the physical storybook)
Each character comes with:
✔️ Numbered strokes (no guesswork!)
✔️ Reinforcement through the same illustration in the storybook to avoid mindless copying
✔️Extra Tianzige sheet (grid style writing sheet) for practice
This is practice with purpose—you’re building memory through meaning.
A perfect gift for curious minds, this set doesn’t just teach—it brings the Chinese language to life.
Why Etsy?
Amazon takes 60%, doesn’t include the companion workbook, and definitely doesn’t autograph your copy.
Support indie publishing — shop on Etsy.
Prefer shopping on Amazon?
You can also find the book here, though just a heads-up — it doesn’t include the companion workbook, and I can’t autograph those copies. 😉
Still, the kind words from readers speak for themselves — here’s what they’ve shared:
