Picturesque Chinese is a beginning elementary course that teaches children not only to speak but also to read and write Chinese. The series introduces simple Chinese characters and radicals at the very beginning so that students can start reading at an early stage. Each lesson has exercises that strengthen students' reading ability. In order to help develop students' oral skills, text in each lesson was designed be sung to a tune that is familiar to English-speaking students. This book is copiously illustrated to demonstrate the connection between Chinese characters/radicals and the objects they represent. The illustrations not only stimulate students' interest in learning Chinese but also help them to recognize Chinese characters so that they can begin reading as early as possible.