"In a city in the north of China in the middle of the 1960s, a little boy lived an ordinary life, similar to that of many Chinese children. He lived with his parents, grandparents, and two sisters in a small apartment. He watched his grandfather practice T'ai Chi and his grandmother cook. He loved to draw, but since his family didn't have any money for paper, he drew on the floor with a pencil. One day, Chairman Mao proclaimed the Cultural Revolution. It was the beginning of a terrible, yet glorious period. Every day, horrible things occurred, and yet the entire country, led by its youth, maintained its faith in its leader. The little boy of this book is Chen Jiang Hong, who has written and illustrated many books for children. It is through his eyes that we learn about his family and bear witness to a truly terrible period of recent history. This is Chen's first book about his childhood, and he wrote it to give children all over the world the chance to find out about the world that shaped him. Chen's childhood was ordinary in that, like any child, he loved to build, catch fireflies, chase buses, and go to the movies. It was unusual in that he grew up during the Cultural Revolution. While wanting his readers to know what life was like then, Chen also hopes that you will discover the similarities that exist between your own life and his. For despite all of the differences between us, there are always feelings and experiences that we share in common." -- Publisher's description