Oliver Chin has written The Tales from the Chinese Zodiac series, Baltazar and the Flying Pirates, Welcome to Monster Isle, Timmy and Tammy's Train of Thought, and The Adventures of WonderBaby. He is writing Julie Black Belt's sequel and lives in San Francisco, California. Charlene Chua was born in Singapore and raised on a diet of American cartoons and music in the midst of a booming Asian city. She now is an award-winning illustrator living with her husband and cats in Toronto, Canada, and illustrating Julie Black Belt's sequel.
I recommend this book. The characters' constant state of motion adds excitement to the story. The kung fu classes are filled with male and female racially diverse students, and their cartoon-like appearance will appeal to children. When children read Julie's story they will understand how important and beneficial it can be to keep going despite difficulties. Julie's tireless effort and enthusiastic attitude create a positive ending to this story. - Resource Links This is a great book for girls (or boys!) who are interested in martial arts. The message is practice and hard work get results and that applies to most things in life. - PinkwithSparkles With art by Charlene Chua, Julie Black Belt features a girl who decides that with a little hard work, kung fu can be fun. - Super Punch the illustrations are so bright and vivid, younger kids may enjoy the story anyway. Charlene Chua definitely does a great job. There are lots of nice details while keeping everything simple and clean. The martial arts seem to be very popular these days; there's probably 3 or 4 studios in our little town. So, if your little one is interested, or if you're looking to get your child interested, this book might be perfect for you. - SuperCoolBaby Finding a female Asian heroine in a children's book is a pleasant surprise... Parents struggling to instill values in their children will appreciate the persevering young heroine who forgets external rewards while focusing on internal goals. The illustrations, reminiscent of 'The Incredibles' animated film, are bright and crisp. Take a look at this book. You might even see yourself in Julie. - Nichibei Times I recommend this book. The characters' constant state of motion adds excitement to the story. The kung fu classes are filled with male and female racially diverse students, and their cartoon-like appearance will appeal to children. When children read Julie's story they will understand how important and beneficial it can be to keep going despite difficulties. Julie's tireless effort and enthusiastic attitude create a positive ending to this story. - Paper Tigers Oliver Chin's story moves at a fast enough pace to keep children engaged while still managing to show the different stages Julie goes through in finally earning her yellow belt. Charlene Chua's bright colors and animated illustrations of Julie practicing different skills are fun to look at. Julie Black Belt is a story about perseverance and serves as a great example to teach children how working hard pays off. - Northwest Asian Weekly