“Does anyone know what popcorn is in Mandarin?” “爆米花 (bàomǐhuā)!”Laughter filled the Helmond-Peel Library on November 22, 2025, as Taiwanese volunteers led children through an interactive Mandarin storytelling session. Organized by Nina Bankers-Chiu from the volunteer group 中文一角 (Zhong Wen Yi Jiao), the event bridged cultures and languages through the magic of books.
This month’s session featured the Dutch edition of Noraneko Gundan: The Train. Nina, together with teacher Yun Zhi Huang, engaged the children with interactive questions. She invited Dutch parent Kevin Pothoven on stage to read the story in Dutch, encouraging parents and children to share in the reading experience together.
The session also featured a hands-on cultural activity. Nina invited Jiani Li from the TCML (Taiwan Centre for Mandarin Learning) to guide the children in making dough figurines (捏麵人, niēmiànrén). Nearly 40 children and parents took part, bringing the yellow cat and popcorn from the story “into real life” by making their own figures.
One parent shared, “This is wonderful! The kids are already asking when the next event will be!” Another added, “My children continued creating more at home! Thank you for a great afternoon.”
The 中文一角 (Zhong Wen Yi Jiao) group is made up of parents who want their children to stay connected with their mother tongue while enjoying reading in Mandarin. Centered on storybooks, the group hosts monthly reading sessions and activities in Helmond, Eindhoven, and Best, helping families maintain a warm connection with their mother tongue.
