A. Provide all APA bibliographic information
B. Review:
Please write an engaging book review. Evaluate it in terms of multicultural issues and criteria and address the credibility of the author. Consider your personal response to the book. Make text to text, text to life connections. Discuss its literary and visual qualities and give an example of a golden line or visual/formatting element that contributes to its quality. Bring in reviews of it where applicable. Consider for whom is the book intended and how might it fit into teaching that audience. Provide examples to support what you say.
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Yang, B. (2004) Hannah Is My Name. Candlewick Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts. ISBN: 978-0-7636-2223-7
ReplyDeleteBelle Yang, the distinguished native Tawainese writer, who wrote the book that I chose, titled Hannah Is My Name, is an accomplished writer in numerous genres, including picture book writer, adult, nonfiction picture book writer, and newly published graphic novelist. After growing up in Taiwan, she and her family moved to Japan Documented in a PBS documentary, titled "My Name is Belle", Yang is often asked if she prefers painting, (another medium where she also excels) or writing: "When I'm writing, I'm a writer, when I'm painting, I'm a painter". At seven, Yang immigrated with her family to America, where she would eventuall attend the University of California, Santa Cruz, majoring in biology, but going on to study art at Pasadena Art Center College of Design. Yang worked and traveled in China for three years and then returned to the U.S. in 1989, after the Tianenmen Square Massacre, a travesty she attributes as being one of her five artistic images that provide a sort of muse for her, or an outlet for her writing. Some of her favorite authors include English romantic writers Wordsworth and Blake, as well as Chinese tanka poet Sun-Tzu, a poet my class actually just studied in our Chinese/Japanese unit. Acclaimed writer Amy Tan notes of Yang's writing prowess: "Belle Yang is an American writer who writes in English and thinks in Chinese. Her writing feels Chinese... It is as though we, the readers of English, can now miraculoulsy read Chinese."
Many of Yang's illustrated children's books have paralleled her life in some way, which is not too surprising, as we have seen a common thread with the authors of all four picture books, as well as the novels that we've read, where they appear to be at least semi-autobiographical, of which Hannah is My Name, again falls into that category. Yang tells her family's story in through her eyes in the picture book I read. In this book, the protagonist, whose Chinese name is Na-Li, is a poverty-stricken young girl, whose parents idea of the American Dream is to give up everything that they have in China and take thier chances in America, where at least they would have more opportunities for success. There are themes of honest and trust that are evident in the story, as the hotel manager, Mr. Goodman, hires Na-Li's father , her "Baba", because Goodman believes he has an honest face. On the same note, Na-Li is does not trust the night watchman who patrols the hotel diner where Na-Li's father works, eventually tips off Baba when the police come searching for his green card, something that Na-Li's father is lacking after being in the States for over a year in the story. That is the central conflict of the story; the fact that, after Na-Li's family finds a place to stay, 636 Bush Stree, in San Francisco, California, their next task was to get their hands on some green cards, which was more easily said than done. Anyway, many clues are provided by the author in terms of predicting possible outcomes. Na-Li becomes even more frightened when one of her best friends, Janie, was sent back to Hong Kong because they caught her father working at a Chinese restaurant without his green card, which adds a bit of suspense to an otherwise entrhalling story, very reminiscent of The Arrival, which Tan might have taken some influence from, meaning this illustrated story, which was also illustrated by Yang.
Last comment was posted by Chris. Sorry.
ReplyDeleteTo continue with my review for Hannah is My Name, we know that it is set in or around 1968, about the same year that Yang and her family immigrated to America. When Na-Li is in school one day, her teacher talks about the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., which alerts the reader to another theme that the author might have been alluding to, which was racial tolerance and civil disobedience and passive resistance to authority, all staple slogans during the 60's. I've been calling the main character "Na-Li", which means "beautiful" in Chinese, but when she arrives in the U.S., her parents change her name to "Hannah", because it's spelled the same way either forward or backward, and her parents thought that it would be easy to learn because Hannah didn't know English yet.
ReplyDeleteI see many similarities in terms of text-to-text similarities with those of The Arrival, where that protagonist in that graphic novel is trying to create his own version of the American Dream, arriving on a big ship, going to Ellis Island to get his papers, looking for a place to stay, a job, all to help pay for his family's own voyage over. Hannah is kind of similar to that story, except that in this one they are all together from the outset, and they are very poor, as Yang describes the father's shoes becoming shredded by the day. I did not see an emphasis placed on the cultural traditions or rituals of the Chinese or Tawianese cultures, as this story was mainly a universally themed story that all ages could enjoy because it wasn't too syrupy for adults and it wasn't above a seven year old's level of comprehension and decoding skills. I would think that children from ages 7-10 would apppreciate this lush tale that is full of vividly created illustrations, all illustrated by the author herself, an acclamied artist herself.
I liked the author's gentle style, almost as if she was gently brushing the words as if she were acutally painting them on a canvas. It is a very informally toned story, which is why it's so easy to pull the themes out of it; they're not implied, they are directly stated, which is why younger children can understand it. Yang characterized Hannah as a modest and shy little girl who was trying her best at fittign into a foreign world. Her mother was a bit stereotypical in terms of being weaker than I thought she would have been, as she is witnessed crying due to a former mistake in judgment that she made that she thought earlier in the story could have ruined her family's chances at receiving their green cards, and thus the end of any chances of achieving the American dream. That segues into another theme that predominated the book, that of attaining the dream that most of us take for granted; some level of success that this country basis its inhabitants on, well, any country that is considered "developed" determines success of its citizens on some concrete scale, the easiest, if not the best, being wealth. That is something that Hannah's family does not have, and Yang does an excellent job in capturing the struggles of a humble, yet hard-working father, Hannah's father, who works 12-14 hour days just so his family has a chance.
There is a golden line in Hannah is My Name that reads: "Suddenly all the clouds are gone. We don't have to stay quiet and make ourselves small" (Yang 28). This quote alludes to the way that Hannah and her family had to literally from the agents who would try to capture them without their green cards, which of course would have been disastrous for Hannah and her family, as they didn't receive theirs until about a year and a half later. Hannah is also referring to the elevator shaft that they had to hide in until the agents that the night watchman tipped them off about, got off their tails.
ReplyDeleteI would say that children from 2nd to 5th grades would find this excllent tale endearing and at times heart wrenching, especially with the author's incredible ability to keep the reader is suspense, especially with the few red herrings she through at the reader, something that a teacher might be able to provide a mini-lesson for. Actually, if I had to pull something out of this book and try to use it for high school students, I might discuss the author's purpose of including red herrings in their stories, especially in mystery stories. It could most definitely be used in accordance with The Arrival, and maybe the (high school) students could compose a powerpoint on the similarities and differences of both illustrated stories. I would break up one of my high school sophomore classes into groups of no more than 4 and then have them access both The Arrival and Hannah is My Name based on their interpretatin of the similarities and differences. That's just an idea for a possible lesson that I could use.
The one critique I had of the story was that, despite its literary brilliance and elegant writing style exhibited by the author, I didn't feel as much of a personal connection to the Hannah's family as I did, say for only the sole protagonist in The Arrival, whom I felt a stronger affinity for because I was allowed to step into his world without it being told to me. I might be showing a bias toward the graphic novel genre, but I just thought that The Arrival, despite not including one word, grabbed the reader's attention from page one.
Megan Leonard
ReplyDeleteReading 667
Picture Book Review
Title: Ruby’s Wish
Author: Shirin Yim Bridges
Illustrator: Sophie Blackall
The picture book that I chose to highlight Asian culture is Ruby’s Wish which was written by Shirin Yim Bridges and illustrated by Sophie Blackall. This picture book is based upon Bridges’ grandmother’s childhood in China with some fictional aspects added into the story. It is about a young Chinese girl named Ruby who adores the color red. She stands out in her huge family because she wears a bit of red each day. Ruby is very lucky because her grandfather hires a teacher to teach all of his grandchildren – the boys and even the girls. In those days, girls were not usually taught to read or write. Ruby works hard at her studies and even keeps up with her jobs that she must do because she is a girl by staying up late into the night. She is determined to attend the university when she grows up, but she worries that she will never get the chance to because she is a girl and will have to get married. Ruby feels that the boys in her family have all the luck. With the help of Ruby, her grandfather begins to see that the boys have more opportunities than the girls do in the family and he learns of her dream of furthering her education. As the Chinese New Year approaches, Ruby gets worried that she will have to soon leave her home to be married and never attend the university. On every New Year’s Day, like her cousins, Ruby is given a red envelope filled with lucky money by her grandfather. This year, her envelope is much thicker because it contains an acceptance letter from the university. Ruby will be one of its very first female students.
Shirin Yim Bridges is Chinese and comes from a family of writers and artists. Ruby’s Wish is her very first children’s book and the story is based upon her grandmother’s experience growing up in China. She has lived in several countries including places like Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, England, and the United States. I could not find a great deal of information about Bridges, but for her first picture book it has won several awards. For example, Ruby’s Wish is the winner of the Ezra Keats Book Award and was awarded a Publishers Weekly Best Children’s Book. “The Ezra Jack Keats New Writer and New Illustrator Awards are given annually to an outstanding new writer of picture books for children (age 9 and under) and are presented jointly by the New York Public Library and the Ezra Jack Keats Foundation…early childhood education specialists, librarians, illustrators and experts in children’s literature review entries, seek books that portray the universal qualities of childhood, a strong and supportive family, and the multicultural nature of our world” (Ezra Jack Keats Foundation, no date given). These awards help to show that this picture book is a worthy piece of multicultural literature.
Sophie Blackall is an Australian illustrator who lives in the United States. Her work has been seen in newspaper and magazines such as the New York Times. Ruby’s Wish was her first book that she has illustrated for. Blackall says that her illustrations are influenced by many things such as Japanese woodblocks, Chinese packaging design, maps, animals, and even clouds! Blackall even shared, “I have always been inspired by Chinese design; I saved every piece of printed paper from our travels and I dug them all out when I was working on Ruby's Wish. There were packets of tea with orange and green cockerels, soap wrappers with goldfish and white rabbits, pictures of monkeys and butterflies and dragons. We also go into Chinatown often, which is always colorful and exciting” (Blackall, no date given). Using Chinese influences and examples were helpful as she illustrated this book and helped with its authenticity. Since illustrating for Ruby’s Wish, she has illustrated for several other books such as Ivy and Bean (books one through five) by Annie Barrows and Wild Boars Cook by Meg Rosoff. The colorful illustrations in Ruby’s Wish help it to be very complete.
ReplyDeleteThis picture book is rich in authentic cultural details. The information in Ruby’s Wish ring true to the time period and the Chinese culture. Important facts and issues are not sugar coated, but brought up in this book. After researching and using the fact that this story is based upon a true story, the cultural details about how women and girls were treated differently from men and boys, facts about Chinese New Year, and elements of family structure are correct. Aspects that are depicted in the story and illustrations such as pet markets, carp, goldfish, terrapins, porcelain bowls, marrying several wives, receiving red envelopes on New Year’s Day, using calligraphy, being part of a Moon Festival, and carrying lanterns match the time period and the culture. Bridges is considered an insider with this story because she is Chinese and it is based upon her grandmother’s life as a child. Because it is based on Bridges’ grandmother’s life, it did allow her to use a great resource and her insight to tell a great tale about how her grandmother was treated differently because she was a girl, but was also one of the first women to attend a university in China. Also, Blackall did take the time to create beautiful illustrations that depict Chinese buildings, homes, trees, clothing, calligraphy, art, and scenery. They seem to capture Asian culture and artistic styles well and include punches of red throughout the book because it is Ruby’s favorite color. Although the illustrations are very pretty, colorful, and do have an Asian flair about them, I can’t help but noticing that all of the Chinese people in the illustrations all look exactly like, except for their stereotypical hairstyles and clothing that go with the time period. They all have the same facial features. Granted the characters that are illustrated are all related, so there should be some similarities and this could be part of the author’s style, but I feel as though there could have been more differences in the characters to show uniqueness.
The characters are well researched and accurately portrayed. Because Ruby is based upon Bridges’ grandmother, this story can be seen as a peek into what life was like, especially for a girl in the Chinese culture after the time of the California Gold Rush. Bridges used her grandmother and her true story to create Ruby as her main character who is a very strong female character in a time and culture that values males over females. She also creates the grandfather who is the patriarch of the family who does respect Ruby for who she is and her hard work with her studies. He is open to newer ideas and does hire a teacher to teach both the boys and the girls in the family which is not necessarily what other grandfathers would do. Although the characters in this specific culture did not work together to solve Ruby’s problem, she did do what was culturally acceptable to do to solve her problem. Ruby went to her grandfather who was the male who was in charge of the family. This is what would have been accepted to do during this time period and in the Chinese culture. It is through grandfather’s kind words that encourage her to continue to work hard in her studies, his ability to see the importance inside his granddaughter’s thoughts and wishes, his capability to analyze how the boys and girls are treated once Ruby points it out to him, and his finances to make her dream to come true. Bridges uses the elements that are associated with the Chinese culture, but also the truths in these elements that she has been told by her family and what is correct in history suitably.
ReplyDeleteThe Chinese characters are the only characters that are in the book. There are no other cultures that are introduced or mentioned. Ruby does not interact with any other characters that come from a different culture. The United States is mentioned once because California is where the grandfather made a lot of money during the Gold Rush. There is no dominate culture mentioned or that comes into the story to “save the day.” There is also only one economic status that is portrayed in this book. Ruby’s family is very rich and it is because Ruby’s grandfather did so well in California’s Gold Rush that he married many wives. This is why Ruby’s family is so big. This type of polygamist family and its quality of having a great deal of money is the only style of family and living that is included in the book. Even though this type of living in this culture is the only one that is presented, it is done well and is truthful of the time period and of the family that the story is based upon. Being Chinese, in a large, rich family, during that time affects the characters, but Bridges creates a wonderful main character that the reader is able to connect with and care about as he or she reads. The readers wants Ruby to be able to go to school and even likes her grandfather for being forward in his thinking and helping her to succeed in her dreams.
I can’t personally connect to this book, but I can make a Text-to-Text Connection with Climbing the Stairs by Padma Venkatraman. Even though Ruby’s Wish is a picture book and Climbing the Stairs is a novel, the main characters are very similar. Both Ruby and Vidya have dreams to attend a university during a time and in a culture that does not allow women to always further their education. Instead, as women, they would be expected to get married and move to their husband’s home to take care of him and his family. They are both hard workers, love school, and can’t imagine marrying someone like most girls in their culture are expected to do. Instead, they both dream of having the opportunity of attending school and fight to do so. Ruby and Vidya are very forward thinking and acting girls for their cultures and the time periods in which they live. They both approach their grandfathers who are the patriarchs of the family and ask to attend the university. This is a very brave thing to do and they are both rewarded for their hard work and tenacity by both their grandfathers. Reading Ruby’s Wish as a precursor to Climbing the Stairs would be a great thing to in a middle school classroom because the students could really dig deep and compare and contrast these characters as they read both books.
ReplyDeleteThis book would be great in classrooms. It could be read to both younger and older students to learn about character analysis, the Chinese culture, cultural traditions, themes, historical fiction, social issues, stereotypes, making connections, author’s craft, and making predictions. Teachers with older students could use this book to help ready students for reading novels having to do with similar themes, that are about the Chinese culture, include historical fiction, or that a re books with strong female characters. Ruby’s Wish would be a great resource for teachers to use.
Not only are my own opinions important about Ruby’s Wish, but so are others from readers. Reviewers seem to like this novel. They enjoy Ruby’s character and feel that the information that is learned from the book about working hard to achieve dreams and the Chinese culture would be great for children to read and share with others. “Bridges...handles the conflict between Chinese tradition and young Ruby's longing to attend university with grace and compassion....This understated tale takes Ruby's predicament seriously while still celebrating her love of learning and her joyful personality” (Publisher’s Weekly, 2002). Readers also like the illustrations that were included in the book. They feel that both the art and details presented add to the book’s cultural aspect. “With crimson outlines and highlights, the gouache art features a vibrant, red Ruby is set against predominantly neutral backgrounds. Ruby's tale will supplement multicultural and women's history units and serve as a springboard to other family stories” (Perkins, no date given). Through a heartwarming tale, Bridges creates a picture book that has readers turning the pages to finish it to make sure that Ruby succeeds and makes her dream come true.
ReplyDeleteBlackall, S. (no date given). Meet the illustrator of ruby’s wish: Sophie blackall.
Retrieved from http://www.chroniclebooks.com/Chronicle/excerpt/0811834905-
e0.html
Bridges, S. Y. (2004). Ruby’s Wish. New York: Scholastic.
Ezra Jack Keats Foundation. (no date given). The ezra jack keats and new york public
library new writer and new illustrator award for children’s books. Retrieved from
http://www.ezra-jack-keats.org/home/index.html
Perkins, L. (no date given). Book review [Review of Ruby’s wish]. Booklist. Retrieved
from www.amazon.com
Publisher’s Weekly. (2002). Book review [Review of Ruby’s wish]. Publisher’s Weekly.
Retrieved from www.amazon.com
Venkatraman, P. (2008). Climbing the Stairs. New York: Penguin.
Book Review by Paula White
ReplyDeleteA Place Where Sunflowers Grow by Amy Lee-Tai
Topic: Asian Americans
Lee-Tai, A. (2006). A place where sunflowers grow. San Francisco, CA: Children’s Book Press. ISBN: 9780892392155.
Inspired by the author’s family history, A Place Where Sunflowers Grow is the story of Mari, a young girl who must leave her home in California during World War II to live in a Japanese American internment camp located at Topaz Relocation Center in Utah. Mari doesn’t understand why everything but her family has been taken from her when she hasn’t done anything wrong. As the book opens, Mari and her mother plant sunflower seeds but Mari doubts that anything beautiful will grow in the harsh environment of Topaz. As a result of the drastic changes in her life and the depressing conditions of the camp, Mari withdraws from her family and finds that she is too depressed to draw, to eat, or to talk with others. Nevertheless, with the patience and understanding of her family and the guidance of her art teacher, Mari slowly begins to find hope by using her drawings to remember the happy times she left behind as well as a means to help her cope with the harsh reality of her family’s confinement. As Mari expresses her emotions through her artwork she begins to feel better about herself and slowly makes new friends. With each passing day, glimmers of hope begin to surface, just in time for Mari to discover that her sunflower seeds have sprouted because of the love she has given them!
I believe that Amy Lee-Tai put her heart and soul into her debut picture book because she has a deep connection to the story line. It is actually based on her mother’s and her grandparents’ experiences as prisoners at the internment camp in Topaz where sunflowers did bloom! Her mother (Ibuki Hibi Lee) and her grandmother (Hisako Hibi) planted seeds and in the summer of 1943 the sunflowers grew 8 feet high to the top of the barrack wall. Her grandfather helped to establish the Topaz Art School where her mother took lessons. The sunflowers were often used by students as models for their drawings and they brought a sense of beauty to the barren surroundings. The sunflowers serve as a metaphor for hope by portraying a sense of beauty in an otherwise depressing environment. They also represent the internees who were able to withstand harsh conditions and survive with dignity and grace.
In an interview with the author Amy Lee- Tai, she mentions that her purpose for writing this story was to “plant some seeds in readers” so that they treat all people from different cultures fairly and with respect. Her aim is to prevent society from repeating the atrocities of the past. Her phrase “plant some seeds” reminds me of the comparison made between Johnny Appleseed and Pura Belpre in the book The Storyteller’s Candle (Gonzalez, 2008). Both made the world a better place whether it was via apple trees or the sharing of the Latino culture through storytelling.
A Place Where Sunflowers Grow (continued)
ReplyDeleteFelicia Hoshino, illustrator of the book, also has a personal connection. Her grandparents were forced to leave their home and were driven to Poston Relocation Camp in Arizona where they stayed for three years until the war ended. Her family has a photo album which contains snapshots of the internees. She used her family photos in addition to research and visits to the National Japanese Historical Society to guide her artwork. Even more valuable was the time she spent with Ibuki Hibi Lee, the author’s mother, who lent her photographs and artwork which had been passed down from Hisako Hibi (the author’s grandmother). Each page of A Place Where Sunflowers Grow is filled with beautifully detailed drawings of life in an internment camp from the eyes of a child. The earth toned illustrations were created using watercolors, ink, tissue paper, and acrylic paint. Hoshino is an award winning illustrator and graphic designer who has received the Notable Books for Global Society Award and the International Reading Association Award.
I fell in love with Mari from the start and I believe young readers will too. Hoshino’s captivating illustrations depict the despair on Mari’s face as she stares blankly at a piece of paper unable to express her emotions through drawing. I found a quote in an anthology story my students are presently reading and it reminded me of Mari: “You can tell almost everything about a person through their eyes.” How true in this case. Mari’s eyes are droopy and lifeless through the first half of the story when she is focusing on her life at hand. As she begins to dwell on happy memories, new friends, and the blooming of her sunflowers, her eyes take on a brighter look which combines with a smile and even laughter. I think most readers will be able to connect with Mari and her feelings. Although the majority of individuals have not suffered the fate of internees, both children and adults most likely can relate to feelings of sadness and their impact on productivity and personal relationships whether it is in school, at work, or in the home.
In my opinion the author does an excellent job of stating the facts concerning the imprisonment of over 120,000 Japanese Americans during World War II without dwelling on the harshness or brutality. In other words, the book isn’t sugar coated but it is appropriate for children. One page does depict military police standing in watch towers on the lookout for prisoners who might try to escape, thus signifying the seriousness of the situation. In addition, the first page of the book is an introduction explaining the history behind the story to give the audience background knowledge prior to reading. Although the Japanese Americans are described as being forced to leave their homes, they are not depicted as a weak or inferior race. In fact, Mari and her family are portrayed as having the inner strength to stand proud in the face of turmoil and to survive in oppressive surroundings. They were leaders who created the art school in Topaz so that others would have an inlet to turn to during difficult times.
The illustrations clearly depict individuals with Japanese features, yet they all have their own unique differences. The characters are of different ages and different body types with diverse clothing and hairstyles. The expressions of grief, disbelief, and delight are so touching that they are hard to describe in words. Felicia Hoshino actually had a friend pose for some of the pictures so that she could capture genuine human emotions.
A Place Where Sunflowers Grow (continued)
ReplyDeleteThe format of the book includes English print on one half of the pages with Japanese writing on the remainder portion. The watercolor paintings blend in nicely behind the text. I did read comments from reviewers who felt that the addition of Japanese print made the pages too cluttered and took away from the impact of the story and illustrations. I feel quite the opposite. To me, the inclusion of the Japanese language only personifies the importance of the Japanese culture. The additional information at the conclusion of the text about the illustrator, the author, the internment camp, and the United States apology to surviving internees, further adds to the book’s authenticity.
A Place Where Sunflowers Grow is intended for ages 6 though 10 and could be used in so many ways. Most important of all I believe it teaches a valuable part of American history which is all too often forgotten. Children from all cultures need to learn about the mistakes of the past so these same errors in judgment are not made in the future. I think it would be comforting for Japanese children to see their culture in this story but that is not the only intended purpose. I feel the author’s aim is to inform both young and old of the injustices which occurred that affected many Japanese Americans. In the classroom, this story could be read as an introduction into the history of internment camps. Students might research this time period in history. Children could also make character maps to portray the ways Mari changes from the beginning of the story until the end. A debate could be held with the Americans on one side defending their reasons for the camps (after the bombing of Pearl Harbor) and the internees on the other side defending their case. Younger children might wish to grow and learn about sunflowers and how these plants could survive in a dessert. Artwork coinciding with the story could also be created. There are so many wonderful possibilities depending on the age of students and the curriculum.
Once again I find that this book has the theme of struggle followed by hope. When I began reading I thought it ironic that the internment camp is called Topaz because it is not a precious place like the actual stone. However, by the end of the story I can better understand the name of the camp and its connection to the plot. Topaz is similar in color to the sands of the dessert, thus relating to the setting of the story. Also, Mari’s life starts to have a glimmer or sparkle of hope at the end of the book similar to the glistening of a prized jewel. I wonder if Felicia Hoshino purposely drew the drab brown camp interspersed with bursts of color on Mari’s red bandana and green coat to portray dismal surroundings tinted with a touch of hope.
Art seems to be a venue for releasing heartfelt emotion in the story. Mari’s drawings reminded me of Junior’s cartoons in The Absolutely True Story of a Part-time Indian (Alexie, 2007). In each of these books, the main characters use their artistic talent as a means of releasing their feelings of despair and frustration. I think this happens quite often in real life as well. Individuals seem to overcome problems when they are able to vent in one way or another. I happen to escape stress by exercising while some of my friends release their emotions through music and art.
A Place Where Sunflowers Grow (continued)
ReplyDeleteThe simple yet poetic language used by the author sends a message of hope and peace to readers. Mari’s father is such a great influence and positive role model when he says, “You will be able to draw, just like your sunflowers will be able to grow.” His optimism continues thoughout the story when he tells her, “Spring comes after winter, and flowers bloom again. Peace comes after war. Try not to worry, Mari.” What great optimism and inspiration! His words remind me of the encouragement Pura Belpre bestowed upon the children in the book The Storyteller’s Candle (Gonzalez, 2008), when she states, “The library is for everyone. Blow out the candle and your wishes will come true!”
The story concludes with no clear answers as many of the books we’ve read. It’s not a fairytale ending, but it does hint that things will get better for Mari and her family. The last lines are ones which are not easily forgotten. “To Mari, seeing the little seedlings was like seeing old friends again. In that moment, her old life, and whatever her new life would be like after the war, didn’t seem so far away.”
I believe A Place Where Sunflowers Grow should be in every elementary teacher’s collection! It was awarded the Jane Addams Book Award which is given annually to children’s books published that effectively promote the cause of peace, social justice, world community, and the equality of the sexes and all races. This unique story is touching, inspirational, and a history lesson in and of itself!
References:
Alexie, S. (2007). The absolutely true diary of a part-time Indian. Boston: Little Brown & Company. ISBN: 9780316013680.
Gonzalez, L. (2008). The storyteller’s candle. San Francisco, CA: Children’s Book Press. ISBN: 978089239222.
Lee-Tai, A. (2006). A place where sunflowers grow. San Francisco, CA: Children’s Book Press. ISBN: 9780892392155.
Websites
www.topazmuseum.org
www.felishino.com
www.asianamericanbooks.com
Title: Music for Alice
ReplyDeleteAuthor: Allen Say
Illustrator: Allen Say
Topic: Asian Americans
Music for Alice is a picture book based on the true life of Alice Sumida. In the story, Alice grew up in California. She loved to dance more than anything else. After college she met her husband Mark and moved to Seattle, Washington. She and her husband had a business selling seeds to farmers. Shortly after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Alice and Mark were forced to leave their apartment because they were Japanese Americans. They were supposed to go to an internment camp, but she and Mark took a group of white farmers up on their offer when they asked if any of the Japanese Americans were interested in coming to work on their farms in order to avoid the horrible camps. Mark and Alice worked in the beat fields and when their work was finished they were given the opportunity to rent a farmer’s dilapidated house. The couple also leased two hundred acres of land on which they grew and sold potatoes and onions. After the war ended, Mark began growing fields of beautiful gladiolas and selling the bulbs. The business became very successful; but, eventually Mark and Alice got too old to run the farm, so they decided to sell it. At the end of the book, Alice visited the farm and said, “Now I can dance!” as she reflected on the positive events of her life.
Allen Say was born in Yokohama, Japan. When he was twelve, he apprenticed himself to Noro Shimpei, a cartoonist. When Say was sixteen, he emigrated with his family from Tokyo to California. Say’s father enrolled him in Harding Military Academy, where his peers exiled him because he was half Japanese and half Korean in a predominately white school after the war. After he was kicked out of the school, he enrolled himself in a high school focused on Art and later graduated from the Art Center College of Design. Say started his career as a photographer, but eventually committed his life to writing and illustrating children’s books. Say’s inspiration for Music for Alice came from a great shiatsu master. Say had been coaching the shiatsu master with dating and his first date was an eighty-seven year old lady who loved dancing. Say asked to be introduced to the women and Music for Alice was later written about her. Say won Caldecott awards for Grandfather’s Journey and The Boy of the Three Year Nap.
Music for Alice accurately and respectfully portrays Asian cultures. Alice and her husband are both leaders and problem solvers that work very hard to make it though a tough situation. The book says that they become very prosperous as their business becomes successful. The illustrations show the couple in dress clothes, displaying the success Mark and Alice have achieved. Say also faces the unfair treatment of Japanese Americans head on as Alice and Mark were days away from being shipped to an internment camp. That part of the story shows students how difficult this time period in history really was.
ReplyDeleteThis picture book can be used with students in elementary through middle school. The text is written with vocabulary that upper elementary school students could read easily, but the message is very powerful. Some critics argue that the theme of music and dance does not run throughout the story and may be confusing to children. I think this will become much clearer to students when they understand Say’s inspiration for writing the book. Starting with the cover, Say included great detail in each face to portray the struggles and triumphs of each part of the story. On page 21 you see the joy in Alice and Mark’s faces when their business became a great success. On page 27, you can see the years of joyful and painful memories on Alice’s face when she returned to the farm she and Mark bought after they worked in the fields. Say’s attention to small details in his illustrations makes the words and pictures work really well together as Alice’s story is being told.
Music for Alice could be used in a social studies class when teaching about World War II and the bombing of Pearl Harbor. It shows how difficult it was for Japanese Americans to live in the United States at that time. Students could make connections to the persecution of Jewish people during the Holocaust or African Americans during the civil rights movement. Teachers could also connect the unfair treatment of the Japanese Americans to the unfair ways bullies treat other students each day. In the younger grades, teachers could use this book to teach themes of perseverance, benefits of hard work and having hope in tough situations. I’m thinking about reading this book to my class after I finish reading aloud Climbing the Stairs. I think students will be able to find many similarities between Viyda and Alice. It will also be interesting to compare the struggles Indian people had during World War II with the struggles that Japanese people had. This is a wonderful book that would be a great addition to any classroom library.
ReplyDeleteWebsites:
http://janmstore.com/musicforalice.html
http://biography.jrank.org/pages/1687/Say-Allen-1937.html
www.borders.com
http://www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com/authors/allensay/author.shtml
Say, A. (2004). Music for Alice. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co.
Nancy Powell
ReplyDeleteAsian American Picture Book Review
Title: My Cat Copies Me
Author: Yoon-duck Kwon
When I first picked up this book, My Cat Copies Me, I did not think it would be good for the book review because it didn’t seem Asian American enough, but after I read the sweet story I began thinking that all books don’t need to be specifically about Asian culture to have multicultural impact. According to the article on Asian American literature, “Laotian American children’s growth is encouraged through interactive reading and writing activities as well as the use of culturally congruent children’s literature” and “students …rarely find their lives reflected in the books they read. They are expected to engage with school learning when most of the texts, which form the foundation of that learning, do not find them worthy of inclusion.” (pg. 206) Reading stories to students with Asian characters is essential so students of Asian heritage can feel reflected of their literature experience. Reading stories to children that highlight children of all cultures is also of great importance. It is crucial that we read text that covers a broad spectrum of cultures so all children become culturally sensitive.
This story was written and illustrated by Yoon-duck Kwon who began writing this book after she was searching for literature to read to her son. This book was first published in Korea in 2005, and was then brought to the United States in 2007. Currently it is being published by Kane/Miller which is a small publishing company that specializes in multicultural literature. Kwon’s book fits in perfectly with Kane/Miller’s motto of “open-minded books opening young minds to the world.” (2007, Curledupkids.com).
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ReplyDeleteIt is remarkable that this is Kwon’s first book. Her use of fine brushwork painting, Asian landscape painting, and Buddhist painting make the illustrations exquisite. The pages are awash with color and the objects, outlined in distinct gray lines, seem to float on the page. Many scenes have the girl dressed in ethnic Korean clothing and are littered with Korean artifacts. Traditional Korean touches such as screens, pottery and fabrics, are spotted throughout the story. In addition, the background is of a Korean home and neighborhood. The quality of the book itself is evident through its textured, sturdy cover. I think children will be captivated, as was I, by the fantastic personalities of the girl and cat that shine through each page. Although there are Korean elements to the story through the artwork and setting, this delightful story could be told in any culture.
ReplyDeleteMy Cat Copies Me is a beautiful story about a young somewhat timid girl and her playful independent cat. The story begins with the little girl exclaiming how her cat copies her. The author playfully takes us through the multiple ways the cat is copying the little girl such as tunneling under newspapers, playing hide and seek, smelling flowers, and watching bugs. As the story progresses the girl becomes bolder and decides she will start copying her cat. She declares that she will look outside in the darkness like her cat and not be afraid. She also follows the cat while daringly climbing a high book case. Finally the girl follows the cat outside to make new friends. This leads to the little girl becoming involved in a more adventurous world.
The target age group for this book would be four to six year olds, but it could be used for older students as well. I plan to use this book for my minilessons in my realistic fiction unit. This story would serve as a good example for character change. This is a great story to use to model change over time and what brings about change. I might have students identify parts of the story that show the girl changing. My favorite line from the story is when the little girl says, “Like my cat, I’ll stretch my body. (I’ll stretch my mind, too.)” This line clearly shows the girl is changing in many ways. The little girl starts out timid and shy, but ends up outside engaged with neighborhood children. She becomes much more confident as the story progresses.
The story also talks about friendship and love with a pet. It explores the depths to which children can bond with an animal and what they can learn from it as well. Children may also make text to self connections based on their own experiences with a cat. My own experience with cats’ purring and playfulness allows me to feel some of the connection this girl has with her cat. Many children will identify with this as well.
ReplyDeleteAlthough this is Yoon-duck Kwon’s first book, I think she has written a remarkably engaging story which highlights many authentic Korean images that will appeal to reader’s of all cultures. It’s simple and playful story line along with vibrant and meticulously drawn illustrations will fascinate children of all ages. This picture book will make a great addition to any elementary classroom which strives to expose children to good multicultural literature.
Resources
Kwon, Yoon-duck. (2005). My Cat Copies Me. La Jolla, CA: Kane/Miller Publishers, Inc.
www.amazon.com/My-Cat-Copies-Yoon...reviews
http://books.google.com/books?id=NPgUWrBHgjsC&sitesec=reviews&source=gbs_navlinks_s
http://www.cherylrainfield.com/picture-book-review_My-cat-copies-me.html
http://www.curledupkids.com/catcopie.htm
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/712936.My_Cat_Copies_Me
http://www.jacketflap.com/bookdetail.asp?bookid=193360526X
http://www.kanemiller.com/book.asp?sku=36
http://www.multiculturalkids.com/My-Cat-Copies-Me.html