![]() A Boy Named Isamu is a beautifully illustrated children's book that is a tribute to Japanese American sculptor Isamu Noguchi. In a very short and sparsely word text, Yang conveys Noguchi as a reflective and introspective child who wanders away from his mother to find quiet spaces to view and reflect on natural elements like twigs, rocks, and bamboo stalks. The reader is given the idea that Noguchi, even as a child, was drawn to solitude and natural beauty and that these are perhaps the items that he draws from for his creativity. The book is a quick read and one gets the feeling of drifting through it. The storyline also seemed to drift a bit from object to object without a lot of cohesion. This book would probably be best enjoyed by a creative and reflective child who is interested in the arts. Approximate Grade Level: 1st-3rd
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![]() In this delightful picture book, Julian loves mermaids and dreams of becoming one. After he sees a group of women dressed as mermaids, Julian pulls some ferns off a plant and ties a curtain around his waist. When his abuela finds him, instead of fussing at him, she embraces him and takes him to see some others dressed in fantastical mermaid and sea creature costumes. This is a lovely story of love and acceptance, and it is absolutely enhanced by the beautiful and fanciful illustrations. There are more illustrations than text, and I think students will enjoy looking at the beautiful illustrations. Approximate Reading Level - Kindergarten-2nd grade (there is no heavy LGBTQ+ stance in this book; this story could help introduce a discussion on gender norms) ![]() Allen Say’s book Grandfather’s Journey is a beautiful tribute to his grandfather’s life. Through the lyrical writing and the beautiful illustrations, the reader is taken on a journey through time as Grandfather yearns for a place to belong. Grandfather’s longing is evident through the pages and illustrations, and the reader can feel his desire to see new places and experience new adventures, but the reader also gets the feeling that Grandfather does not necessarily feel comfortable in his own skin and where he belongs. He wears “European clothes for the first time” as he begins his journey to America. While in America, Grandfather meets new people and sees many beautiful sights, but it isn’t until he reaches California that he falls in love with his surroundings. After finding California, Grandfather returns to Japan and marries his love and brings her back to California where they have daughters, but as the daughters grow, Grandfather begins to reflect back on his childhood in Japan and feel a bit homesick. This homesickness is something I imagine immigrants feel quite often, and it is something that students from other countries will be able to relate to as it may mirror their own feelings. This story and the intense longing I felt while reading it helped me understand the turmoil many immigrants must go through – longing for two homes. Once Grandfather’s daughters have grown, they decide to move back to Japan where the daughters marry and begin families, but once again, Grandfather begins to miss the mountains and beaches of California. He remembers the beauty and adventures he had seen. Unfortunately war began and Grandfather was not ever able to return to California, but Allen Say, his grandson made the journey himself. I am not sure children will be able to understand the layers of this book and how the desires can be passed down generations, but many of them will be able to relate to not ever quite feeling like they fit in and missing family or friends they have had to leave behind. This book gives the reader a wonderful window into the desires and feelings immigrants live with on a daily basis, and the illustrations are amazing and help to deepen the meaning. This is a book I would use with older students as well as younger. It could be used to introduce a discussion or as a tie to a novel with a similar theme. Approximate Reading Level: 1st-4th grades ![]() The Golden Sandal: A Middle Eastern Cinderella Story by Rebecca Hickox and illustrated by Will Hillenbrand gives a somewhat abridged version of the classic Cinderella tale while weaving in elements of Middle Eastern culture and heritage. The story is set in Iraq with the protagonist Maha. While there are some very similar parallels between classic Cinderella and the Middle Eastern version, there are enough differences to make Hickox tale stand alone. Instead of a fairy godmother, Maha has a red fish who she saves from being eaten and in return for her kindness, the fish helps her when she is in need. This portion of the story felt like an amalgamation of the German foktale of The Fisherman and his Wife and Aesop’s tale of The Lion and the Mouse although I am not sure the similarities are intentional. I just immediately thought of these stories as I read this tale, and it made me realize how many fables, fairy tales, and folk tales have been altered and adjusted a bit over time for different cultures. In The Golden Sandal, the readers are given a window into Middle Eastern culture when a daughter of a town merchant is to be married and the women prepare to gather to paint henna on the hands and arms of the bride to be. Through Maha’s desire to attend, the reader learns that this is an important time for women to gather and for mothers to meet perspective brides for their sons. Although the reader can tell from the illustrations that the story is probably set in somewhat ancient or older time, Middle Eastern culture shines through in the character’s garb such as the robes/gowns worn by the women, Tariq’s head turban, and the golden slipper itself and in the mention of foods like dates. It is interesting to see how many cultural adaptations of Cinderella have been made, and I research and found that the Cinderella tale we are familiar with in Western culture is also not original; it seems that the earliest tale dates back to Ancient Greece. It is curious to me that this is a tale that some many cultures seem to relate to or find relevancy with. I do know that I grew up hearing the fairy tale Cinderella and watching several movie adaptations, and I remember feeling somewhat vindicated as the sweet and dutiful Cinderella beats out the miserly and hateful stepmother and even becomes a princess at the end of the story. I am glad that little children around the world in different lands have these similar “Cinderella” stories that can relate to and see themselves and their culture mirrored back at them. Approximate Reading Level: 2nd-4th grades ![]() I absolutely adored this book for children, and although the intended audience is ages three-six, I believe it could definitely be used with older students as well. The story is told through short and repetitive phrasing such as “Fry bread is food” and “Fry bread is history” as it takes the reader through the sounds, sights, taste, and tradition of fry bread. And while the writing is catchy and informative, it is the illustrations that sell this book. Juana Martinez-Neal does an amazing job of illustrating characters of all ages interacting and enjoying the fry bread. The faces in the illustrations depict Native Americans and friends of varying ages, sizes, colors, and with hair of different textures and colors; the illustrations definitely provide a mirror for students to see themselves reflected within the story. All of the faces look to be enjoying the tradition of making fry bread and interacting with each other. The reader can feel the joy radiate from the illustrator’s colorful pictures, and the readers are given a small window into the tradition and importance of fry bread to the Native American culture. While the story is light-hearted and touching, it also includes some deeper messages such as how fry bread became part of the Native American diet because of being forced from their native lands by the United States government. Maillard also gives voice to many of the Native American tribes by including them within the story itself and then listing the names of many Indigenous communities and nations within the U.S. on the book’s end pages. Fry Bread is a great balance of information and entertainment with beautifully illustrated characters and scenes that children will enjoy. The author also includes an author’s note with his own recipe for fry bread so students can make it with their families. Approximate Reading Level: K-2nd grade ![]() I quite enjoyed the story The Beautiful Lady: Our Lady of Guadalupe by Pat Mora and illustrated by Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher because I have never heard the story of the Lady of Guadalupe and found it interesting and insightful. I particularly enjoyed that the author included an author’s note at the end of the story to give a little bit more information into the story for readers who might want to gain a more detailed understanding of the tale. In the author’s note, the reader learns that the origin of the story dates back to 1531 and that the Lady of Guadalupe is the “best-known manifestation of Mary in the Americas.” The story was engaging and introduced the reader to the story through the yearly tradition of Grandma Lupita telling the story of the Lady of Guadalupe to her grandchildren, Rose and Terry. Readers are given a window into a pleasant family tradition that is rooted in Latino culture. Mora uses Spanish words throughout the story as Grandma Lupita and her grandchildren are speaking which lends to the authenticity of the story as well. Readers can make connections between the family traditions shared in the story and their own family traditions. Johnson and Fancher’s illustrations are beautiful and follow the course of the story with pictures of Grandma Lupita and her grandchildren in the kitchen and viewing the statue of the Lady of Guadalupe as well as the journey that Diego makes as he attempts to get a church erected for the Lady. Although the tale itself is engaging, the addition of the colorful and intricate illustrations draws the reader further into the storyline. Overall, Our Beautiful Lady captures the tradition surrounding the Latino tale of the Lady of Guadalupe and presents it in a contemporary fashion that students can engage with and understand. Approximate Reading Level: 1st-3rd grades ![]() I have always felt a connection to MLK Jr’s I Have a Dream speech, and this is one of the reasons I chose to read A Place to Land. King’s speech transcends one race and works to paint a picture of a world where we all can live in unity. It is one of the defining moments in the Civil Rights movement and Wittenstein and Pinkney do a fabulous job of giving the reader a glimpse into how this speech came to be in their picture book A Place to Land. They allow the reader take a peek behind the curtain and into MLK Jr’s mind as he pens the speech. A Place to Land discusses the cultural and historical influences that King drew upon when composing his speech – people such as Langston Hughes and Abraham Lincoln as well as the Bible and spirituals. As he is thinking through the content of his speech we learn that he was thinking about Rosa Parks, Emmett Till, Medgar Evers, and the children of Birmingham. His planning and thought process is anchored in some of the cultural markers and historical tragedies that have molded him into the man that he has become and have caused some of the racial divisions in the country. We learn that his advisors encourage him to preach to the crowd. They want him to dig down into that fountain of knowledge and experience he has developed over the years in the pulpit and share it with the 250,000 congregants at the Lincoln Memorial, and in the end, he does. Pinkney’s illustrations reflect the people’s faces and historical documents and propaganda that may have been seen at Lincoln Memorial and over the course of the Civil Rights movement. The majority of the faces are black; however, there are other races represented as well. They faces are all contemplative or look to be participating in the gathering. A Place to Land is an uplifting book in both words and illustrations. The illustrations do not stereotype or oversimplify the characters as is mentioned in the article 10 Quick Ways to Analyze Children’s Books for Racism and Sexism, and the hero of the story is not a “safe” hero in that King definitely worked against the establishment to try and bring about change for all. A Place to Land tells the story of a brilliant black man whose goal was to bring peace and equality to all. The last page of the book is particularly poignant. “And those battles continue to be fought. But that night brought optimism and laughter, for they all agreed. Martin stepped up to the lectern, and stepped down on the other side of history.” The author does not state that this one speech brought everyone together and the world is now a perfect place. He does not minimize the battles that still need to be fought which is important for those individuals who read this book and are still feeling disenfranchised and who face hatred and bigotry today, but the book does give kudos to a man who deserves it and helps to open a discussion into the work that still needs to be done. I love this book. I love that it gives background into one of the most important leaders and speeches in our nation’s history. I would hope that as students and teachers read and study this book alongside the I Have a Dream speech they would all feel a sense of pride and unity at the words that MLK so brilliantly espouses. The reader is certainly given a glimpse into the mind of MLK Jr and his intentions, and I personally see my desires and hopes reflected in his words and in the intent of this gorgeously illustrated picture book. This book shares some history from a perspective that is not often discussed, the lead up to the speech, and it opens a door to some conversations about what still needs to be done in order to achieve King’s dream. It also gives a glimpse into the writing process of a brilliant man. Approximate Reading Level: 2nd-4th grades |
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