![]() 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
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![]() 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 ![]() The Skirt is a short chapter book targeted at elementary students, and it does a good job of introducing the characters and the main conflict they face. The story follows a traditional story arc with the conflict being resolved at the end. Through the story, Soto weaves Mexican culture with the introduction of the folklorico skirt and its meaning to Miata and her mother. Soto also incorporates some Spanish words and phrases throughout the story which lends some authenticity to the text and serves as a great window into the lives of a traditional Mexican-American family. Students who do not understand Spanish can infer the meaning based on the context and will see another language interwoven into their text. As the story progresses, the reader learns the importance of family by seeing how the Ramirez family eats together and how they interact and speak with each other. The Ramirez family is portrayed as a typical American family whose father loves baseball, but also a family with its roots still grounded in Mexican tradition and culture as is shown through their use of Spanish language and their love of tradition such as the folklorico skirt that has been passed down to Miata. Students of all backgrounds will be able to relate to the family and see some of their own traditions and family values reflected in the story. The illustrations in the book are somewhat scant and are in black and white, but they add to the storyline and allow readers to get a picture of Miata and her family. I believe they will help readers who may not be familiar with the Mexican culture, get an idea of what a folklorico skirt looks like so they can better understand the story as whole. The illustrations also help to authenticate the story by adding details such as Mexican American artwork and furnishings in the house. As a whole, I believe Soto and Velasquez are able to capture an interesting story while also sharing some Mexican heritage with their readers. Most readers will be able to relate to the idea of losing something precious to them and working hard to get it back. Approximate Reading Level: 3rd-6th 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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