Gaining Crosscultural and International Perspectives
A Book Review Column
Editor's Note: Each of the 11 books I review here relates in some way to an international or multicultural theme. The content of the books ranges from retelling of folk tales to reflections about family experiences to information about lifestyles and traditions. Their settings range with their contents -- from Mexico, South Africa, Russia, and North Korea to New Orleans and San Francisco. Some of the books present a gritty look at life and are more appropriate for adolescents and mature readers; others use a style that is sure to appeal to kindergarten and elementary children. Whatever the content or the setting, each book provides rich opportunities for readers to gain crosscultural and international perspectives.
The books reviewed are as follows:
Where possible, links to publishers' websites are provided.
Linda D. Labbo
Reviews Section Editor
University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
A Gift for Abuelita: Celebrating the Day of the Dead [Un Regalo para Abuelita: En Celebración del Día de los Muertos]. Written by Nancy Luenn; illustrated by Robert Chapman. Flagstaff, AZ: Rising Moon, 1998. ISBN 0-8735-868-83. 32 pages. Recommended for ages 5 to 8.
This book, filled with an abundance of interesting written and visual details, relates a genuinely heartwarming story that should appeal particularly to children dealing with a grandparent's death. Of special interest are the cultural insights provided as the main character, a little girl named Rosita, grapples with how to honor the memory of her grandmother on the Day of the Dead. Each year Mexican families remember and welcome the spirits of loved ones by making offerings. By the close of the celebration described in the book, Rosita has come to understand that her warm memories of her grandmother provide the greatest solace of all as she copes with her sadness. Robert Chapman's distinctive and dazzling illustrations -- created through an intricate process involving casting paper in hand-crafted molds, painting, and photographing the results against tiled backgrounds -- furnish an appropriately textured backdrop. The story, which appears in English at the top of each page and Spanish at the bottom, is supplemented by author's and illustrator's notes and a glossary that includes pronunciations and definitions.
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A Walk in My World: International Short Stories about Youth. Edited by Anne Mazer. New York: Persea Books, 1998. ISBN 0-892-552-379. 140 pp. Recommended for ages 12 and up.
This is a collection of 16 short stories that invite readers to enter the worlds of young people from many cultures. A cast of talented and well-known authors weave themes of courage, coming of age, anger, rivalry and reconciliation, freedom, sacrifice, love won and lost, and the joys of growing up. Yasunazi Kawabata's "The Jay," for example, is the poignant tale of a Japanese girl's fascination with a small drama that unfolds in her backyard. As Yoshiko observes a mother bird searching for her lost chick, she ponders her troubled family circumstances. Anita Desai's "Games at Twilight" offers a slice-of-life story that follows a young boy whose game of hide-and-seek evolves into a bitter life lesson. In this collection readers also encounter intriguing characters from Ghana, Norway, China, Chile, Italy, Russia, Germany, Egypt, Indonesia, Australia, Ireland, England, Antigua, and the United States. The stories, told with grit and realism, do not always offer happy endings, but they do guarantee an arresting literary experience.
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Celebrating Chinese New Year. Written by Diane Hoyt-Goldsmith; photographs by Lawrence Migdale. New York: Holiday House, 1998. ISBN 0-82341-393-4. 32 pp. Recommended for ages 8-12.
Ryan and his family have a growing sense of excitement as they prepare for Chinese New Year in San Francisco, California. Historical and cultural details about the celebration flow through this information book, with sections titled Getting Ready for the New Year, Honoring Ancestors, At Chinese School, and so forth. One especially poignant series of photographs shows Ryan working with his father to clean his grandparents' headstone. Nestled alongside is a portrait of the couple and a passage about their lives in the United States. Ryan's grandfather was the first Asian American to be given a Purple Heart during World War I. Children will be fascinated by Ryan's family's New Year's menu and accompanying pictures of the food being prepared and enjoyed around a large round table. After the meal, the family go out to enjoy parades and a Lion Dance. A glossary and index contribute information that should enhance children's enjoyment of the book.
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Cendrillon: A Cajun Cinderella. Written by Sheila Hébert Collins; illustrated by Patrick Soper. Gretna, LA: Pelican, 1998. ISBN 1-56554-326-2. Unpaged. Recommended for ages 5-9.
Set in the bayous of Southern Louisiana, this books offers a Cinderella tale with a Cajun flavor. Of course, as the plot develops, the setting plays a central role. For example, when the wealthy Monsieur Thibeaux decides his son, Ovey, must marry the prettiest girl in the area, he throws a Mardi Gras ball to bring all the candidates together. Cendrillon receives help from her red-headed fairy marraine (godmother) who turns a squash into a carriage, crawfish into horses, and a crab into a coachman. She wears a Mardi Gras mask and tiny slippers made of mother-of-pearl. The carriage gets to the Grand Ballroom on New Orleans' Canal Street by way of a river ferry. As the story comes to its resolution, Ovey and Cendrillon take a streetcar to the French Quarter, where they are married in St. Louis Cathedral. Definitions and pronunciations of the French phrases and words used in the story are provided at the bottom of each page. The author thoughtfully includes a recipe for red beans and rice for those who wish to extend their enjoyment of the book by preparing this tasty dish.
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Israel: The People (Lands, Peoples, and Cultures series). Created by Bobbie D. Kalman. New York: Crabtree, 1999. ISBN 0-86505-310-3. 32 pp. Recommended for ages 8 and up.
The customs, history, education system, and various aspects of daily life in Israel are introduced in this information book. Kalman has cleverly combined text, illustrations, and historical and modern photographs to help readers get a sense of the many ethnic and cultural groups that live in this fascinating area of the world. As with any well-written informational text, this book is best used as a resource from which students can learn about selected aspects of the topic. The table of contents guides information-seekers to chapters on life in the military, future challenges faced by the nation, a typical day, food, Jewish and Muslim family traditions, Bedouin life, school experiences, history, kibbutz life, and a glossary and index. The up-to-date photographs should help to dispel any stereotypical notions readers may have about the people who live in Israel. For example, teenage boys are shown wearing comfortable t-shirts as they study the Torah. A photograph of school crossing guards depicts them chatting on a street corner with their friends, just as they might do in other parts of the world. The book ends with a statement of hope that peace and security will one day become a reality in this troubled part of the world. Other books in the Lands, People, and Cultures series explore life in Japan, China, India, Peru, Canada, Mexico, Tibet, Vietnam, and Greece.
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Little Kim's Doll. Written by Kim Yaroshevskaya; illustrated by Luc Melanson. Toronto: Groundwood, 1999. ISBN 0-8889-9353-6. Unpaged. Recommended for ages 5 and up.
This beautifully illustrated book recounts the narrator's vivid memories of growing up in Moscow in the 1930s. Kim wanted to have a beautiful doll of her very own, but her mother feared that she would not become brave and strong if she was allowed to play with dolls. Although her parents present her with blocks, books, and toys of all kinds, Kim has her heart set on a doll. Children who read this book will be fascinated by the Russian text embedded in the illustrations -- for example, in the toy store's sign. They will also enjoy the account of Kim, in her eagerness to possess a doll, turning a soup spoon into one, which she named Natasha. When her parents give her a toy rifle, Kim wraps a blanket around it and signs it a lullaby. When her mother realizes that Kim has shown courage and strength in her stubborn insistence on having a doll, she relents and gives her one for her fifth birthday. This book is reminiscent of others that gently remind adults to trust our children a little more.
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My Freedom Trip: A Child's Escape from North Korea. Written by Frances Park and Ginger Park; illustrated by Debra Reid Jenkins. Honesdale, PA: Boyds Mills Press. Unpaged. ISBN 1-5639-7468-1. Recommended for ages 8 and up.
Soo is a only young child living in a Korea when her family learns that their country has been divided. Their village now falls under the oppression of North Korea, and the family begins to dream of escape to freedom in the South. Softly muted illustrations and insightful text combine to reflect Soo's emotional responses to various situations. She feels both hopeful and uneasy when her father is the first in the family to escape. Unease grows into anxiety as the day for her own escape approaches. Although she is apprehensive when Mr. Han comes to guide her to freedom, echoes of her mother's reassuring voice saying, "Be brave, Soo," provide her with courage through the long and dangerous journey. At the close of the story, readers discover that Soo's mother never escaped; however, her parting message became words that Soo, the authors' own mother, continues to live by.
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No More Strangers Now: Young Voices from a New South Africa. Interviews by Tim McKee; photographs by Anne Blackshaw; foreword by Desmond Tutu. New York: DK Publishing, 1998. ISBN 0-789-425-246. 107 pages. Recommended for ages 12 and up.
Twelve young people from South Africa reveal what life is like now that the days of segregation under the rule of apartheid are over. The painful experiences related to the birth of a freedom resound in the stories they recount through interviews and reflections. One of the themes that runs through the stories is these youngsters' hope for a vital future for themselves and their country. They also address universal themes -- poverty, faith, triumph, adversity, struggle, and reconciliation -- that will appeal to all adolescents. The introduction sets the context by providing a map and a brief historical overview of the area. Then, one of the teenagers, Ricardo Thando Tollie, explains what it was like to grow up in a squatter camp filled with shacks made of zinc sheets, plastic, aluminum, and wood. His coming of age began at 12, when he realized that apartheid was the reason he did not have a proper house. His dream is to finish high school, become an accountant, and build his mother a home. Bandile Mashinini recalls how his older brother helped organize the 1976 student march in Soweto, ten miles from Johannesburg, to protest a government ruling that instruction would be delivered only in Afrikaans. The police blocked the marchers and opened fire on them, killing several students. Bandile's brother joined about 12,000 young people who fled into exile. This young man notes that although he currently dresses in American-style jeans and t-shirts, over the years he has come to have great pride in his African heritage. The last photograph in this chapter shows Bandile visiting the grave of his brother, who died a hero in exile. The book concludes with the following lines of the poem by Mongane Wally Serote from which it takes its title: "...it will be us [who] fetch freedom, and we will tell freedom we are no more strangers now."
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Tell Me a Cuento: Cuéntame un Story. Told by Joe Hayes; illustrated by Geronimo Garcia. El Paso, TX: Cinco Puntos Press, 1998. ISBN 0-938-317-431. 64 pages. Recommended for ages 8 and up.
Readers will find not just one story between the colorful covers of this book, but four: "No Way, Jose!" ("De Ninguna Manera, Jose!"), "Mariposa, Mariposa," "The Terrible Tragadabas" ("El Terrible Tragadabas"), and "Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Oh!" ("Lunes, Martes, Miércoles, O!"). All are real treasures for those looking for well-told tales written in both Spanish and English. In "Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Oh!" for example, children will enjoy learning how the kindness and hard work of a poor woman is rewarded with a pot of gold, while the meanness and selfishness of a rich woman is rewarded with a pot of snakes, scorpions, and insects. Colorful, cartoon-like illustrations accompany English text at the top of the page and Spanish at the bottom.
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Under the Lemon Moon. Written by Edith Hope Fine; illustrated by René King Moreno. New York: Lee & Low, 1998. ISBN 1-8800-0069-5. Unpaged. Recommended for ages 5-9.
Rosalinda, a young girl who lives in the Mexican countryside, is distressed when she notices a man sneaking from her garden with a bag full of lemons from her tree. The morning light reveals that a branch was broken and the lemon tree is now sick. Rosalinda seeks advice from friends and neighbors on how to help her tree. Her abuela (grandmother) suggests she call on La Anciana (the Old One), who brings rain and makes crops grow strong. As Rosalinda wanders through the bright and busy marketplace of a nearby village, she happens upon the man who stole her lemons. He has set up a stand and is selling them! But the man is not alone -- his wife, their new baby, and their two other children are with him. La Anciana appears and offers Rosalinda a lemon-tree branch covered with tiny buds, along with advice that she learn if the man had a need that led him to steal. That night, Rosalinda splices the new branch to her tree's broken limb. The next morning, after she joyfully harvests lemons as big as baby moons, she shares her bounty with neighbors. In an act of forgiveness and understanding, she gives the last lemon to the man and his family, suggesting they plant its seeds. Her heart is now content and as full and rich as a lemon moon. Softly inviting watercolor and pastel illustrations complement the text. Teachers who wish to help children think about forgiveness and understanding of how others learn to cope with misfortune will consider this book as a treasure.
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Warrior Son of a Warrior Son: A Masai Tale. Retold by Melinda Lilly; illustrated by Charles Reasoner. Vero Beach, FL: Rourke Press, 1998. 32 pages. Recommended for ages 7 and up.
This book, one in a series of retellings of traditional African tales, originates under a starry sky around a campfire when a youngster confesses to her grandmother that she is to little to help with the cattle. She wonders if she will ever be big enough to help the tribe do anything. Wisely, her grandmother recounts the tale of tiny Kurto, the caterpillar, who had a very big heart inside his very small body. Because of his heart, he was able to overcome many obstacles, trick his enemies, and fulfill his dreams. Through this story, drawn from observations of warrior worms that pass over the grasslands in huge armies, the grandmother is able to assure the young girl that a true warrior's voice, beauty, cleverness, and strength comes from a big heart. The vibrant reds, electric blues, and lively greens of the simply executed illustrations help to declare the zest and hope underlying the story's theme.
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Reading Online, www.readingonline.org
Posted February 1999
© 1999-2000 International Reading Association, Inc. ISSN 1096-1232