One Family

Posted on May 30, 2017 by rcauthor

 

Author: George Shannon

Illustrator: Blanca Gomez

Publisher: Frances Foster Books, 2015

Length: 24 pages

Genre: Realistic fiction

Analysis:

One Family is a book which, at first, seems like a simple counting book. But it is so much more than that. While it contains information in it which could help young children learn how to count to ten, it also displays a message which is just as important: diversity is beautiful. Ideologically, this book is brilliant. It nonchalantly depicts families of multicultural backgrounds as it helps prove that no matter what we look like, we are all the same.

The illustrator uses the pretty basic text and brings it to life by using codes which shed light on this important message. One example of such rendering is how he depicts the people. He illustrates each individual person as being quite round, and compliments this by using round shapes in the backgrounds and for objects. Typically, roundness hints that the people in this world are more secure. In this case, the roundness helps portray the idea that having families with different colored parents and neighbors who are different colors is perfectly normal. On top of this, round shapes convey a sense of wholesomeness. By using round shapes, the illustrator allows the audience to feel like these families are complete, despite looking different from each other.

In this book, the illustrations’ purpose is to expand the text into a truly meaningful piece. The text on its own is merely a cute counting story. The illustrations allow this book to become a door for children. Kids who read this book are therefore exposed to literature which represent different ethnicities besides Caucasian. For kids who grow up in a multiethnic family, this book could be very powerful and allow them to relate to it. Even if they don’t particularly this deeper message, subconsciously they will notice this difference in how the skin color is illustrated and be able to create a natural framework that it’s normal for people to be from different places and be different colors. This book is a door because it can change the way kids think about and visualize families.

Although this book is pretty basic, the illustrations make it profound. By exposing children at such a young age to the idea that everyone is beautiful and important, no matter the skin color, this book sets up kids for a life filled with open mindedness.

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Halmoni and the Picnic

Posted on May 30, 2017 by rcauthor

Author: Sook Nyul Choi

Illustrator: Karen M. Dugan

Length: 26 pages

Genre: Realistic fiction

Analysis:

Halmoni and the Picnic is a touching book about Yunmi and her grandmother Halmoni, who immigrated from Korea. Yunmi’s class was having a field trip to enjoy a picnic, and they need a chaperone. Halmoni is very shy and doesn’t like to speak English for fear of getting made fun of. Yunmi invites Halmoni to chaperone their field trip, hoping that it will make Halmoni feel more welcomed, but Yunmi also fears that her classmates might make fun of the different kinds of food Halmoni brings. The field trip goes wonderfully and Halmoni feels very happy and included.

This book conveys a very important message about the journey of immigrants and the power of acceptance and respect for other cultures. The text in this book appropriately addresses differences in cultures and recognizes how hard it can be getting used to a different culture. On page 7, Halmoni scolds Yunmi for saying hello to a grownup, and Yunmi respectfully tells Halmoni that in America, it is rude to not greet people you pass. The text skillfully recognizes other cultures and demonstrates how to welcome diversity, while also discussing the difficulties of immigration. It can be tricky to talk about difficult subjects such as immigration and inclusion without being racist or encouraging stereotypes. Luckily, the author, Sook Nyul Choi, grew up in North Korea and moved to the United States for college, so she is well qualified to talk about this culture, and does so beautifully.

The illustrations help paint this picture of acceptance and diversity. Every picture is in a frame which are designed with Asian artwork. This helps the reader get the feel for Yunmi and Halmoni’s world, and helps them feel like they are catching a glimpse of it. Another very important thing to note pertaining to the illustrations is the diversity. The students at Yunmi’s school are many different races, and they are shown to all be participating and active. This helps the reader visualize what inclusion can look like. The illustrations beautifully complement the text.

Overall, this book is a wonderful window for the reader. It allows them to witness a very real and common experience that families have, moving to the US. It enables the reader to sympathize with them, while also appreciating their culture and understanding how to embrace it.

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Girls Hold Up This World

Posted on May 30, 2017 by rcauthor

Author: Jada Pinkett Smith

Photos by: Donyell Kennedy-McCullough

Publisher: Scholastic, Cartwheel Books, 2005

Length: 30

Genre: Non-fiction

Analysis:

Girls Hold up this World is a beautiful book which uses poetry to convey the message that girls are strong, capable, and important. The book is very moving and uses a combination of photographs and text to empower the reader and prove that women of all types are wonderful and can do anything they set their minds to. The targeted audience is women and girls.

The text is the main mode of conveying the important message of girl power. A great example of some of these powerful words is on page 23: “Every color, age, and size, we’re united by beauty inside”. This book, being non-fiction, is not told by any one character and is not a narrative. Because of this, the author is able to channel all of the words to really get this message across to the reader. She uses end rhymes to make the words flow together and keep the reader hooked.

The photographs are essential to the meaning of the text. While the poetry is beautiful, without the photographs it doesn’t feel like a story. The pictures allow the reader to see real women, doing real things, living the words on the page. Because they used real images, it makes the text much more meaningful and impactful. It allows the reader to feel that these goals and ideals are truly achievable, and women all over the world are living up to their full potential and achieving greatness.

Another important thing to note about the pictures is that they do not represent just one race, class, or family type. Instead, they represent all kinds of different people, cultures, and families. This is very important because this way, any child reading this book will be able to relate to at least some of the pictures, which makes the poem so moving. I believe this book is a door because it is very empowering, and allows the reader to feel like they can do anything they set their minds to.

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Journey

Posted on May 30, 2017 by rcauthor

Author: Aaron Becker

Illustrator: Aaron Becker

Publisher: Candlewick Press, 2013

Length: 38 pages

Genre: Fantasy

Tags: Adventure, Award Book, Fantasy, Picture Book, K-5,  Rebecca Cauthorn

Analysis:

Journey is a picture narrative which outlines the adventure of a young girl who is subject to the isolating nature of this world dominated by work and technology. Sad and lonely, she uses her imagination to take her on a journey which allows her to find companionship, the value of kindness, and the power of her own imagination. The illustrations in this book are completed with watercolor and pen.

At the beginning of the book, when the girl is in the world feeling lonely, the illustrations are all done in brown watercolor, apart from one object in each picture which is bright red. These objects, a scooter, a kite, and a ball, are just lying there. This is a symbol of her imagination—filled with potential, if put to use. At the beginning of the book, the girl is pictured on the page multiple times, showing a sense of desperateness and lack of control, as described by the code of diminishing returns. Similarly, she is often pictured within a rectangular frame, creating the sense that we are looking in to her world, not really a part of it.

The fact that the frames are rectangular could indicate that she is not very secure. Also, a lot of the pages have open white space, creating the sense of emptiness or loneliness in her world. Then, once she uses her imagination to open the door into a new, mystical world, the illustrations are in bright watercolors, and she is no longer depicted within a frame, and instead, the pictures take up the entire page, allowing the audience to feel as though they are a part of this world. This shift in the illustrations of the book demonstrate the shift in emotions of the girl and a change in what is possible for her. Where before she was confined to a world which had already determined what she could do, here she is capable of anything.

These bright watercolors demonstrate exhilaration and freedom. Even when she returns to her own world, she is no longer within a frame and instead, the illustrations (while still shades of brown) take up the whole page. I believe that this book can be used as a mirror for children, showing that even when they are bored or feel lonely or like they can’t do anything, there are infinite adventures out there, waiting to be explored.

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A Place Called Freedom

Posted on May 30, 2017 by tkrueger

Title: A Place Called Freedom

Author: Scott Russell Sanders

Illustrator/Photographer: Thomas B. Allen

Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers

Year: 1997

Number of Pages: 32

Tags: Culture, Emotion, Family, Historical Fiction, Picture Book, K-5, Taylor Krueger

Genre: Picture Book Historical Fiction

Analysis: This book shows the story of a family who was freed from slavery in the spring of 1832. James and his family travel by foot from Tennessee to Indiana where they decide to settle and create their home. Papa would continue to make the trip to rescue other freed slaves and runaways. The continued growth of the settlement led to the development of a civilized town, where schools and successful jobs formed. The village was named Freedom, and was seen as a magical place for James and his family.

The illustrations of this picture book do not contain borders and are seen to vanish off of the page. There is a representation of a window into the lives of the characters and their actions during this time period of slavery. It allows the reader to feel the emotions and struggles freed slaves had by the detailed illustrations. These images share the stories of the Starman family through their journey to a settled life after being freed from slavery. The illustrations capture the historical world of the past, and allow the reader to look through this window into the past.

The colors used throughout the book are light and give off the sense of calmness to the reader. There is not an urge of fear or worry for the characters of the book due to the c
olor choice. The use of bright colors throughout the book represent the newfound freedom of the characters. The lines of the illustrations are varied between thin, thick, and jagged lines as the images look like those of a “colored pencil drawing”. The lines are soft as there is not a presence of uneasiness from the drawings. The use of light textured drawings relate back to the time period of this book, and it represents the history of the time.

The drawings of the characters and setting have the perceptual view of a family settling and building a new settlement. There are depictions of the characters raising corn, handling horses, teaching children, and establishing a new life. The structural view of the characters show a representation of empowerment. There is a transformation seen from the facial expressions of the characters throughout the book as the beginning illustrations show sadness and worry which transforms to illustrations of happiness and freedom. The characters are often drawn the same size as there is not a hierarchy among them, but a vaguely mentioned group of people that still holds power over their ultimate freedom. This book shows the historical ideological issue of power and culture through the times of slavery. It shows the transformation of slaves moving towards freedom, but depicts the social issues of being enslaved. This book shares the story of families starting a new life, but allows young children to understand the struggles and wrongdoing of slavery.

This book is a representation of a multimodal text. There is an interaction between the iconic and conventional parts of children’s books. The illustrations elaborate the meaning of the text, and the words fill in the gaps of the illustrations. The illustrations develop the overall setting and characters throughout the text, as the reader can feel the emotion of the heartfelt images. The text and illustrations cooperate together in order to further elaborate the story that is told; they are both equally important in order for the meaning of the book to be shared to the reader.

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And Tango Makes Three

Posted on May 30, 2017 by tkrueger

Title: And Tango Makes Three

Author: Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell

Illustrator: Henry Cole

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Year: 2005

Number of Pages: 32

Tags: Animals, Award Book, Diversity, Family, Friendship, Non-fiction, Picture Book, K-1, 2-3, Taylor Krueger

Genre: Non-fiction Children’s Literature

Analysis: This book shows the story of two chinstrap penguins who live in a New York City zoo. These two male penguins, Roy and Silo, did everything together, and wherever one went the other followed. Roy and Silo were in love, but no matter how many nests they built they could not have an offspring. The penguin’s caretaker found an egg that needed caring, and brought it to Roy and Silo’s nest. Both penguins looked after the egg and then it hatched a beautiful baby penguin named Tango. From then on Silo and Roy raised Tango as being the first offspring to have two daddies, and they lived as one family.

The illustrations of this book do not have borders, which allows the reader to view the character’s actions from within. The reader is present in the illustrations rather than looking from afar. The images are either one large illustration or there are multiple smaller images showing a timeline of actions. These scattered images are integrated with the text to further enhance the plotline. The smaller illustrations are framed by light backgrounds in a circular shape. There is a very thin vanishing line of the images, but the illustrations softly disappear to the white background. The images show great texture of the penguins and have detail that allows the reader to feel like they are looking into a window of their lives.

The colors used throughout the book are very light and soft; it makes the reader feel calm and content. The illustrator uses soft blues, yellows, tans, and blacks to enhance the characters of the story. The use of brighter colors are incorporated into parts of the book to show happiness and freedom of the characters.

There are many emotions that are shown through the structure of the facial expressions of the main characters, Silo and Roy. They are at times happy, confused, excited, and sad. Their emotions are depicted through the illustrations and further shown with the addition of the text. They are perceived to be disappointed when they cannot create an offspring, and then overjoyed when an egg is placed in their nest. The main characters are shown to be very large on the pages compared to some of the other penguins, which shows their confident self-image. The illustrations of the penguins share the constant theme shown throughout the book, which is the diversity of family. The relationship of the penguins represents same-sex parents, which is shown through the illustrations and text of the main characters. This relates to the current social issues surrounding the idea of same-sex marriage. This story is empowering for children and shows the love for diversity in family and relationships. The ideology of this book is very strong and speaks on important issues that are prevalent in today’s society.

This book is a representation of multimodal text because the words and illustrations interact to fill in the gaps of the reader. The illustrations further enhance the text, and are shown to be a visual representation of the words. The text explains the plot, and the illustrations amplify the words and allow the reader to visualize what is being said. The illustrations develop the setting of the zoo and the visualization of the characters, while the text creates the plot.

There is an author’s note at the end of the book that showcases the true story of Roy and Silo. This book is based off the real life penguins at Central Park Zoo. The reader can go there today and find this family swimming through the water at the zoo. The author’s note gave a more impactful meaning the story of Silo and Roy as they exist in the world, and allow the reader to realize the authenticity of the story.

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Locomotive

Posted on May 30, 2017 by tkrueger

Title: Locomotive

Author: Brian Floca

Illustrator/Photographer: Brian Floca

Publisher: An imprint of Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing

Year: 2013

Number of Pages: 64

Tags: Adventure, Award Book, Non-fiction, Picture Book, K-5, Taylor Krueger

Genre: Picture Book Non-Fiction

Analysis: This book teaches readers about the first transcontinental railroad that was built in the year of 1869. This nonfiction story takes the reader through the steps of building the railroad, passengers traveling cross country on the train, and all the in between measures taken to make this railroad run smoothly. The stories of crew members that make the railroad run, stories of families heading West in search of a better life, and informational facts of history are depicted throughout the book.

The illustrations of this book do not have borders and are integrated with the text. Since the images do not have borders this represents the reader viewing the actions of characters from within, almost as if the reader was present in the illustrations. There are also many different illustrations scattered throughout the pages that enhance the text. The presence of small illustrations framed by rounded vanishing lines show that the railroad and characters are more secure. These images are very detailed and give the reader a glimpse into the world of the nineteenth-century, almost as though the reader was looking into a window of the past. The colors used throughout the book are very soothing and give a feeling of calmness to the reader. The use of light browns and yellows, blue, and soft mellow colors connect to the time period of the building of the transcontinental railroad.

The perceptual view of the characters and settings tell a story of the trip to the West. There are depictions of building the train, riding the train, and the scenery that is seen throughout the trip. The structure of the illustrations have the facial expressions of the characters to vary from seriousness, happiness, and contentedness. There are numerous characters throughout the book, but there seems to be a mother and son that is a focus of the book. These characters are often drawn as small compared to other crew members on the train, therefore it represents their position as passengers. This book shows the historical ideology of the evolution of travel during the nineteenth century. It shows the transformation of the new social aspect that connects both ends of the country.

This book is a representation of a multimodal text, as the words and illustrations interact creating expectations of each other. The illustrations further amplify the meaning of the text. Since the author is also the illustrator, the illustrations are a direct replica of what the author imagined the text to show. The illustrations develop the setting and places traveled throughout the novel, as the reader may not be familiar with the landmarks in the text.  The images create coherence with the text. The text is very well created, as there are large bold words in different fonts and colors shown throughout the pages. These words are commonly sounds made by the train, and give character to the book not commonly seen in other historical picture books.

In each inside cover of the book there are historical information of the transcontinental railroad. Also, on the inside cover of the back of the book there is a breakdown of each part of the trains used on the railroad. These detailed historical descriptions give greater insight to the reader on the background knowledge of this monumental transformation of transportation.

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Same, Same but Different

Posted on May 27, 2017 by ecoppe

Same, Same but Different

Written and illustrated by Jenny Sue Kostecki-Shaw

Henry Holt and Company, 2011

32 pages, Realistic Fiction

In Same, Same but Different, Elliot, from Australia, and Kailash, from India, write letters to each other, describing their worlds and comparing their experiences. As the boys write about their families, houses, pets, and favorite subjects in school, they realize that their differences make them unique while their similarities bring them together. As the boys learn about each other, their friendship grows and their letters become more frequent.

Kostecki-Shaw, the author and illustrator, provides great examples of similarities that span even great cultural differences. For example, although Elliot’s family is much smaller than Kailash’s family, both boys are able to talk about their families and where they live. The combinations of similarities and differences serve primarily as a window for young students who do not know as much about other cultures so that they can understand more about other parts of the world. While children might not be able to relate to every part of Elliot’s life, the background images from Elliot’s world will probably look more familiar than the background of Kailash’s life. For students who grew up in other parts of the world, this book serves as a mirror for teaching about their culture and their lives. With the pen pal format, students can see a model of how two boys who seemed to have very different lives were actually very similar. The book can also serve as a door for students to write to their own pen pals and create similar memories through a school project. Pairing this book with a pen pal project provides students with the opportunity to continue to learn about someone from a different culture and to explore what people do in other areas of the world.

The illustrations in the book are very colorful and attention-grabbing, which can draw in younger readers who might not understand all of the words. Kostecki-Shaw used crayons, acrylics, and collage to create the illustrations, and the mixed media helps some of the background images stand out, especially when Kailash and Elliot describe where they live. In most cases, the boys are fairly large on the page; even though the boys are in a crowd when they are going to school, they are drawn slightly larger than the other children, which could be seen as their confidence in making a new friend. At the end of the text, the boys are shown sleeping in their own rooms with the drawings from the other boy taped to their walls, which demonstrates the importance of this project to each boy. After seeing how the letters impacted the boys as depicted by this illustration, children will be able to see how important this cultural understanding is.

Kostecki-Shaw won the Ezra Jack Keats New Illustrator Award in 2012 for Same, Same but Different for her work, and the book was also nominated for the Monarch Award in 2014.

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Peter’s Chair

Posted on May 27, 2017 by ecoppe

Peter’s Chair

Written and illustrated by Ezra Jack Keats

Harper Collins, 1967

28 pages, Realistic Fiction

In Peter’s Chair, the protagonist of Snowy Day, Peter, learns that he has to make some changes to his life because of his new baby sister. When Peter is playing, his mother tells him that he must play more quietly because Susie is sleeping. Later, Peter’s father is painting Peter’s old high chair pink and has already painted his cradle pink for the new baby. Peter is upset that his belongings are being taken over by his baby sister, so when he sees his little chair, he brings it to his room before it can be painted pink. He then gathers his dog Willie, his blue chair, his toy crocodile, a picture of himself as a baby, and some cookies and dog biscuits and runs away to his front yard. However, when Peter tries to sit in his chair, he realizes that he is too big for the chair. After this, Peter comes back home and asks his father if he can help paint his little chair pink for his sister.

This book serves primarily as a mirror for children who have recently become older siblings and who might have trouble adapting to the changes that come with having a new baby in the family. Because the language is not too complex, with mostly simple sentences and pictures that mirror the text, this book would be appropriate for very young children who need to be read to or slightly older children who are beginning to read on their own. Peter is also an African-American boy, so reading this story, and all of the Peter stories, can be a mirror for other African-American children. Although Peter’s Chair does not deal with racism or stereotypes, this representation can be helpful for children who do not see themselves in the books that they read. The story focuses more on the way that Peter reacts to not being an only child anymore, so although there is not a direct cultural connection, Peter’s Chair can help children see how one boy handles becoming an older sibling.

Ezra Jack Keats does his illustrations in a variety of mediums, most of which are paint based. Some of his works, including Peter’s Chair, feature collage, which gives the images in the book depth. The collage feature is most notable on the last page, when Peter and his father are painting the little chair pink, and there are newspapers on the floor. Keats used actual newspaper clippings to create this image, and readers can see that the newspapers are on top of the floor. For beginning readers, this technique of painting and collage makes the images look interesting and keeps their attention. Keats also used bright colors, especially for Peter’s clothing and his sister’s new furniture, so the colors also catch the attention of the readers.

The Peter books are often discussed because Peter is an African-American character written by a white author. While Peter is one of the first African-American children’s book characters, many critics question if Keats can accurately tell Peter’s story because he has not lived the experience that Peter would have had. There is also the question of what is missing in the story, because Keats does not mention any questions of discrimination or racism that Peter might face. While one could argue that talking about racism does not fit into the story, other people could see this as a move that Keats made to gloss over struggles that Peter might experience.

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The Ledgerbook of Thomas Blue Eagle

Posted on May 27, 2017 by ecoppe

The Ledgerbook of Thomas Blue Eagle

Written by Jewel Grutman and Gay Matthaei, illustrated by Adam Cvijanovic

Lickle Publishing, 1994

71 pages, Historical fiction

The Ledgerbook of Thomas Blue Eagle is the story of a young Lakota Sioux boy who describes his life with his tribe and his education at the Carlisle School to become more like a white man. The boy, called Blue Eagle because of his time living with a family of eagles following a battle with the Crow tribe, focuses his pre-Carlisle days with stories of his horse, Two Painted Horse, and the traditions of the Sioux, such as painting their stories on buffalo hides and playing ball games. Blue Eagle also focuses on the relationship that the Sioux had to the buffalo, especially how they used every part of the buffalo and only hunted what they needed. As the white men begin to take over the Sioux’s territory, they also begin to excessively kill the buffalo and kill many of the Sioux as well. A white soldier then talks to Blue Eagle’s father, Iron Arm, and convinces him to send Blue Eagle to the Carlisle School to learn the white man’s ways. Blue Eagle goes, and he is forced to give up his possessions, cut his hair, change his clothes, adopt a new name, and learn to read and write in English. By the time he finishes his schooling, Blue Eagle is now named Thomas and can read and write, but he is also aware that the white men do not respect the earth in the same way that the Native Americans do. Blue Eagle plans to return home to connect with his culture and respect his traditions.

For most children, this story is a window into the lives of Native Americans and the oppression that they faced at the hands of the white soldiers who destroyed their ways of life. Although this is a picture book, The Ledgerbook of Thomas Blue Eagle is not appropriate for young children because of the violence and oppression of the white men. However, this text has a lot of information about the lives of the Sioux and their traditions, as well as the atrocities committed by the settlers and soldiers and the oppression at the Carlisle School; since the text is so information-heavy, Ledgerbook would be appropriate for upper elementary, middle, or high school students. This story can also serve as a mirror for Sioux, or other Native American, students who might only see themselves represented in stories about the Pilgrims or in ways that undermine the horrible treatment of native people by European settlers.

The book is formatted to look like the fictional Thomas Blue Eagle wrote the text in cursive and drew the colored pencil illustrations in his ledgerbook while he was at, and eventually leaving, the Carlisle School. Instead of reading the book vertically, readers read horizontally, as the text and illustrations are not read left to right but rather up and down. The style is somewhat pictographic, which illustrator Cvijanovic drew in order to mirror other historical ledger drawings. The colors also add to the message of the text, as the Native Americans are often portrayed in vibrant colored clothing and the white men are often seen in one color, especially navy blue or red.

Grutman, Matthaei, and Cvijanovic are all white authors and illustrators who wrote this story of a young Sioux boy; however, the authors and illustrator did consult a Lakota artist, Arthur Amiotte/ Good Eagle Center, to make sure that their story was an accurate representation of life for the Lakota Sioux. The advising and the honest portrayal of the horrors of the invasion and assimilation make this book extremely important for learning about the ways that native people were treated in the United States.

 

  

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