Separate Is Never Equal: Sylvia Mendez & Her Family’s Fight for Desegregation

Posted on June 1, 2017 by cford

Author and Illustrator: Duncan Tonatiuh

Publisher and Year: Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2014

Number of pages: 40

Genre: Biography

This story is about desegregation in 1940s California, anti-Latinx racism, and how one one girl’s family decided to never give up until their children could go to the same school as the white children.  After being turned away from attending the beautiful school her light-skinned cousins were allowed to attend, Sylvia Mendez and her siblings are forced to go to the Mexican school in the same area, which has much fewer resources and much less money.  Their father, asking why his children cannot go to the nice school, was met with lies or silence from every administrator he talked to.  The family reached out to friends and community members, and eventually they decided to file a lawsuit against the public school system.  The judge ultimately ruled in their favor, allowing the Mendez children and children of any racial or ethnic background to attend the same schools as the white children in their community.  Sylvia at first was fearful of the racism and prejudice some white classmates displayed toward her, but by the end of the first school day she had found friends and felt safe enough to continue her education there, knowing that her family’s efforts had paid off.

In this book, one significant picturebook code that appears time and again is the significance of Sylvia Mendez’s position on the page.  From the start, she is depicted as being lower on the page than the white children, or looking down while white children look at her.  This speaks to the anti-Latinx racism that was prevalent in the 1940s; Sylvia was deemed inferior and made to feel like she was less.  While at the Mexican school she and her classmates are sitting at the bottom of the image, representing the fact that they were powerless to improve their situation.  As the story progresses however, and the family goes to the court proceedings, Sylvia moves farther up on the page in comparison to the White people.  It is a subtler move, but by the end of the story, she is on the playground, at the same level as her White friend and even above another white boy on the opposite page.  Sylvia’s position on the page is symbolic of her social standing compared to her white peers, and at the end, she is finally equal.

The illustrations in this book were hand-drawn and then collaged and colored digitally, and the characters are drawn in the author’s distinctive style, borrowing from Mayan themes in their facial structure and body shape.  There is also a glossary of legal terms in the back of the book.

      

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A River Ran Wild: An Environmental History

Posted on June 1, 2017 by cford

Author and Illustrator: Lynne Cherry

Publisher and Year: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 1992

Number of pages: 25

Genre: Informational Nonfiction

This story is about the history of the Nashau River in Massachusetts and its pollution and eventual clean up by environmentalists.  The book begins with the Nashua Native American people living in coexistence with the river and the forest surrounding it, being a part of nature rather than trying to bend it to their will; but over time, colonists and settlers build their homes and towns, and eventually factories, along the banks of the river and clear the forest, as well as the Native Americans, out of their way.  

The white Americans pollute the river for many years until it is rendered nearly uninhabitable, but in the 1960s people protest the pollution and convince politicians to pass laws to keep the river from being polluted anymore by the factories; now the river has recovered its natural beauty.  

Throughout the story there are multiple examples of picturebook codes being used to support the narrative; around most pages of text there is a frame containing artifacts, animals, and events similar to or related to the unframed picture on the opposite page.  This shows the author intends to speak factually about the river but wants her audience to be drawn into its natural beauty.  The Native Americans are always portrayed facing the river, the main character, which represents their respect for the river.  On one page, where settler children are forcing the Native Americans away from the land, the white children are placed in the foreground of the picture and the Native Americans further back so that the largest is smaller than the white children; this speaks to the power imbalance of white people oppressing the Native Americans in the United States.  There are strong themes of social justice and activism in the ideologies supported within this narrative.  

The illustrations in this book were drawn with watercolors and colored pencil; they are very detailed and realistic in their proportions and shapes.  The full-page spreads often contain many of the animals and objects seen around the border of the text on the previous page.  Inside the front cover there is a map of the area in the sixteenth century and a timeline of important dates concerning the river or the United States; on the inside of the back cover the timeline is continued and a map of the area in the twentieth century is displayed.

     

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Gracias / Thanks

Posted on June 1, 2017 by jpeng

Author: Pat Mora

Illustrator: John Parra

Publisher and year: Lee & Low Books, 2009

Number of pages: 32 pages

Genre: Picture Book

The book Gracias/Thanks is about the celebration of family, friendship, and many other things in life we can say thanks / Gracias for. It is lighthearted, bilingual, poetic, and joyful. Its colorful illustrations include those beautiful things in life.

The little boy in this book appreciates so many things. He appreciates the sun that makes the main character who is a little boy wake up everyday and the ladybug that landed on his fingers which is a flying surprise. He appreciates the foamy waves that chase him and his sister around with a fast splash and the bees that didn’t sting him and turn him into a pincushion. He appreciates Abuelita who always winks and gives him a dollar when nobody’s looking and his friend Billy who showed him the book about a boy giant who put his little parents on top of a tall tree when they misbehave. He appreicates ithe worms that brought big fish to tug on his line and his little brother who threw mashed peas at his sister and made him laugh so hard. He appreciates his mom who found his homework in the trash and the music of his uncle and his guitar that turns their dogs into howling singers. He appreciates his family who clapped and clapped even when he tripped on the stage in the school play and the chocolate his dad melts into thick syrup they call warm mud when they pour it on vanilla ice cream. He appreciates his old pajamas which is so soft that they feel like he is putting on air and the cricket hiding while serenades people to sleep. He is thankful for the existence of all of them.

Throughout the book, we see beautiful flowers, children’s picture books, apple trees, nice neighborhood, crowded beach, music notes, and many other things in nature. The illustrations are lively and they warmly depicted activities like dancing, fishing, working, and eating. The bilingual format features Spanish on the left-hand page and English on the right. So is the dedication and author’s note. It reminds kids that every language and every culture is important and equal. This book is like a mirror which can inspire children to think about things in their own lives that they can be grateful for. It provides such detailed textual examples and wonderful pictures for children.

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A Sick Day for Amos McGee

Posted on June 1, 2017 by jpeng

Author: Philip C. Stea

Illustrator: Erin E. Stead

Publisher and year: Roaring Brook Press, 2010

Number of pages: 32 pages

Genre: Picture Book

A Sick Day for Amos McGee describes a story that happened between a friendly zookeeper, Amos McGee and his good friends in the zoo. He spends time everyday with these animals. But one day he is sick and he couldn’t make it to the zoo. He received some unexpected guests that day: his animal friends came to his house and took great care of him.

Amos McGee wakes up early everyday. He would boil a pot of water, eat some oatmeal and have some tea before he heads out to the zoo. The colors in this book is very subtle and only some subjects have color while others don’t. We can see some hints of animals in Amos McGee’s house like his teddy bear, his bunny slippers, and his photo album of a penguin. Every page has some animals hidden somewhere. When he takes the bus, there is a rabbit reading newspaper inside the bus. Before he went into the zoo, we see a monkey sitting on a tree. Then Amos McGee would play chess with the elephant who thought and thought before making a move. He would run races with the tortoise who never ever lost. He would sit quietly with the penguin who was very shy and he would lend a handkerchief to the rhinoceros who always had a runny nose. At sunset, he would read stories to the owl who was afraid of the dark.

On each page, Amos McGee seems to be smiling and enjoying his time with the animals. So do the animals. When he got sick, his friends waited at the zoo for a long time. Later that day, they decided to visit Amos McGee. The elephant played chess with Amos who thought for a long time before making a move. The tortoise played hide-and-seek with Amos who just hid beneath the covers. The penguin kept Amos’s feet warm and the rhinoceros prepared a handkerchief for Amos. The owl boiled a pot of tea and they let Amos drinks it. At the end, they all went to sleep together.

Amos gives every single animal the attention and special caring they need everyday and Amos’s warm-hearted friend returned the favor of Amos’s caring and attention. This gentle and special story between human and animals lets us see the beauty of friendship. The illustrations show how happy those animals are when they get to spend time with Amos McGee.

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The Colors of Us

Posted on June 1, 2017 by jpeng

Author: Karen Katz

Illustrator: Karen Katz

Publisher and year: Square Fish, 2002

Number of pages: 32 pages

Genre: Picture Book

The book The Colors of Us tells the story of how seven-year-old Lena and her mother observe the variations in the color of their friends’ skin which is viewed in terms of food and things found in nature. Lena wanted to paint a picture of herself and she wanted to use brown paint for her own skin. But when she and her mother take a walk in the neighborhood, she starts to realize that that are so many different shades of brown.

The cover of the book has three girls and each of their skin color is different. They are all wearing sunglasses of different colors and they seem to be lying under the sun, relaxed. The book also features hands of different colors. The main character Lena is the color of cinnamon. Her mom is the color of French toast. And we see many bottles and tubes of different colors on a shelf. When they go to the playground, they see Sonia who is a light yellow brown like creamy peanut butter. They see Isabella who is chocolate brown like the cupcakes of her birthday. Lucy is peachy and tan. In the illustrations, we also see people of different colors in the background. Jo-Jin’s skin color is like honey. Kyle’s skin color is reddish brown like leaves in fall. Carlos is a light cocoa brown and Rosita is butterscotch. Later they also see colors like pizza crust which is golden brown, bronze and amber which is like a beautiful jewel, tawny tan like coconuts and coffee toffee, and color like ginger and chili powder.

After the walk, Lena thought about everyone she had met today and how each one of them has a beautiful skin color. She started drawing and she ended up painting everyone. At the end, she showed her mom the colors of them. Her mom and her seem very happy.

Through different people of different color, Lena sees the beauty in each one of them. This book celebrates differences and similarities that connect everyone together. It helps us see the world in a new and different way. Children of different color can even find themselves in this book that can let them see their own beauty they may have not noticed before.

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Knit Together

Posted on June 1, 2017 by jpeng

Author: Angela Dominguez

Illustrator: Angela Dominguez

Publisher and year: Dial Books, 2015

Number of pages: 32 pages

Genre: Picture Book

The book Knit Together uses illustration board with gouache, tissue paper, ink, colored pencil, and a dab of digital to create a sweet story between a mother and a daughter. As noted in the book, drawing is fun for the daughter but knitting is better because you can wear what you knit! But knitting is not easy for her and the little girl decides to continue doing what she can do. The mom and the daughter collaborated together on a piece of art. The mom knit and the daughter drew. They created a beautiful blue beach blanket.

On the cover of the book, the mom and the daughter are hugging each other and smiling. The words Knit Together look like red knitting wools. The daughter loves to draw and on the first page, we can see her drawings lying around on the floor. She seems really concentrated in her drawings and her mom is sitting on a chair a little far away looking at her. But mom doesn’t draw, mom knits.

Now the little girl is standing near her mother and is touching the sweater her mom knitted. Then they are going to the beach and are wearing identical scarves. They seem very happy walking on the beach with their pet dog who is wearing a cute red sweater as well. The little girl wants her mom to show her how to knit, and we see multiple images of them on one page which means they have tried many times together. Knitting is not easy. And the little girl now seems frustrated. She is sitting on the floor with knitting wools all around her body. She goes on to hide under a table. Mom came and says it’s okay. She asks her daughter to help her. Now we see them happy again while they are thinking about how to collaborate together.

The next page has many knitting wools that are of various colors. They went to the beach again for inspiration time. The little girl seems relaxed lying on the beach with her dog. When they went home, the little girl gets to work. We see paper balls and wool balls lying around and the mom would watch her daughter draw. Finally they are ready. They went to shop again and carried home supplies. They seem very happy the whole journey.

At the end, we only see the back of them sitting on the beach. The sky is so blue and beautiful. Their blanket wrapped around their bodies and kept them warm. It’s a drawing they can wear.

The book is dedicated to the author’s mom because the author and her mom had worked together on all sorts of projects when the author was little. And they still do. In fact, they had made the blanket that appears at the end of the story. For every mom and daughter, this story inspires them with creative passion and love.

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If You Plant a Seed

Posted on June 1, 2017 by jpeng

Author: Kadir Nelson

Illustration: Kadir Nelson

Publisher and year: Balzer + Bray, 2015

Number of pages: 32 pages

Genre: Picture Book

With nice oil paintings, the book If You Plant a Seed tells the story about the power and rewards of some of our very small acts and the virtue of kindness. It teaches children that a seed of kindness instead of selfishness can grow into such sweet fruits.

The cover of the book is a tiny mouse and a bigger rabbit. They are both looking at a just budded seed with hopeful expressions. On the first page, we see horizon and mountains far away with sunlight casting on the rabbit, mouse, and the seed that is about to be buried in soil. The warm color makes us feel hopeful that something will definitely grow.

The rabbit and the mouse planted a tomato seed, a carrot seed, and a cabbage seed. Then they started waiting. They buried the seed, read some books at night, faced some rain, and took care of the seeds with love and care. On the next page, we see them jumping up high in the air while cheering that tomato, carrot, and cabbage had really grown. Then we see the rabbit holding and eating a carrot and the mouse holding and eating a tomato. The tomato and cabbage look huge in the picture.

Suddenly some colorful birds came. The rabbit and the mouse stared at them for a little while. Then the story goes “If you plant a seed of selfishness, in a very short time, it will grow, and grow, and grow, into a heap of trouble.” All the animals have fruits being tossed on their bodies and they seem miserable. “But if you plant a seed of kindness, in almost no time at all, the fruits of kindness will grow, and grow, and grow, and they are very, very sweet.”

The rabbit and the mouse started sharing their fruits with the birds. Then the birds flew away and carried back countless seeds. Now they planted the seeds and waited together! The seeds grow and grow into a gigantic heap altogether. The birds are flying high. The rabbit and the mouse are very happy again.

At the end, many other animals came and ate the fruits together. They seem very happy. Many of them are looking right at us while holding a fruit. It feels like we are sharing the rewards of kindness together.

This book celebrates the virtue of sharing and kindness through this story among animals. The illustrations can show us how miserable the rabbit and the mouse are when they are being selfish. The illustrations can also show us how happy everyone seemed when they are all sharing the fruits they planted together.

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My Dream Playground

Posted on June 1, 2017 by jpeng

Author: Kate M. Becker

Illustrator: Jed Henry

Publisher and year: Candlewick, 2013

Number of pages: 32 pages

Genre: Picture Book

My Dream Playground is a story of a dream come true. A girl dreams about having a playground and she draws this dream playground everyday in her sketchpad using pencils and crayons. Then one day this girl showed a man who is in charge of building the playground her ideas and her dream finally came true. This story inspires children to bravely follow their dreams and working hard.

On the first page, we are looking down on this street and we can only see a part of an empty lot where this little girl wishes it could become a playground. We can see the girl who is looking down from her window at the empty lot. Then we see her with two of her friends sitting on a staircase and they are engaged in her drawings. The next page is the girl’s drawing. There are slides, monkey bars, trampolines, and many other entertainment facilities. Children are playing and laughing on the playground. There are no frames, so it always feels like we are a part of the story. It feels like we are looking at the empty lot with the little girl and we are looking at her real drawings since the illustration contains the sketchbook frame. Then the girl’s mom told her to never stop dreaming and soon the project manager came. The manager and the little girl stood on a higher ground which implies they have the power to change this empty lot. People came and they all helped build the playground. At the end of the book, we see the girl and another boy playing the swings. The illustration again makes us feel we are very close to them. The illustrator always uses bright and warm colors which also implies children’s imaginations are free.

This story is inspired by a real-life example of the driving force behind the first playground built by the nonprofit organization KaBOOM!. KaBOOM! Is a national nonprofit that believes every child should have a great place to play within walking distance. They believe in the dreams and imaginations of children. This book empowers children and provides an example that sometimes our wishes can really come true if we really believe in it and work hard for it. Any child who likes playground will really appreciate this story.

 

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Remembering Grandpa

Posted on June 1, 2017 by jpeng

Author: Uma Krishnaswami

Illustrator: Layne Johnson

Publisher and year: Boyds Mills Press, 2007

Number of pages: 32 pages

Genre: Picture Book

Remembering Grandpa is a beautiful story of death and remembrance. It teaches children that we don’t have to be in utter grief when someone we love passes away. We can find a better way to remember that someone and keep going with our lives.

In trying to ease her grandmother’s sadness a year after grandpa’s death, little bunny Daysha set out to collect happy memories of her grandpa. Daysha revisited places she shared with grandpa and gathered things that hold those memories. When she showed her grandmother the things she gathered, grandma cried and they embraced each other. In the end, grandma took Daysha out for ice cream like grandpa used to. They sat under the moon and found the right kind of remembering.

The illustrations contain warm colors at the beginning which implies the story theme which is not all sadness. Grandma and Daysha were sitting in a chair and we can see tears in grandma’s eyes. But then Daysha looked at an old picture of grandpa and herself. She is smiling at the photo and she refused to remember grandpa by being sad. We can see warm colors at each page. Daysha found a button that once fell of grandpa’s old coat. Daysha climbed the hill where she and grandpa used to visit and gathered flowers and rocks. She picked up a long sharp leaf blade because grandpa told her this leave can be used to make needles, paintbrushes, and soap. Daysha also found a tiny chip of rock, a fine-scented branch with fat berries, a newly cast-off snakeskin, wild bright flowers, and black-and-white feathers from a bird that are all somehow connected to grandpa. She set all of them in her little wagon along with grandpa’s old guitar.

When grandma saw these special things Daysha had gathered, she hugged Daysha tightly. On this page, we see them hugging while grandma once again had tears in her eyes. Then they played the guitar together with flowers and butterflies surrounding them. They look very happy. Then we see the sunset faraway while grandma and Daysha walk toward the sun. One of the clouds here looks like a rabbit which might even be grandpa who is watching them.

On the last page, Daysha and grandma is looking at the moon with various shades of blue around them. They are looking up with what seems like hope and happiness in their eyes.

 

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The Dot

Posted on June 1, 2017 by jpeng

Author: Peter H. Reynolds

Illustrator: Peter H. Reynolds

Publisher and year: Candlewick, 2003

Number of pages: 32 pages

Genre: Picture Book

The picture book The Dot tells a story of the power of encouragement for students. Vashti thought she could not draw, and she is very surprised to find her artwork hanging above her teacher’s desk. This artwork is just a black dot on a piece of white paper. She then got encouraged to do many more art pieces that all contain dots. Vashti’s dots made a splash at the school art show and she went on to encourage another little boy.

Across the book, each illustration and text takes up almost the same space. They seem to be supplementing each other. The author who is also the illustrator used watercolor for the book. The story starts with Vashti sitting in her chair alone after art class. She is looking down on the ground with her head resting on the back of the chair. She is facing backwards from her art tools and she seems upset. When the teacher comes in, she is still facing backwards from the desk. When the teacher asks Vashti to make a mark and see where it takes her, she still remains in the same sitting position. Red color surrounded her when she jabbed the paper in anguish. These red color seems to be implying Vashti’s frustration and even anger. But the teacher picked up the paper and looked at it carefully. She asked Vashti to sign her name. When Vashti was signing her name, those red color changed into orange colors which implies Vashti might be less angry now. Then we see the paper being framed in swirly gold and hanging above the teacher’s desk. Vashti thought she could do better and then the color changed into green. She soon opened her never-before-used set of watercolors and set to work. As the story went on, different colors surrounded Vashti as she was making more dots and went to the school art show. Several students and parents were looking very carefully at Vashti’s artworks. Vashti stands in the corner and smiled.

At the end, not only does Vashti reached her potential, she goes on to encourage another boy who thinks he can’t draw. Various shades of purple and blue surrounded this little boy as he drew an imperfect line. Vashti stared at the squiggle and asked the boy to sign. “Please … Sign it.”

This story with simple and free-spirited illustrations lets us see the power of encouragement and self-discovery. If though Vashti thought she couldn’t draw, the teacher still believes in her and challenged her. The ending especially empowers us with even more hope. More and more kids will be encouraged to accomplish things that they thought they

could never accomplish.

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