non-fiction nuggets…who’s munching what on the other side of the world?

Let’s Eat!: What Children Eat Around the World, by Beatrice Hollyer

My grandmother made a to-die-for blueberry pie —  thousands of tiny wild berries she’d picked,  bursting with flavor, spilling out of a tender, sugar-crisp crust.  Yummmm.  My other grandmother made heavenly cardamom buns, their fragrant scent steaming out of the oven, filling the old house in Duluth with Swedish deliciousness. Ahhhhhh.

What we eat as children carries such strong memories and forges a unique part of our identity.  Around the globe this is true. As diverse as are the types of foods, styles of eating, traditions of feasting, each reveals an important part of an individual.

Beatrice Hollyer explores several distinct cultures’ foods by taking a fascinating peek into the lives of five children, ages 6-8, in far-flung locations around the world.  Her work is an outstanding, engaging book for kids ages 5 and up.

The children — two boys and three girls — are from France, Mexico, South Africa, India, and Thailand.  Each child’s story fills six pages, as we see what she eats for breakfast, where the family does their marketing, what’s for dinner, as well as assorted other interesting bits about their lives.  There is also a nice section about a special occasion in each child’s family, each having a connection with food.  Short, interesting snatches of text full of captivating detail are interspersed with quite a number of color photographs making this very accessible.

By the time you’ve read the whole thing, you know about Thembe’s school vegetable garden, Luis’ salad of cactus leaves, AA’s dislike of spicy peppers, Jordan’s mushroom hunts with his father, Yamini’s tiffin breaks at school, and so many more truly interesting flavors of these childrens’ lives.

To top it off, there are recipes included!  One of each child’s favorite dishes, plus a scrumptious chocolate cookie recipe from chef Jamie Oliver who has written the introduction.  What great fun to sample some dishes from around the world.  A Food Glossary with entries from each country gives a bit more info on some of the items mentioned by the children.  And, the royalties from the book all go to the charity, Oxfam.

This is a tremendously interesting book, and a great resource for a happy time of exploring other cultures together with young children.

Here’s the Amazon link:  Let’s Eat: What Children Eat Around the World

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nonfiction nuggets…where do the children sleep?

Where Children Sleep, by James Mollison

Think back to your childhood bedroom.  Can you picture it?  It’s surprising the precise images and emotions and memories conjured up by that space.  For me, it’s the sounds that drifted through my windows in my small, northern Minnesota town — wind stirring the towering jack pines, a droning lawnmower, orioles singing; safe, sweet, quiet.

British photographer James Mollison took this idea of the significance of the places where children sleep, and pursued it as a means of drawing attention to children’s rights.  Traveling around the world, he photographed children, ages 4-17, and the place each one usually sleeps.

This stunning book is a compilation of his work.   It is one of the most thought-provoking collections I’ve seen.  56 children.  From a Liberian former child soldier, to a 4-year-old whose life is consumed by child beauty pageants; a homeless boy from the streets of Rio de Janeiro; a Nepalese teen working as a domestic in order to support her family.  Children living in luxury Fifth Avenue, Manhattan apartments; children living atop putrid garbage heaps.  Children living with both parents and siblings; orphaned children.  An incredible array of young people from utterly disparate walks of life gaze at us from these pages.  Across from each young face is a full page photo of his or her sleeping space.  Utterly compelling.

A small paragraph accompanies each child.   We find out who this is as well as a few details about his or her home and living conditions.  Some share about their family background; some tell about school, or work.  Some tell what they dream of becoming as grown ups.  The vast differences in the lives these children have already led is mind-boggling.  The pain and suffering of some; the material comforts of others; the responsibilities, the opportunities, the values, the goals.

The texts were written with 9-13 year old children in mind.  I am far older than 13, however, and found this riveting!  There are, indeed, some unsettling stories in this collection; there are, among a few of the oldest subjects, some life stories which would be heavier than you may want to present to a very young child.  However, the vast majority of this book could be shared with children younger than 9, and there is really no upper age limit.  The text does not talk down to children.

Mollison says in his introduction, that he hopes his work “will help children think about inequality…and perhaps start to figure out how, in their own lives, they may respond.”  I believe he will accomplish that goal through this phenomenal, provacative book.  Highly recommended!

Here’s the Amazon link:   James Mollison: Where Children Sleep

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nonfiction nuggets…let the children learn

Off to Class: Incredible and Unusual Schools Around the World, by Susan Hughes

The Druk White Lotus School, tucked in the breathtaking Himalaya Mountains, enables Ladakhi children to live at home rather than move to a remote boarding school, separated from family, language, religion, and culture.  Its gorgeous, award-winning building is constructed of local materials such as grass, poplar, and mud bricks, and is powered by the sun, with thick walls to trap that warmth inside the school during harsh winter days.

A train platform in Bhubaneswar, India, is the spot for another set of kids to learn to read and write, eat some lunch, and get a check-up from a doctor.   Seeing hundreds of children scrabbling for their livelihood during crowded rush hours — begging, selling tea, polishing shoes — one woman began reading them stories after rush-hour…and then teaching them to read the stories for themselves.  She now serves over 6,000 destitute children.

A tiny one-room school hidden deep in the Amazon jungle; a spectacular school meeting the needs of an entire village in Burkina Faso; school in a tree house; school on a boat; graceful, thoughtful schools designed for the blind; quickly-erected tent schools for earthquake-stricken areas.

As many obstacles to learning as you can think of, apparently there are even more ingenious, earnest, big-hearted people out there dreaming and implementing solutions!  You can read about two dozen of these amazing solutions in locations  from New Caledonia to Scotland, Port-au-Prince to Phnom Penh in this fantastic, inspiring book.

A two-page spread is devoted to each of these stories, which are liberally accompanied by photographs.  A small inset map shows the location of the school.  Fact boxes and numerous memos from students or teachers involved in the school are also included.  There’s also a listing of a number of organizations involved in helping with these schools so you and your kids can get involved more if you desire.

I love this book.  I love hearing about these brilliant efforts being made around the world.  I love seeing kindness and talent paired up to make a difference in the lives of children.  I love the inspiration it gives us to adapt, work hard, press on to meet the vastly differing needs of learners.  Highly recommended for reading together with elementary age children; they can read it themselves at about a 5th grade level.  Any adult with a heartbeat ought to enjoy it, too!

Here’s the Amazon link:   Off to Class: Incredible and Unusual Schools Around the World

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a list of…five happy new year’s stories

Snow, by Cynthia Rylant, illustrated by Lauren Stringer

Here in Minnesota, our dreams of a white Christmas were sadly unmet; so now we are anxiously awaiting the first snow of the new year.

There are those who dislike snow.  Cynthia Rylant is apparently not one of them, happily.  Her beautiful descriptions of the different kinds of snow in this poetic book, her rejoicing in its beauty, her intimate knowledge of the emotions that arise from snow, clearly belong to one who loves this white, crystal loveliness.

Sometimes snow comes softly, peacefully while we sleep, and sometimes it whirls down in the middle of day to bring an abrupt halt to school and work.  Sometimes snow is delicate, while sometimes it is blanket heavy.  Sometimes snow brings us out of doors to sled and wade through drifts, and sometimes it cozies us into our fireside corners with a hot mug of tea and some book-friends.

Rylant conveys all of this snow-sweetness with minimal words, accompanied by charming, warmhearted  acrylic illustrations by Lauren Stringer.  Stringer captures the elegance of snowflakes, and downy, creamy snowscapes; gleeful, bundled-up faces, and faces warmed by the orange glow of firelight.  Great book for preschoolers and up.  I adore this admiring look at snow!

Dumpling Soup, by Jama Kim Rattigan, illustrated by Lillian Hsu-Flanders

On the sunny, tropical Hawaiian islands, seven-year-old Marisa is preparing to celebrate New Year’s with her “chop suey” family — that’s Grandma’s loving description of their large, loving family whose members are Korean, Japanese, Chinese, Hawaiian, and haole (white).

Since she’s seven, Marisa has been invited to help make the traditional dumplings for the soup.  All the women arrive with sharp cleavers and cutting boards to spend the day chatting and chopping , preparing the delicious, meaty, spicy filling, and wrapping tender dumplings by the trayful to be boiled in fragrant broth.

There are a lot of worries that go with taking part in such an important tradition, yet so much satisfaction and joy as well.  Rattigan captures wonderfully the internal hopes and fears of Marisa, while keeping front and center the fascinating traditions of this melange of cultures.  Moon cakes and favorite games with cousins, midnight fireworks and yak pap for dessert, and above all, the traditional first meal of the new year — dumpling soup.

Intriguing cultures, a warmly-loving, extended family, comforting long-held traditions, all come together in this sweet story.  Hsu-Flanders’ sunny, friendly watercolors are jam-packed with delightful cultural details, colorful family groupings, and glorious island settings.  Amazingly, this book was the first for both author and artist!  It’s a wonderful read for early-elementary and up.

A Happy New Year’s Day, by Roch Carrier, illustrations by Gilles Pelletier

New Year’s Day 1941, Quebec.  A little four-year-old boy in a small village is taking part in a joyous celebration amid his family and neighbors, a celebration that began months before, in August, when his grandmother picked the cherries for her gala New Year’s Day wine.

In September, sleighs were repaired and painted, in readiness for winter travel.  In December, baking began in earnest, pies and cookies, chocolates and tarts, stored away in the cold room.  Christmas came, with its midnight mass.  And at last — New Year’s Day!  This was the day for gifts and feasting, families and kissing, well-wishing and glasses of cherry wine, dancing and a spectacular ride on a most unusual snowmobile!

Roch Carrier is a well-known Quebecois author who has set this intriguing story in the small village of Sainte-Justine, where he spent his boyhood.  Gilles Pelletier, also Quebecois, brings it to vivid life with rustic, folk art style illustrations in an entire paintbox of bold colors.  This is a longish story, a fantastic peek at a unique culture, and is suitable for upper-elementary and up.

A New Year’s Reunion, by Yu Li-Qiong, illustrated by Zhu Cheng-Liang

It’s Chinese New Year, and Maomao is waking up early with excitement because today her Papa is coming home!  As a migrant worker, a builder who lives in faraway places all year long, Papa only comes home to be with his family once each year, during Chinese New Year.

When he does, it’s a little scary at first, since Maomao hasn’t seen him for so long.  But Papa brings gifts to them, makes sticky rice balls with her, and snuggles her safely at night while firecrackers pop and bang outside.  Together they go visiting, make house repairs, watch the red and gold dragon wind his fierce way through the narrow streets.

There are so many sweet,  tender moments in those few days, yet the time comes all too quickly for Papa to say goodbye again.  After one last scrumptious hug, he is off.

Yu Li-Qiong wrote this dear story to honor the over 100 million migrant workers in China, many of whom return home just once a year, for a few days, at New Year’s.  Zhu Cheng-Liang’s gouache paintings are absolutely charming.  With minimal detail, her faces, postures, gestures, convey just the right emotion.  Her prolific use of red reflects the traditional Chinese good luck color, as well as adding warmth and zing to these fabulous illustrations.  This is a poignant, sweet story for kindergarteners and up.

New Clothes for New Year’s Day, written and illustrated by Hyun-Joo Bae

New Year’s Day in Korea is one of the most important holidays, filled with long-held traditions, including the wearing of special New Year’s clothes, made with incredible care by the family women.

Up before the sun, tingling with anticipation for the new day, this little girl begins to put on her spectacular New Year’s Day outfit.  A floor-length, crimson silk skirt to wrap around and a sash to tie in a fancy knot.  Daintily-embroidered stockings and a gorgeous, rainbow-striped jacket.  Each piece goes on carefully, and most be fastened just so.  Head band, hair ribbon, flowered shoes, pretty vest, darling hat, lucky bag, charm.  Astonishing!  Now she’s ready for the activities of the day.

This is a simple, quiet story which will entrance many very little girls as they watch each fabulous piece of her costume come together. A lengthy author’s note explains a great deal more about the significance of the colors and patterns and pieces of her outfit, as well as other Korean New Year’s traditions.  Bae’s gorgeous illustrations feature clean, simple lines, with tangy Korean details of clothing and hairstyle and furnishings in exquisite reds and golds and jades.  Beautiful.

Here are Amazon links for all these celebrations of new beginnings:
Snow

Dumpling Soup

A Happy New Year’s Day

A New Year’s Reunion: A Chinese Story

New Clothes for New Year’s Day

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nonfiction nuggets…schools around the world

A School Like Mine: A Unique Celebration of Schools Around the World, written and edited by Penny Smith and Zahavit Shalev

Just in time for the beginning of school, here’s a beautiful Dorling Kindersley book, written in collaboration with UNICEF, published in 2007.  Open it up and enjoy bright, arresting introductions to kids from the Arctic to the South Seas.

In the high, chilly mountains of Peru, Maria is learning  both Quechua and Spanish.  She eats a welcome meal of soy milk and fortified bread in the middle of the morning, before she goes back to help her grandmother pick and wash the wheat for their dinner.

Lukasi, who lives in Kuujjuaq, the largest Inuit village in Quebec, speaks 3 languages, though he is only 10 years old — English, French, and Inuktitut.  He walks through the snowy, dark town to his beautiful school, no matter how cold it is.

Søren, from Denmark, rides his bike to school where he has classes from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.  In a few years, when he is 14, he hopes to move to a boarding school for soccer players.

Hassa is 10, and lives in Mongolia.  He goes to two different schools, a modern school where many of the children are boarding students from nomadic families, and a monastery school where he studies to become a Buddhist monk.

This fascinating book introduces us to these and many more children, ages 8-12,  telling us intriguing tidbits about their schools, as well as their  families, pets, activities, and dreams.  Children from the Americas, Europe, Africa, Asia and Australasia are represented here.  Some are from developed countries, others from impoverished places, some attend public schools, others go to boarding schools or homeschool.  Each child’s account features quite a number of photos accompanying lots of interesting, brief snatches of information.

Honestly, I couldn’t put this book down!  It’s really, really interesting!  I especially was taken with the leisurely meal times, shortened school days, and brief homework assignments in a number of the European countries.  So humane, in my opinion!  I do think folks from age 8 and up would very much enjoy wandering through this book, visiting these children and learning about the ways they live their lives.

Here’s an Amazon link:  A School Like Mine

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fiction favorites…In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson

In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson, by Bette Bao Lord, illustrations by Marc Simont

“Good morning, Grandmother,” [Bandit] whispered, still keeping her eyes on Grandmother’s feet.  They were very tiny, like little red peppers.
“Look at me, child.  I have something important to say…Granddaughter, today is one of the saddest days in my long life, in all our lives.  You, my sixth grandchild, must go away, far away…”
“Grandmother,” she begged.  “Let  me have another chance.  I will be careful.  I will never, ever, as long as I live, break another thing during the holidays.  I promise.  Please don’t send me away.”
“What are you talking about?  I am not sending you away.  You are going away because your father has sent for you and your mother.  He has decided not to return to Chungking.  He plans to make America his home.  Your grandfather has agreed.”
The letter!  No wonder Mother had smiled, Grandmother had cried and Grandfather had been so angry.  Oh, Father, she thought.  At long last, we’ll be together again!  Bandit could not help smiling.
Then all the women of the House of Wong gathered around to fuss over her.
“Oh, you poor thing!” they cried. “What’s to become of you?”
“Exiled like a criminal to a distant land.”
“With no clan to nurture you.  Surrounded by strangers.”
“And those cowboys and Indians.  What kind of place is that for a child to grow up in?  Dodging bullets and arrows?”
“You’ll starve!  Imagine eating nothing but warm puppies and raw meat!”
“How will you become civilized?  America does not honor Confucius.  America is foreign, so foreign.”
On and on they went, wailing like paid mourners at a funeral.  But Bandid was not afraid.  She had faith in her father.  Nothing awful will happen, she told herself.  No bad luck.  The Year of the Boar would bring travel, adventure and double happiness.

Bandit, also known as Sixth Cousin, is about to get a new name and a new home in a completely new world.  Taking on the most American-sounding name she can think of, Shirley Temple Wong, she says goodbye to her beloved Chinese family, and crosses an ocean and a continent to settle into Brooklyn, New York, in 1947. 

Brooklyn is a mind-boggling swirl of newness — white boxes in the home which keep food cold and wash clothes;  people with blue eyes, ebony skin, freckles, or red hair; bubble gum and roller skates; and the babbling sounds of the English language.  For Shirley, it is also a lonely world full of misunderstandings, miscommunication, teasing, and tears.  Until finally, an unexpected friendship, the very American game of baseball, and the sensational Jackie Robinson, who is also breaking new ground, offer Shirley the bridge she needs to feel at home.

With a chapter for every month in this Year of the Boar, Bette Bao Lord escorts us on an incredibly personal journey based on her own experiences as a newcomer to America.  The private anguish of not belonging is here, as well as the bewildering confusion of a new culture, the humorous discoveries Shirley makes, the deep devotion of her parents, the kindness of her teacher, the warmth and strength that come from acceptance and friendship, all seen through the eyes of a little 8-year-old girl.  Coursing through, in a brilliant streak of hope, are the ’47 Brooklyn Dodgers, going to the World Series against the New York Yankees.

Marc Simont’s illustrations are wonderful, expressive glimpses of the various personalities in Shirley’s world, from the Irish triplets she babysits, to her eccentric piano teacher, Señora Rodriguez; Mrs. Rappaport of the fiery, sticking-up hair, and diminutive Shirley herself.  This makes a fabulous read-aloud for some children as young as 6, and a great, very well-written read for kids at about a 3rd or 4th grade reading level.  Despite the dominance of a young girl protagonist, there is enough of the world of Brooklyn, her schoolmates, and the Brooklyn Dodgers, to interest many boys.  I really like this book!

Here’s the Amazon link: In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson

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a list of…five stories featuring captivating cultures

Are We There Yet? story and illustrations by Alison Lester

Heading to the Land Down Under, this book is a grand geography lesson by popular Aussie author, Alison Lester.

Eight-year-old Grace and her family — Mum, Dad, and brothers Luke and Billy — decide to take a once-in-a-lifetime trip around the whole of Australia, visiting family and friends, and seeing all of its widely-varied people, terrain, and attractions.  It’s going to take them out of school for a whole term!  What could be better?!

After entrusting their pets to the care of Nan and Poppa, and hitching the camper trailer up to the Land Rover, they set off for 3 months of adventures.  Grace narrates the whole trip in this scrapbook-type account which is jam-packed with pictures and sprinkled with helpful maps.  We see bizarre sand formations and boab trees, Bungle Bungles and the Three Sisters, Uluru and the Great Barrier Reef, Thorny Devils and penguins.  Grace munches on fish and chips, as well as witchetty grubs.  She views Dreamtime drawings…and fireworks over Sydney Harbor.  Her family surfs, snorkels, camps, hikes, markets, fishes, rides horses, and goes sledding.  And they drive and drive and drive.

I love this fabulous, insider’s guide to Australia, and the happy, active, agreeable family we tour it with.  Lester’s colorful, warm illustrations of Grace’s family and her outstanding “snapshots” of Australia, are immensely attractive.  The only problem is:  Australia is so very far away!

Tap-Tap, by Karen Lynn Williams, illustrated by Catherine Stock

The small, impoverished island country of Haiti has been much in the news since the devastating earthquake in January 2010 and the subsequent slow  recovery and cholera epidemic.  This story gives us a sunnier view of rural Haiti through the eyes of one small, determined, eight-year-old girl.

Sasifi is going to market with her Mama, something she has done often, but never as the stout, responsible girl carrying her own basket-load of oranges on her head as she is today.  As Sasifi walks along, she looks longingly at the brilliantly-colored tap-taps — the truck taxis of Haiti — and recommends to her Mama that they ride one.  Mama is too frugal, though, and they continue on foot all the way to the bustling market.  What a lot of intriguing things for sale!  Brooms and chairs, hats and sugar cane. 

When Sasifi’s Mama leaves her to tend the oranges while she does her marketing, Sasifi works hard and manages to sell all the rest of the oranges herself!  When Mama returns, she is so pleased with Sasifi, she gives her some coins to spend on whatever she pleases.  What will Sasifi choose?  Peanut candy?  Icy cold juice?  No, siree.  Sasifi buys two spots in a tap-tap so she and her Mama can have a thrilling ride home.  It turns out to be quite a squished ride…but a happy one, nonetheless.   And…along the way we learn why the trucks are called tap-taps!

Catherine Stock is one of my favorite illustrators.  Her watercolors are brilliant.. beautiful…well-conceived.  The landscapes and people and markets and tap-taps of Haiti are vividly brought to life on these pages, perfectly complementing this sweet, respectful story. 

Monsoon, by Uma Krishnaswami, illustrated by Jamel Akib

In northern India, the days are oppressive with heat.  Heat that shimmers in the air, and blisters the land, and weighs in the minds of the people like a heavy blanket.  And that is why the coming of the monsoon season is watched for and waited for like a gift from the gods.

The hot winds blow strong.  The noisy koel birds sing out their wild rain-welcoming songs.  The weathermen track the movements of the clouds.  But still the rain delays.  The tensions grow as the people wait.

Then, with wondrous, refreshing vitality, one day the clouds burst, and torrents of rain drive down from the skies onto the dusty earth and rejoicing people.  The monsoon has come!

This book is a brilliantly colorful portrayal of one modern Indian girl’s days anticipating the arrival of the rainy season — monsoon.  Her life is an intriguing mixture of what is familiar to us — TV, busy city streets, hopscotch, stories with Grandma — and what is foreign to most of us — tea stalls, spice merchants, statues of Ganesh, and Bollywood stars on billboards.  The bright illustrations, and the vivid details in the text, work together fantastically to transport us to this striking corner of the world.

Mama and Papa Have a Store, story and pictures by Amelia Lau Carling

Mama and Papa are Chinese immigrants, living in Guatemala City, and running a dry goods store where they sell everything from buttons and cloth,  to firecrackers, perfume and soy sauce.   Their lives are woven with threads from several cultures.  Papa does his accounts with an abacus, while Mama chats with customers in Spanish.  Mayan-Indian families come to purchase gloriously-colored thread for their weavings, while the Chinese bean curd seller brings fresh tofu for lunch, which also features corn tortillas.  It is a multi-lingual, multi-cultural life.

This story is narrated by a little girl, the youngest in her family, who keeps herself busy at the store, feeds the goldfish in their patio pool, coasts down her waxed tin roof on a cardboard sled, and buys sweets from the candy lady, whose wooden box is loaded with goodies.  It is a lively and very joyful look at her life, her family, and her neighborhood.  The text is deliciously sensory, and the watercolors are bursting with color and intriguing details. 

Amelia Lau Carling writes this as a Guatemalan-born child of Chinese immigrants.  Her parents fled China in 1938 when the Japanese invaded their village, and settled in Guatemala to run a general store.  These stories of her own childhood delighted her own children so much that she wrote them down for us, which is good news!  Because this is a gem of a book.

My Little Round House, written and illustrated by Bolormaa Baasansuren

Jilu is a little Mongolian baby, born into a nomadic family,  in his family’s ger.  This story follows Jilu through his  first year of life, a very ordinary year for a Mongolian nomad perhaps, but an unusually fascinating year for the rest of us!

Jilu is surrounded by love from his father and mother, grandfather and grandmother.  He grows up in the midst of the animals of the household — dogs and sheep, goats and camels.  These are the constants in Jilu’s life.  However, with each change in season, his parents pack up the household belongings, load them onto camels, and move on to another location — autumn camp, winter camp, spring camp and summer camp.  Just imagine moving house four times every year! 

In each place, Jilu’s mother and father set up the family’s ger, erecting poles and wrapping them in felt, leaving a hole at the top to let blue sky in, and cooking smoke out.  These homes are radiant with color — burning orange, magenta, emerald green.  Jilu is surrounded with dazzling color and patterns in his warm cocoon.  Inside the ger, the family eats their dinners of dumplings and fermented milk, cares for new lambs born in wintertime, and celebrates holidays together.  Outside, the vast grassy plains stretch to the sky.  In summertime, the warm sun invites Jilu to play, but in winter, the long, cold darkness means the family spends lots of time just sleeping.

This short, simple book by a Mongolian author/artist, describes Jilu’s life with interesting, though sparse, text.  The pictures, with their vivd, jewel-like colors and intriguing, authentic details, make the story pop with appeal and wonder.  An intriguing look at an unusual, hidden culture.

Amazon links are below:

Are We There Yet?
Tap-Tap
Monsoon
Mama and Papa Have a Store
My Little Round House

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a list of…five books about mingling cultures

A Country Far Away, story by Nigel Gray, illustrations by Philippe Dupasquier 

A young boy from the dry, hot, sandy lands of West Africa, and a young boy from the green-lawn, attached-garage suburbs of America (or Europe), tell us about their lives in this wonderful book.  More accurately, the boys tell us a little bit and some snapshots tell us a whole lot more.  Together, they offer a delightful, intriguing comparison of the two cultures. 

This book does almost all its talking through pictures. Each two page spread has only one short statement on it, such as, “Today was an ordinary day.  I stayed home,” or, “Today we went into town to do some shopping.”  These statements are set in the center of the page, dividing it in half.  Running along the top half of the pages are scenes from West Africa which illustrate that ordinary day or trip to town.  Running along the bottom half of the pages are scenes depicting the same activity as it is carried out in the U.S.  For example, an ordinary day in West Africa shows scenes from the boy’s village and pictures him helping to herd goats, while the ordinary day in the U.S. shows the boy’s neighborhood and pictures of him helping to wash the car. Both boys have ordinary days, which are extraordinarily different.   In the course of this book we compare chores, schools, bike rides, new baby arrivals, days of swimming and shopping, soccer games, and so on. 

The illustrations are joyous, colorful depictions of the boys’ lives, which are both made to look appealing.  The ingenuous means of comparing the two lives works very well.  We purchased this book many years ago when we were living in West Africa with our children, and happily concur with its portrayal of the similarities and differences between the two homes.

Dear Primo:  A Letter to My Cousin, written and illustrated by Duncan Tonatiuh 

This book is similar in approach to A Country Far Away as it compares and contrasts two boys’ cultures – this time, that of cousin Carlitos, who lives in Mexico, and cousin Charlie, who lives in a large city in the United States.  These two cousins write letters back and forth, telling one another about their lives.  They talk about the neighborhoods where they live, how they get to school, sports, favorite foods, shopping, holidays, and more.   Once again, their lives consist of many similar activities, which are also delightfully different.  Carlitos rides his “bicicleta” to school past cacti, while Charlie hops on the subway.   Carlitos enjoys the mariachi troupes during local festivals, while Charlie watches the marching bands in the parades. 

The text is nicely brief, yet interesting, with colorful detail.  Each entry from Carlitos includes some Spanish words which are conveniently illustrated so that we non-Spanish-speakers can understand!   The illustrations are bright, fill-up-the-page, highly-stylized mixed media.  They are visually strong and attention-grabbing.  Mr. Tonatiuh was born in Mexico City and has spent his life living in both Mexico and New York City.  His voice and illustrations feel very authentic. 

The Journey, written by Sarah Stewart, with pictures by David Small

You don’t have to leave the country to find a new culture.  In The Journey, we meet Hannah, a young Amish girl whose life is centered on her family’s farm and their quiet, plain ways.  In a series of diary entries, Hannah describes for us her first visit to Chicago with her mother and their friend Maggie. 

“We spent the entire day walking in and out of stores.  I wonder who buys all those things and where do they put them when they get home?”  Hannah writes on Monday. Each day is full of spectacular wonders – skyscrapers and aquariums, fashions and cathedrals.  At the end of the week, though, during her trip to the Chicago Art Institute, we see Hannah gazing at Monet’s famous haystacks, misty-eyed with longing for the sweet family and farm she’ll soon be greeting once again. 

The book is beautifully illustrated by yours-truly David Small.  We get a two-page spread with Hannah’s diary entry and a vivid picture of the day’s outing in Chicago, followed by a two page, wordless spread, illustrated in more subdued tones and depicting a kindred activity back on the farm.  When Hannah goes shopping, for instance, we see a glamorous department store and a pink-dressed, high-heeled saleswoman showing a flouncy, polka-dotted dress to Hannah, while the following pages show serene Aunt Clara in her apron, standing near her treadle sewing machine, working on a plain blue shift for Hannah.  Consistently, the Chicago pictures are more brash, detailed and colorful, while the farm pictures radiate a soft warmth and use simpler lines.  A beautiful study in contrasts.  Hannah sure enjoys her trip, but in the end, there is clearly no place like home.

How My Parents Learned to Eat, by Ina R. Friedman, illustrated by Allen Say 

This book tells the story of a charming romance between a young Japanese girl and an American sailor stationed in Japan.  Although the two are in love, they both harbor a secret fear:  eating dinner together.  For John does not know how to eat with chopsticks, and Aiko does not know the intricacies of knives and forks.  John’s days in Japan are almost over and it is imperative that they get this eating-together problem worked out if he is going to marry her, for goodness’ sake!  So they both set about secretly learning to eat.  John practices not letting his tidbits of meat fall into his lap; Aiko practices balancing her peas on her fork.  They are all set to accommodate themselves to the other’s manner of eating.  In the end, of course, they happily marry, and it is their daughter who tells us this tale, which explains why she eats, quite naturally, both ways. 

This is a sweet, gently funny story, and Allen Say’s always-beautiful illustrations complement it perfectly.  Mr. Say was born in Yokohama, Japan, and has written and illustrated many gorgeous books set in Japan.  I always enjoy his work.

Madlenka, written and illustrated by Peter Sis 

This is a very unusual book by a master-illustrator in which, once again, we don’t leave the United States, yet encounter many different cultures. 

Madlenka is a little girl who lives in New York City.  The pictures for this book begin on the inside of the book cover, where a far-off blue earth bears a tiny red dot showing us Madlenka’s location.  Page after page we zoom in closer and closer, seeing everything from an aerial view, until we arrive at Madlenka’s very window.  Madlenka, we learn, has a loose, wiggly tooth, and this exciting news just has to be shared with all her neighbors around the city block.  Madlenka’s neighbors have come from all over the world to make their homes in New York City.  We meet Mr. Gaston, the French baker, Mr. Singh, the Indian man who runs a newsstand, Mr. Ciao from Italy with his ice-cream truck, and several others as Madlenka spreads her news. 

The illustrations are completely out-of-the-box.  You have not seen anything like this.  Aerial views of Madlenka’s block are decorated with colorful bits and pieces from the homelands of her neighbors.  Elaborate shop windows open up to show us the amazing worlds and cultures these folks have left behind.  And always, there is perky little Madlenka in her pink clothes and lemon-yellow rain boots skippeting through the pages.  Differing scripts distinguish the greetings in all the various languages these neighbors speak.  At the end of the book, a globe pinpoints the countries all these interesting people came from.  This book is enticing; it got rave reviews from all my teen-and-above kids.  Check it out!

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nonfiction nuggets…about houses and homes around the world

Since I seem to be on a house-and-home theme this week, here’s a beautiful book about houses and homes around the world.

Habitat for Humanity house, Papua New Guinea

Houses and Homes, by Ann Morris, with photography by Ken Heyman, displays a wonderfully-diverse collection of homes from far-reaching places, and sometimes also gives us a peek at the people who live in them.  There are homes from Puerto Rico to Portugal, from The Netherlands to Nigeria. 

 Homes on stilts.  Homes on boats. 

 Homes made of mud and stone and bamboo.  Grand homes and small homes.  Homes in crowded places and homes in quiet spaces. 

Habitat for Humanity house, Kenya

 The entire book is made up of stunning photographs, with sparse text, just enough to draw our attention to the incredible variety of houses that exists.  At the back of the book, a clever index, using miniature versions of each photo in the book, tells us a little more about where the house is and something interesting about it.  For example:  Bali:  The walls of this tropical home are made from bamboo screens that can be rolled up to let in breezes or tied down to keep out the sun or rain.  Finally, there is a map showing all the countries around the world in which the photos were taken.

I love this book because it presents the scope of homes with great beauty and dignity. Great book for opening our eyes to the rich variety of ways people live.

Samaritan's Purse temporary shelter, Haiti

 

The photos in my blog today are not from this book.  They are from two organizations working to provide shelter for people in various crises around the world.  The photos from Habitat for Humanity depict the differing kinds of homes they build internationally.  The photos from Samaritan’s Purse show part of the massive effort in Haiti to provide shelter following the earthquake. 

Samaritan's Purse shelter construction, Haiti

Helping to provide shelter for people the world over is a great way to invest some of yourself!

 

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nonfiction nuggets…a world of interesting people!

Children are great observers of people. 

They are sure to notice many details adults miss, sure to draw attention to some people in loud voices, embarrassing at times, sure to feel curious about some people, perhaps scorn others… And sure enough, people are incredibly fascinating to observe.  Peter Spier’s book, People, is a miniature catalogue-of-sorts, delightfully picturing scads of similarities and differences between people around the world.

 

Spier says that “noses come in every shape imaginable,” for example, and then draws for us over 50 different noses,  as well as ears and hair and eyes.  He moves on to clothes, games, homes, hobbies, celebrations, foods, religions, jobs, languages and more, illustrating a brilliant array of each one of these in his delightful, colorful style.  We see, for example, homes from Bedouin tents to English cottages to Chinese rice barges to camper trailers.  Gorgeous scripts in Javanese and Hebrew and Korean.  Festivals in New Guinea and Sweden.   Girls playing Old Lady-Old Lady in Pakistan, and men playing Go in China.  Spier reminds us visually how “dreadfully dull this world of ours would be if everybody would look, think, eat, dress, and act the same!”

This is a book to look at again and again and again, absorbing something else each time as there are so many illustrations packed in this slim book.  The message of enjoying the vast differences between people rather than being critical of them, is a great message, and it is delivered tastefully and beautifully by Spier.  Our tattered copy is a sign of how we’ve loved this book.

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