My Happy Life by Rose Lagercrantz & Eva Eriksson (Grades PreK-2)

Lagercrantz, R & Eriksson, E. (2013). My happy life. Minneapolis, MN: Gecko Press USA.

My Happy Life  is a 2014 USBBY Outstanding International Book.  Here is a summary from the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center Website:

When Dani can’t sleep, she doesn’t count sheep, she “counted all the times she’d been happy.” Now she’s also excited, as well as happy: “She’d waited her whole life to start school.” Her first day is “‘[m]aybe a little bit scary, but lots of fun,’” as she explains to her family – her Dad and Cat. The next day turns out to be even better because she meets Ella: “You couldn’t find a better friend than Ella. She and Dani stuck together through wet and dry, sun and rain, thick and thin.”

But then Ella moves away, and Dani’s happiness falters. Missing Ella makes Dani remember how she “used to have a mother who lived there, too, but she had passed away.” While she knows Ella didn’t die as her mother did, Ella is, in effect, gone. At least for now. School, especially, is no longer the same happy place.

Little by little, Dani regains her happiness – her father, her grandmother, and her Italian relatives all help. Mixed in with “things [that] had gone wrong,” Dani realizes she’s still “probably the happiest person she knew but not all the time”; she learns that part of being “happy many times in my life” includes not-so-happy experiences, too.

Swedish author Rose Lagercrantz creates a gently realistic reminder that a happy story doesn’t need to be a saccharine-coated fairy tale. Lagercrantz shows how acknowledging hardships, accepting support from others can substantially up the happy-factor. Eva Erikkson, Lagercrantz’s longtime artistic collaborator (over 30 years!), imbues Dani with a full range of emotions; her delightful illustrations endearingly balance every downturned expression with an eventual smile, giggle, and guffaw. For readers of every age, My Happy Life turns out to be quite the meaningful reality check – touching and hopeful, too!

The New York Time's review of the book brings up a couple of interesting points for the American reader:

1. How are girls portrayed in our books?  Paul's article praises this book for being "one of those joyous rarities: a book about girls who are neither infallible nor pratfall-prone, but who are instead very real — both admirable and relatable." and continues by pointing out that, "it’s much harder to find stories about “good girls” — a term that too often feels like a pejorative."

2. How is resilience discussed in books or is it? Paul writes: "“My Happy Life” isn’t about death but about how children process negative experiences... It’s about children’s natural and learned resilience, the incredible bouncing back that never ceases to surprise their worn-down parents. The book’s intended readers may not realize they are reading about anything unusually prized, but they will recognize they’re on to something quite splendid. If only all early chapter books were this beautifully conceived."

Questions for teachers to consider:

1. Several books reviewed on this blog have discussed or mentioned death (including this one) (Tricycle, My Father's Arms Are a Boat, The War Within These Walls ) how well do we discuss death in the classroom or is it appropriate?  Is there an age requirement?

2. Similar to the previous question, how well do discuss feelings with students?  What are the different approaches we use and which books have been or would be the most helpful?

3. How many students in your classroom could relate to Dani on her first day jitters, feeling nervous finding a friend, and the emotions that are involved when a good friend moves away?

Tricycle by Elisa Amado (grades K-2)

This week, I'm cross-posting with my other blog and discussing Elisa Amado's Tricycle (2007), which made the USBBY Outstanding International Book list in 2008.

Amado, E. (2007). Tricycle. Toronto: Groundwood Books.

With its exploration of classism and socioeconomic inequity, Tricycle definitely isn't a light read, but it's engrossing and more than a little thought-provoking.  Here's a summary from Children's Book Writer:

"Tricycle is about a girl, Margarita, who lives in a big beautiful house, surrounded by a big tall hedge. She climbs the tree in her backyard and sits in the branches. From this vantage point, she can see the volcano that sits in the distance, spewing fire and smoke on a daily basis. She can also see the shack next to her home where a poor family lives. Margarita sometimes climbs into the hedge, where she plays with Rosario, her little friend who lives in the shack with her brother and mother. One day, Margarita watches silently from her perch in the tree as Rosario and her brother steal her tricycle, dragging it to their side of the hedge, hiding it under a box. 

In thirty-two pages and in less than one thousand words, a complete, beautiful story is brought magically to life. It has a heartbeat and a pulse that you don't normally see in the average picture book. The emotional build-up is slow and steady, with an effective use of the volcano -- Fuego -- as a symbol for the uncomfortable undercurrent between rich and poor, as well as the symbol of developing conscience in the child. The reader sees the difference between those who have, and those who have not, and the beginnings of conscience in a young child. Which is more important - a tricycle or friendship? Having possessions or having concern for others? What is the responsibility of a child - do you worry about yourself, or all of those around you? Do you lie to protect a friend? From the safety and comfort of her family, a child learns to have empathy and compassion for others, even if it means losing something in the process."

In order to prepare my presentation for our book club, I headed to Amazon's website to gather some publication details, like the intended age range.  However, something else caught my eye: the customer reviews.  I noticed that seven people had reviewed Tricycle, and most of them had rated it one star (out of five).  Here are some examples of their feedback:

• "Why did a tree have to die for this book? There is no joy in this book, nothing uplifting, encouraging, humorous, etc. So, again I ask, why did the author bother writing this book?"

• "This books is beyond inappropriate for young kids."

• "This is the definition of a horrible book.... Seriously. So bizarre."

• "Don't bother unless you want to have a nice conversation about theft and shooting with your kid."

• "WHAT? Why was this in the kids' section? Why was this written? And why is NONE of it resolved? The book just ends. No explanation. So weird."

• "As I read this to my 3 yr old, you can imagine my surprise as I learned it contained discrimination, theft, lying, and threat of violence. This is the worst book for a kid -- EVER!"

Harsh.  Everyone's entitled to their opinions, obviously, but the severity of these reviews caught me off guard.  Words like "inappropriate," "bizarre," "weird," and "horrible" seem so extreme and unnecessary for what I see as a sensitively wrought examination of poverty and class differences.

So this incident makes me think: Why is there such dissonance between these reviewers' opinions and my own?  It all comes down to views on childhood, really.  Here in the US, lots of people believe that adults should shelter children from the bad things in our world, and this view permeates children's literature.  According to the Amazon opinions above, children's books should contain three things: positivity, moral lessons, and happy endings.

I have encountered this position a lot as a teacher and as a grad student.  If books aren't "uplifting, encouraging, or humorous" and don't have a clear plot resolution, many parents and educators don't want them in their homes and classrooms.  However, many books from other countries (and some from the US) don't always fit this mold.  Some people, both at home and abroad, feel that kids need to learn about challenging issues in our world and that children's literature should therefore tackle heavier issues.

Elisa Amado is originally from Guatemala -- a country where poverty, class division, and crime are very common -- so it's no surprise that she would want to address these problems in her work.  Although these issues aren't quite as widespread here in the US, they definitely do exist.  I personally feel that discussing these realities with children -- once they're mature enough to comprehend them -- can help them learn to cope with the difficult and uncertain aspects of life and to think critically about societal problems.

Reality.

And even if someone doesn't agree with that perspective (which is fine!), it saddens me that they'd use such unkind vocabulary to describe a book like Tricycle just because it doesn't fit their definition of "children's book."  Much to my relief, one of the Amazon reviewers agrees with me:

• "The protagonist lives in a mansion. Her next door neighbors are painfully poor. One day, they steal her bicycle. For reasons all her own, she says nothing. But when she overhears adults talking badly -- threatening what she does not understand is figurative violence -- about them, she becomes literally sick with envy.  I grew up in an island where the good neighborhood was a block away from tin-roofed slums. Later on, I lived in a city in the states where crack houses and beautiful mansions stood side-by-side. So I both get and appreciate the class distinctions that this book refers to.  I was surprised at all the 1 star reviews of this book. Yes, it is a very unusual book. Yes, the ending leaves a lot unresolved (but, hey, that's life). And yes, it is probably inappropriate for very young children. But the 'very young' are not the only ones that picture books are made for."

What do you think?  Should children's literature help protect kids from the bad things in the world?  Or should it present the world as it really is?

Sopa de Frijoles (2010) & Arroz con Leche (2011) by Jorge Argueta (Grades PreK-2)

This week, I chose to take a look at two bilingual books by Jorge Argueta -- Sopa de Frijoles and Arroz con Leche -- that made the USBBY Outstanding International Book list in two consecutive years.  Both are charming poems about cooking and contain recipes for delicious recipes, bean soup and rice pudding.  (I've made both of the recipes and can vouch for them -- they're delicious!)

Since Argueta is originally from El Salvador, we can see how these books reflect aspects of his home culture, as the dishes depicted in the poems are well-loved comfort foods that are popular throughout Latin America.  Also, the presence of both Spanish and English in the text shows the connection between Argueta's first language and the language of his adopted country, the United States.

Here are reviews from Kirkus:

Argueta, J. (2009). Sopa de frijoles / Bean soup. Toronto: Groundwood Books.

This free-verse cooking poem is more than a simple recipe for bean soup. Argueta’s lyrical Spanish translated into its counterpart English is filled with visual and aromatic imagery that turns soup-making into art. Describing ingredients such as water “whose caresses give us life,” garlic cloves each “in a little white dress” and salt sprinkled “as though it were rain blossoming from your hand,” Argueta’s metaphorical instructions produce bean-filled water that doesn’t just boil, but sings as it turns brown, “the color of mother Earth,” making the house smell “like the earth after the first winter rains.” Yockteng’s parallel earthy-toned paintings oppose each new instructive page, illustrating an animated boy performing each step of the recipe until the inviting scent and warmth of the kitchen beckons a loving family to the table. Starred cues appropriately indicate adult help where needed in this eloquent rendering of a nutritious and delicious meal.

Argueta, J. (2010). Arroz con leche / Rice pudding. Toronto: Groundwood Books.

A lyrical recipe presented in the form of a free-verse poem, this bilingual (Spanish/English) selection combines the fun of cooking with the tenderness of a mother-son relationship. Subtle, stylized illustrations convey a sense of joy and excitement in this paean to rice pudding as a boy embarks on a culinary adventure with help from his mom. Asterisks indicate when an adult’s help is needed, and young readers will delight in following the simple-to-prepare recipe. The text sparkles with clarity and purpose in both languages, and youngsters will appreciate the very accessible yet graceful and gently humorous poetic descriptions ("The little white grains of rice / rain music and sing / as they fall"). Naturally, the last part of the poem deals with the serving of the delicious pudding to the whole family. The warmth and love put into the dish radiates out over the dinner table to the boy and his parents and sister and then rises in clearly fragrant ribbons outside their cozy home. A nice introduction to the joys of cooking, as well as a strong bilingual addition to any collection.

When I was searching the USBBY Outstanding International Books list for these titles, I noticed something strange -- both books are listed as Canadian.  Yes, they were published in Canada by Groundwood Books (a wonderful company that focuses on quality multicultural children's literature), but are they Canadian?  No!  

Jorge Argueta is Salvadoran, and I think that USBBY should list the titles as such.  This discrepancy might be confusing for parents or teachers who are skimming the list looking for award-winning children's books with Latin American roots.

What do you think?  Why would USBBY choose to label books with their publishing origin rather than the author's or story's origin? 

Hippopposites by Janik Coat (Grades Prek-2)

 

Review from wakingbraincells.com:

 

This clever board book takes a hippo and runs through a variety of opposite pairs with him.  There are light and dark hippos, dotted and striped hippos, soft and rough hippos, small and large hippos.  Then there are the more intriguing opposites like opaque and transparent, positive and negative, clear and blurry.  My favorite opposite pairing is the front and side, which made me laugh out loud with surprise.  Something that rarely happens with board books!  This is truly a modern, hip board book that will be enjoyed not only by young children but also their parents.

Coat makes this book dynamic and modern with her very solid graphic skills.  She has a wonderful quirky sense of humor that is on display throughout the book and that combined with the strength of the simple illustrations makes this book a winner.  I also like the limited color palette and the simplicity of the page design, which will work particularly well with infants.

Questions to consider:

1. How does Hippopposites compare to other more 'traditional' opposite books?

2. Are you able to tell this is an international book? If so, what are the clues?

3. What are some other ‘untraditional’ opposite words that could be included in this book?

The Hero of the Little Street (2010) by Gregory Rogers (grades PreK-2)

Plot summary: Action, adventure, and time travel combine in the final book of an award-winning trilogy. Narrowly escaping from a gang of bullies, a boy slips into a grand old gallery--the perfect hiding place, full of mystery and treasures. Suddenly, a painting comes to life and the boy finds himself on an adventure led by a mischievous dog that has lept from the canvas. The two slip into a Vermeer painting and are transported to Little Street, Delft in seventeenth-century Holland, where the boy has to use every ounce of his ingenuity to rescue his new friend from an untimely fate.

The third book in the "Boy, Bear" series, The Hero of Little Street is packed with thrilling escapades from start to finish. Gregory Rogers's cast of much-loved characters come together once again in this triumph of visual storytelling.  (from amazon)

Gregory Rogers is one of Australia's finest children's book illustrators and in 1995 was awarded the prestigious Kate Greenaway Medal for Way Home by Libby Hathorn. His first book for Roaring Brook Press,The Boy, The Bear, The Baron, The Bard, was a New York Times Best Illustrated Book of the Year. He divides his time between Brisbane, Australia and Denver, Colorado.

Reviews:

“Rogers’ deft management of perspective and movement, his clever visual jokes and intertextual allusions, and his careful compositions demonstrate once again his masterful storytelling in the wordless genre.”--BCCB

“A delightful little excursion for busy imaginations.”--Booklist

"A superb, witty book that will appeal both to squirmy, clueless kids and educated art connoisseurs."-Horn Book, starred

“Rogers’s visual narrative is both an aesthetic treat and masterful storytelling.”-School Library Journal, starred

“All's well that ends well, as this frolic does, with a sublime comeuppance for all the bullies, then and now.” -Kirkus

Questions:

1. Will the readers/children be able to identify the places in the books, one street in London and one street in 17th century in Holland? If not, how can we introduce the information to our young readers, before or after the book sharing?

2. What do you think of the theme of the book? What does the author/illustrator want to express? Is it a simple celebration of fun, imagination and fantasy work?

3. How do you think of such a wordless picturebook with lots of information included in one page? What is the age range for the book? What can teachers do with this wordless picturebook?

4. There is an obvious point of shuttling between imagination and reality. How will you design activities around this for children/young readers?

5. What do you think of the author's way of dealing with the topic of bullying?

My Father’s Arms Are a Boat by Stein Erik Lunde and Oyvind Torseter (grades PreK-2)

2014 USBBY Outstanding International Books

Lunde, E. & Torseter, O. (2013) My Father’s Arms Are a Boat. Brooklyn, NY: Enchanted Lion Books.

From Amazon :

It's quieter than it's ever been. Unable to sleep, a young boy climbs into his father's arms. Feeling the warmth and closeness of his father, he begins to ask questions about the birds, the foxes, and whether his mom will ever wake up. They go outside under the starry sky. Loss and love are as present as the white spruces, while the father's clear answers and assurances calm his worried son. Here we feel the cycles of life and life's continuity, even in the face of absence and loss, so strongly and clearly that we know at the end that everything will, somehow, be all right.

 

 

 

 Questions to consider in book clubs or classrooms:

• What effect do the illustrations have on the story?
• What language is used to key the reader that this is a Norwegian story?
• Does “quiet” have the same meaning/connotation in all cultures (In America we have the saying “Silence is Golden”)?
• “Red birds are dead people.” Where does this thinking come from?
• What aspects of the Christian faith could you discuss with this book?

Picture a Tree by Barbara Reid (Grades PreK-2)

Reid, Barbara. (2013). Picture a tree. Park Ridge, IL: Albert Whitman & Company.
USBBY Outstanding International Book 2014

From the publisher: "Picture a tree -- what do YOU see? Picture a tree, from every season, and from every angle. These wonderous beings give shade and shelter. Now look again. Look closer. The possibilities are endless.  In this gorgeous new picture book, Barbara Reid brings her vision, her craft, and her signature Plasticine artwork to the subject of trees. Each page is a celebration, and you will never look at trees in quite the same way again."

Picture a Tree attracted me because of its nature-friendly topic and unusual illustrations.  When I taught Pre-K, my students and I undertook an entire learning unit on trees, and I wish this book had existed back then -- I love the way it encourages children to view trees from different perspectives and appreciate their varied functions and beauty.

Considering this work as an Outstanding International Book, however, leads me to ask the following questions:

• The author's Canadian nationality aside, what makes Picture a Tree an international book?

• Should books chosen for the USBBY OIB list teach us something about a different country/culture, or should their themes and subject matter be universal?

• When choosing an international book for a U.S.-based list, why go to Canada?

Traction Man by Mini Grey (Kindergarten-Grade 2) by Ying Cui

Kindergarten-Grade 2: Traction Man by Mini Grey 

Grey, M. (2005). Traction Man. New York, NY: Random House. (First publish in UK)

USBBY Outstanding International Book 2006, Kindergarten-Grade 2 category

Within the feature of graphic novel and a good deal of visual wit, Mini Grey provided an entertaining story of Traction man, a boy’s courageous action figure, who wore combat boots, scuba gear, space suit, and camouflage to experience a variety of adventures with his pet, a Scrubbing Brush and other objects in the house. Later, the boy’s Granny gave Traction Man a present: a hand-knitted green romper suit and bonnet. Even though equipped with this nerdy-knitted and embarrassing outfit, Traction Man undertook another rescue mission and succeeded once again. (Book Review from School Library Journal)

Possible questions for discussion:

      1.    Since Traction Man includes some elements of comic book such as the combination of narrative, speech, and annotation and the target readers are ranging from kindergarteners to second graders, I'm curious what strategies may help teacher to guide emergent readers to read this book?

      

      2.    How the image of the superhero, Traction Man from UK is different from the common image of superhero in U.S. pop culture?