My Painted House, My Friendly Chicken and Me

Written by Maya Angelou
Photographs by Margaret Courtney-Clarke
Published in 1994

Ndebele is a young girl in South Africa and through vivid pictures of her homeland, she takes you on a journey of what it is like to be her friend. The photographs are real life photos of this young girl and her village, which creates an authentic feel for the reader. The title tells the story of her house and what the different designs mean in her native land. She takes us through her village and tells us of different customs going on. One special story is what the women wear to the village and how they are the best dressed women in the area because of their fine clothes and fine jewelry that are hand crafted. One of the most important themes in the book is friendship. The chicken is her best friend because it will never tell her secrets. When dealing with elementary students, this is a great book to discuss the elements of friendship and to have students determine what makes a good friend. One activity to do with your students is to create an outline of a body and each student write one word on the body that is a good trait of a friend.

Night Boat to Freedom

I've always enjoyed reading about slaves escaping to freedom. It's an unfortunate but fascinating part of American history. Night Boat to Freedom is one of those stories. Illustrations by E.B. Lewis set the tone for the story with the unclear and faded future that so many runaway slaves had before emancipation.

The reason this story is so cool is that the main character, Christmas John, is escaping from Kentucky, trying to get across the river to Ohio.

Reading this story to students looking to break free of their own private situations would be a great way to relate to those students.

Luba and the Wren

For anyone that has grown up on a farm and has dealt with the struggles that comes with farm-living, this book is very relatable and well-appreciated.

Luba and the Wren is written by Patricia Pollaco, just like Thunder Cake. Russian language and culture is depicted in this story by the main character, Luba, living on a struggling farm with her parents. Luba, given her role as the heartfelt child with a great outlook on life despite living in a bleak home environment, reminds me a lot of Young Ju from A Step from Heaven.

Kids can read this book and appreciate it because I'm sure there are so many kids that live in bleak home environments and Luba shows them that they can rise above the negativity that they face at home.

There are so many teaching strategies you could take from this book. The book, with questions, can be a way for a teacher to relate to students on a more personal level.

The illiustrations have the same characteristics as the other Pollaco book--dark and colorful. Luba's life is dark, but she makes it very colorful.

Thunder Cake

Anyone that has had any kind of relationship with their grandmother will love this story. My grandmother made me believe that I could do anything, like earn an "A" in my grad classes. Hopefully I'm almost there as I type this book review.

Thunder Cake is a story based on the author's real-life experiences with her grandmother helping her overcome her fear of thunder. Her "Babushka" would make a cake (calling it "thunder cake") every time she heard thunder. This would help the girl come out from under the bed when a storm was coming.

I can see so many teaching strategies from this book of helping children overcome mental obstacles that they may have. I can't wait to apply some of these ideas to my classroom this school year.

The illustrations and language used in the book depict a bit of Russian culture while the colors are dark yet colorful, which I think Babushka depicts storms to the girl in the same manner.

This story is enjoyable because it shows how simple that it can be to help someone overcome their fears.

A Step from Heaven

A Step from Heaven is a story about a Korean family coming to the United States and the hardships they face along the way. The central figure in the story, Young Ju, is the subject of a fascinating story in which she evolves into very much a heroine within her own family.

The book highlights the struggles that foreign families face when relocating. Those struggles culminate towards the end of the book, which is where Young Ju undoubtedly becomes the strongest figure in the book.

I enjoyed this story for the coming of age tale that it is. Young Ju evolves into a patriarch within her family, all while we see a consistent deterioration of character for one of the story's other key figures. Anyone that has faced these same struggles can relate to the story and will enjoy reading it for the good, not-too-demanding read that it is.

Spoken Memories

Title:  Spoken Memories (Marianthe’s Story: Two)

Author:  Aliki

Illustrations:  Aliki

Greenwillow Books (1998)

This is the continuing story of a young girl from a foreign land, who has begun going to school in America.  She is still has the same teacher as in Painted Words but she has now begun to learn the language.  It is life story time and it is her turn.  This book is a highlight of what her life was before her move to this country and the things she misses and gave up to come here.  She explains why they had to move, the hardships in her own country.  She explains that the school was two hours away from her village and not everyone got to attend, especially girls.  She is able to share her culture with the students in her class.  The theme of this story could be the story of any child and their family coming to America looking for a better life.

The illustrations are very appropriate as they accurately depict the life that Mari and her family left behind in their move to America.  It shows not only the hardships of their life but the joy and closeness they felt in family, friends and neighbors.  The pictures help the author to visually show the reader about Mari’s homeland.

I think the story and the pictures are an authentic representation of what it would feel like to leave everything familiar to you behind and move to a new land.  I think it leaves the readers with an appreciation for other people’s stories and more understanding of differences that may exist in people.  Any lesson on cultural differences could use this book as a resource.

I would recommend this to elementary school teachers as a way to help introduce diversity into a classroom or just to talk about things that students may have had to leave behind in their lives.

Painted Words

Title:  Painted Words (Marianthe’s Story: One)

Author:  Aliki

Illustrations:  Aliki

Greenwillow Books (1998)

This is the story of a young girl from a foreign land, going to school in America for the first time.  She did not understand the words being spoken and written around her but through body language and painting pictures she is able to tell her own story to the class.  In so doing, she has encouraged her family to learn and tell their stories as well.  The other students understand her story and in the end want to create stories of their own.  The theme of this story could be the story of any child being forced to move from their homeland, to a new school, new language and new culture different from their own and their struggle to become a part of their new environment.

The illustrations are very appropriate as they depict the feeling and thoughts of young Mari and the children and people around her.  It corresponds nicely with the fact that she is telling her story through her paintings.  As she tries to decipher the language being used around her the text reflects the distortions that she would hear as an English language learner.  As the story proceeds the words become clearer to her.

I think the story and the pictures are an authentic representation of what it would feel like for any ESL student new to an American classroom.  It shows Mari reacting in a positive yet truthful way when her feelings are hurt by one of the students in her class.  This part of the story would be a good segway into a discussion of diversity, bullying, etc.  The author’s purpose is to help the reader understand what it must feel like to be different from those around you.

I would recommend this to elementary school teachers as a way to help introduce a new student into class or the fact that different cultures do exist but we are all the same as people.

It Doesn't Have to Be This Way

Title:  It Doesn’t Have To Be This Way: A Barrio Story

Author:  Luis J. Rodriguez

Illustrations:  Daniel Galvez

Awarded: 2000 Skipping Stones Honor Award

Children’s Book Press (1994)

The introduction to this book includes pictures of the author and his family along with a personal reflection on his background in the gangs of Los Angeles and his current work in trying to persuade young people that there is another way.  The story is that of a young boy, 10 years old, who loves poetry being caught up into the gang world afraid to say no.  In an effort to persuade him to change his mind, his cousin when coming to his initiation gets shot by a rival gang.

This book is written from personal experience and effectively addresses the issues faced by many inner city kids today.  It is an accurate representation that most readers will find believable based on the author’s background.  The language in this book is authentic geared towards upper elementary grades or even middle school grades.  The illustrations in the first two pages are actual photographs of the author in his gang days and his family now.  The illustrations in the rest of the book are a fair representation of life in the Hispanic neighborhoods of Los Angeles.

I think students will be enthusiastic about this book as it presents the truth about Hispanic youth growing up in the gang-torn neighborhoods of Los Angeles.  This book lets them see that there are alternatives to joining the gang.  The author’s purpose in writing this book is to help young people see that there is another way.  The story is told in both English and Spanish which makes it a good resource for ESL students as well.

I think this would be a great book to read and discuss as a class as gangs are prevalent in most cities and they don’t know cultural boundaries.  They exist in all ethnicities.  Obviously teachers will have to use caution in talking about gangs but I think this has a lot of positive possibilities. 

The Paper Crane

Author: Molly Bang
Photographer: Ned Manter
Published in 1985

     There once was a restaurant sitting on the busiest street in the town. Customers through all mornings and nights until the highway was built. All of sudden, business is dead. Molly Bang writes a story about how a simple paper crane can bring so much life to this once deserted restaurant and see an explosion of business. The illustrations create a 3D visual of paper cut outs photographed by Ned Manter to create the realistic approach for readers. The text is simple to read and the pages are filled with images of the story. Any student in an elementary would enjoy this text as a read aloud with Kindergartners to a pair reading with second graders. A neat activity would have student to do an origami activity in which students create their own animals and writes stories of how this animal fixed a problem in life. Students can then display their animal and read their stories aloud to their classmates.

Anansi does the Impossible: An Ashanti Tale

Retold by Verna Aardema
Illustrated by Lisa Desimini
Published in 1997

     What a courageous tale of a spider, Anansi, and his adventure to receive all the folk tales from the Gods. Anansi seeks to be the storyteller of the village but the only person who knows all the stories is the God. When Anansi confronts the God about being able to tell the stories of the village, there is a catch and Anansi and his wife take the reader through his journey to be the ultimate story teller. One feature of the book includes a glossary of all the African words used throughout the book so the reader can know the definition of the word and how to pronounce the unfamiliar term. The illustrator, Lisa Desimini, does a great job with the pictures of the book depicting the story through picture. For classroom implications, this book can be used with older elementary students and use the theme of overcoming adversity and can be used as a culture story, in the fact of preserving one's history.
 

In My Family

Title:  In My Family / En Mi Familia

Author:  Carmen Lomas Garza

Awarded: Tomas Rivera Mexican American Children’s Book Award

                 Texas Bluebonnet Award Master List

                 International Reading Association Notable Book

Children’s Book Press (1996)

This book is really a collage of the author’s memories from her childhood.  She is first an artist, secondly a writer.  She painted pictures of her childhood, the cultural background of her family and then put stories to them.  She spoke of family traditions, religion, and food.  She tells of the Easter Eggs filled with confetti, the piñata at her sister’s birthday party and the blessing her cousin received from her mother on her wedding day.  The last two pages of the book contain a question and answer session with the author.  It gives the reader a glimpse into why she paints pictures and writes.  It also gives some insight into her personal thoughts.

The language and illustrations utilized in this book are very appropriate for elementary school age children.  The text is easy to read.  Each page has the story in both Spanish and English making it student friendly for a diverse classroom.  The language used is easily understandable.  The illustrations are colorful and depict scenes familiar to the Hispanic culture.  It is a celebration of all the good memories of her childhood, all the things that she grew up cherishing as her culture. 

This book is an accurate depiction of the Hispanic culture as it is painted and written through the eyes of someone who lived it her whole life.  She wanted to share that culture with others.  It was realistic.  It showed the positives of her heritage without dwelling on any of the negatives.  The illustrations (paintings) are consistent with what she remembers growing up.

For teachers of very young children it would be great for a read-aloud and class discussion.  It would be a little much for them to read on their own.  It would be appropriate for a little bit older elementary school student (maybe 3^rd – 5^th grade).  It definitely could be used in a Spanish class.

Langston's Train Ride

Author: Robert Burleigh

Illustrator: Leonard Jenkins

Publisher: Scholastic 2005.

Langston's Train Ride is a realistic portrayal of the reflective thoughts and creative thinking Langston Hughes may have had while traveling by train to see his father who abandoned him when he was young. Hughes imagines what life was like for his ancestors as he passes through several states. This book doesn't just touch on the historical significance of "my people" as Hughes says, but it also reflects on the thoughts and struggles of a writer. This story highlights the importance of observing and paying attention to little details to gain inspiration to write. Hughes also expresses how essential it is to record those insightful thoughts that come to you - anywhere - so they are not forgotten. I really enjoyed hearing his thoughts as he crafts his poetry.

The vibrant illustrations depict what the view of the world from a train window would look like through the eyes of a poet. However, not all of these images are picture perfect. The illustrations stay true to the time period and show realistic snapshots of "tar-paper shacks and broken down sheds where my people - the Negro people - live." A scene from the Harlem Renaissance is also accurately depicted on the first page of the book showing the style and look of the people lingering the streets.This picture book conveys the message of staying determined to reach one's goals, and having faith in oneself. 

Bein' With You This Way

Title: Bein’ With You This Way

Author: W. Nikola-Lisa

Illustrator: Michael Bryant

Published: Unknown

            In the book “Bein’ With You this Way” the author creates a song about all the different features throughout the world (straight hair/curly hair, brown eyes/ blue eyes, dark skin/light skin, etc.). Throughout the book the little girl whose singing the song talks about how they are different, but yet still the same. This book could be used for students in grade K-2. If I were to use this book in my classroom I would create a posters of the lyrics from the book, and make this song one of the songs we sang at the beginning of the day during morning meeting. As an extension to this activity I would add physical characteristics my students have to the song.

Hello World

Title: Hello World

Author: Manya Stojic

Published: 2003

            The book “Hello World” teaches students how to say hello in forty-two different languages. This book could be used for students in grades K-5^th. An elementary school teacher could use this book during morning meetings. Every morning teachers could teach their students a different greeting from another language. They could also use this book for a mini lesson at the beginning of an activity. During the lesson students will be asked to pick one language from the book, do some research on that culture, and create a poster presentation for that culture. I would recommend this book as a piece of multicultural literature, because this books gives you insight into forty-one other different cultures (languages). 

Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters

Title: Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters
Author/Illustrator: John Steptoe
Lothrop, Lee and Shepard Books, NY 1987

This gorgeously illustrated tale of two sisters set in Africa is sure to get children of all ages thinking about what is important in life and to ignite conversations in the class. It is a folktale that highlights the importance of virtue over beauty and kindness over pride. The two sisters are both candidates for becoming queen and make a journey to the capital to see the king. The lessons they learn on the way are the real test of whether they are queenly material or not.
The illustrations are vivid and help the reader understand the story as well as set it in the lush jungle landscape of Africa (namely Zimbabwe).They really draw the reader into the fantastic story. The moral message is a very important one for young children who may be experiencing similar strife between their siblings. The characters are portrayed accurately as is the rich African culture (from my knowledge anyway). This was one of my absolute favorite books growing up.
I think teachers should use this book as a group read aloud for elementary kids (grades 1-5) and offer it as individual reading for grades 3-5. Some of the African terms may take some explaining but the message is clear. This book is a valuable classroom tool for discussion and cultural exploration.

Luba and the Wren

Luba and the Wren

Written and illustrated by Patricia Polacco

Puffin Books, 1999

This Russian retelling of The Fisherman and His Wife begins with a simple act of kindness when the young girl Luba rescues a wren from a net.  To her surprise, the wren speaks and offers her any wish she desires.  Because this happy and contented child cannot think of anything she wants, the wren says to come back when she does.  When she tells her parents what happened, they think of how easy they can rise from their poor station and tell her to wish for a larger house and fertile fields.  But after the wren grants this wish, they want more and eventually rise to rulers through their many wishes to the wren.  This story shows how wanting and getting more does not necessarily lead to a happy and contented life, but that the greatest riches are sometimes those that we don't ask for.

The audience for this picture book would be primary or early elementary.  It has an obvious moral at the end as well as throughout:  each time the wish gets bigger the storm clouds get fiercer.  Though written in English, the use of Russian terms for different types of houses and rulers could be interesting vocabulary lessons.

When Marian Sang

When Marian Sang

By Pam Munoz Ryan

Illustrated by Brian Selznick

Scholastic, 2002

The story of Marian Anderson, the first African-American concert opera singer, is told in this beautifully illustrated picture book.  She had early success singing in churches, but when she applied to music school, she was told that people of her color were not accepted.  Instead, she trained with Guiseppe Boghetti who then prompted her to tour the European continent where she moved people to tears by her singing. When she returned to America, however, she was not welcome in some of the most famous concert halls because of their segregation policies.  The conflict with scheduling Washington D.C.'s Constitution Hall in 1939 led to the famous open-air production on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.  

Although this picture book is assigned a 2-5 grade level, I can see it being used for an older audience as an introduction or as part of a collection about the time period and famous African-American musicians.  The illustrations by Selznick offer much to consider about symbolism and perspective.

The Woman Who Outshone the Sun

From a poem by: Alejandro Cruz Martinez

Illustrations by: Fernando Olivera

Publisher: Children's Book Press 1991. 

The Woman Who Outshone the Sun is the retelling of the legend of Lucia Zenteno, a mysterious and beautiful woman who one day shows up in a village and, eventually, greatly impacts the residents in a surprising way. Because Lucia is new and different from the people of the town they criticize her as being strange, and decide to drive her out of the village. But Lucia is so connected with nature that the river and all of the animals associated with it flow into her hair and the river dries up. The people start to panic. They decide to find Lucia and beg for her forgiveness.

This story holds deep meaning in the oral history of the Zapotec Indians of Oaxaca, Mexico. It is written in both English and Spanish. The illustrations reflect the geography, natural habitats, and the styles and architecture of the people of the region where the legend originated. The lesson is explicitly stated - treat others kindly even if they seem different - but it is a great message to be reiterated for students at all grade levels.

Just In Case

The story uses a Spanish alphabet to tell the tell. Senor Calavera has to get present for his best friends birthday so he collects items that begin with the alphabet with the help of a ghost. I loved that the book uses the alphabet to tell the story and includes Spanish words as well. The illustrations were bright and colorful and involved much of the Spanish culture, like the idea of a calavera in the story. The only thing I didn't like was Senor Calavera brought back to life his friends husband. It may not be too obvious to little kids but I wouldn't want them to get the wrong ideas if they had a love one pass away recently.

Yoon and the Jade Bracelet

Written by Helen Recorvits
Pictures by Gabi Swiatkowska
Published by Grances Foster Books, Farrar,Straus and Giroux, New York. Copyright 2008

Recommended for Grades K-2 (possibly 3). This is the third in a series of books featuring the character, Yoon, a young girl who has moved to the United States from Korea.

It is Yoon's birthday and during recess, she watches the other girls playing "jump rope" and wishes she could join in but no one asks her to join them. When she arrives home, her mother tells her she has a present for her. Yoon is hoping that the package contains a new jumprope, but inside the package is a Korean storybook about a little girl who is tricked by a tiger. Her mother tells her the pictures in the book remind her of the pictures Yoon draws. Yoon's mother gives her a second present, a jade bracelet, given to her mother by her grandmother. Yoon's mother has had Yoon's name engraved on the inside of the bracelet, which translated means "Shining Wisdom". The next day at school, a girl from another class sits with Yoon at lunch and tells her she will be her "friend" and they will jump rope together after lunch. She ends up having to "turn" the rope for the girl the entire recess period and never gets to jump rope herself. Before returning to class, the other girl demands that Yoon let her wear the jade bracelet she received as a present. The girl does not give it back the next day, as promised, until a teacher intercedes. Yoon realizes that she has been tricked by the tiger, the girl from the other class.

Great multicultural book to inroduce topics of being new to a school and/or country, feeling alone and left out, being disappointed when receiving presents, children taking advantage of other children, and how honesty is always the best policy. I highly recommend this book.

Rap A Tap Tap

The story is about a tap dancer named Bojangles who tapped his way around the city until it brought him fame. The story is based on the true story of Bill "Bojangles" Robinson who was the highest paid African American during the Great Depression after becoming a famous tap dancer. The illustrations are bright and colorful and follow the story as it progresses. There was also a nice beat to the story as if you were there dancing along with him. The message the book is trying to tell is if you have a passion for something, like tap dancing, then it can lead to success in the future.

Diego

This story tells the life of Diego Rivera from his childhood and how he became a famous Mexican painter. The story is told in both English and in Spanish and contains colorful illustrations that follow the story. The story is also historically correct but it does describe how Diego painted what he saw, even when Mexican soldiers were killing innocent people. It would be a book that I would read to older kids, like my high school kids, not to younger children. It is a great book though to inspire children to follow their passion, just like Diego did with art.

Arrow to the Sun

This story is based off a Pueblo Indian tale where a boy goes on a journey to discover his father, who is the Lord of the Sun. On his journey he gets help from an arrow maker who shoots the boy ti the sun then has to go through four trials to prove to the Lord of the Sun that the boy is his son. The book provides some great illustrations that are very bright and colorful and represent the Pueblo Indians. The story seems authentic but the author himself is not Pueblo Indian. The meaning of the story is to never give on on your dreams, like the boy never gave up in finding his father even going through some obstacles. 

Come Home With Me

Subtitle: A Multicultural Treasure Hunt
Written by: Aylette Jenness
Illustrated & designed by: Laura DeSantis
Photos by: Max Belcher
Video frames by: D'Arcy Marsh
Copyright 1993 by New York Press, New York, NY
A Kids Bridge Book

This multicultural book, written for grades 1-5, is colorful and inviting with illustrations and photographs of authentic people, food, shops, and sovenirs from four different cultures/countries: Cambodia, Puerto Rico, Ireland and Africa. You are introduced to four children in the beginning of the book and you choose which child you want to go home with by turning to the appropriate pages for that child. You are then introduced to their customs, food, neighborhood, etc. The book might be confusing to young readers because it skips around from page to page. Older children would have no problem reading it and would view the "skipping around in the book" as an adventure. The book is great for multicultural learning and lesson plans could be developed to go along with the activities in the book. It could be used as whole group or individual study. I highly recommend this book.

I Am Different Can You Find Me?

By: Manjula Padmanabhan

This book would be great to use for elementary and middle classroom, either as a read aloud in an elementary class, alone, or in small groups in middle. The book takes you through different types of languages with the same question on every page, I am different can you find me? The illustrations looked like they were done with mixed media. What was nice about the illustrated pages is that there is one thing you have to look for in the pages that is different. Which kind of gives the book two purposes.
The best part about the book is that at the bottom it gives a short paragraph about the language, where the language is from, how many people speak it, and what are some words we as Americans would recognize from our own language. Everyone will enjoy trying to speak in different languages, and learn about different cultures as well.

Yo, Jo!

Written and Illustrated by Rachel Isadora
Harcourt, 2007

The book begins as Jomar and his brother Franklin are waiting outside for Grandpa to arrive. Neighbors and friends pass by and Jo greets them with phrases such as "Yo!" and "Whassup?" When Grandpa shows up, Jo says "I love you." This story celebrates the language and culture of Jomar's neighborhood. It is a simple, kid-friendly book that many students will be able to relate to.

The illustrations are done in a collage style and give color and life to the story. The font choice also adds an element of fun to the text. This book would be most appropriate for early elementary students.

Bad News for Outlaws

                                                                Adolescent Book Blog

Title: Bad News for Outlaws: The Remarkable Life of Bass Reeves, Deputy U.S. Marshal

Author: Vaunda Michaeux Nelson

Illustrations (since they matter here): R. Gregory Christie

                I wish it were 1996. As a twelve-year-old that year, my little rebellious streak began showing its ugly and disrespectful face. One of the casualties of that phase of my life was my love of reading. My accelerated reader points totaled up to a paltry 2.1 after a half-hearted effort reading one of the “Goosebumps” books. Had my teacher that year been Bass Reeves, I’m pretty sure my reading level would’ve stayed up, either out of fear of Mr. Reeves altogether and definitely with him pointing a loaded shotgun to my head. This book would’ve been a huge find for my reading desires back in ’96. At least I’m able to say I enjoyed reading it as a 27-year-old who reads these days mostly for business reasons and rarely pleasure.

                Bass Reeves is a deputy U.S. marshall in the story. Reeves’ character is one that is very easy to understand but admirable at the same time. Reeves, a former slave, became a deputy marshal after emancipation. He’s not a vigilante, just rewarding the country that made him free (although he was a runaway slave that hid amongst the Native Americans) with his services towards law and order. Reeves operated by the law, only having to fire upon (and kill) 14 criminals. When Reeves apprehended criminals, he would lead them to justice but also talk to them about the Bible, including his own son. In short, Reeves utilized his freedom in a way that was to be beneficial for the United States. Upon my visit to the Frazier Museum this afternoon, there was a section covering the Wild West and how it became “wild” in the aftermath of the Civil War. Based on the criminal activity out west, there was a strong need for men like Bass Reeves.

                The illustrations in this book depict the exact emotions that the author describes in his writing. They very much highlight the story of Reeves’ life. The illustrations are an intricate part of the story.

                The one question that I think would come to mind would be if there was any conflict within Reeves’ conscience when he hunted down runaway fugitives since technically, Reeves was at one time in his life, a fugitive slave. Would he have held it against anyone if they had turned him in?

Gathering the Sun (Alphabet in Span/Eng)

Title:  Gathering the Sun (An Alphabet in Spanish and English)

Author:  Alma Flor Ada; English translation by Rosa Zubizarreta

Illustrations by:  Simon Silva

Harper Collins Publishers (1997)

This book is a mosaic of Spanish words, one for each letter of the alphabet.  The words and their descriptions are written in both Spanish and English.  Most words such as peaches, carrots and island would be familiar to children of all cultures but some such as Cesar Chavez might be something new to some.  The main difference for some reading this book is that the words are alphabetized by their Spanish translation.  For example, the word carrot is not under C but under Z for zanahoria.  The descriptions for each word were done in such a way as to paint a picture of how it fit into their culture.

The language and illustrations utilized in this book are very appropriate for elementary school age children.  The text is large and easy to read.  The language used is easily understandable for even young readers.  The illustrations are colorful and depict scenes familiar to the Hispanic culture.

This book is an accurate depiction of the Hispanic culture.  It was void of any negative stereotypes.  Since many of the illustrations and words reflected the life of a migrant farm worker, I felt that it showed these in a positive light.  The descriptions and drawings showed what was good about that lifestyle rather than dwelling on the negative aspects of being a migrant worker.

For teachers of very young children it might be nice to introduce some of the words to the class through both languages so they develop an appreciation for languages and diverse culture.

Reviewer:  Carol L. DeMuth

The Hard Times Jar

Title: “The Hard Times Jar”

Author: Ethel Footman Smothers

Illustrator: John Holyfield

Pub. Year: 2003

The Hard Times Jar is a very heart-warming story about an 8-year old girl named Emma whose family moved to Pennsylvania because they were migrant workers. Emma loves to read, but her family cannot afford store-bought books, so she writes her own stories on the back of paper grocery bags. When Emma’s parents decide to send her to school, Emma is fascinated by all the books in the library and after learning a tough lesson about taking what isn’t yours her mom rewards her for taking responsibility for her actions by giving her money to buy books from their “hard times jar.”

This book would be great for early elementary students and teaching them about responsibility and honesty. It also is a great lesson on being grateful for what you have in your life. The illustrations in the book are beautiful and do a great job on explaining the life of migrant workers as well and Emma’s passion for reading. 

Hello Night

Title: Hello Night

Author: Amy Costales

Illustrator: Mercedes McDonald

            This is a simple children’s book about a child and his mother that go out for a walk at night. He greets all the things that he sees on his walk. I really enjoyed the way the sentences rhyme in both languages. It is a good way to get a feeling for the patterns and intonations of each language. The illustrations were also well done and relaxing because of their rather vague quality. I enjoyed the connections the book made to the enjoyment nature and life but there were not a lot of cultural aspects to the book (besides the fact that it is bilingual).

 The language is very very simple and so I would use this book in early elementary classes. I think it could also be used in beginning Spanish classes as well to help students build vocabulary and learn the patterns of Spanish and compare its sentence structure with that of English. I would use it mostly in a group reading situation or in partner/individual reading activities in a beginning Spanish class. 

Title: Day of the Dead/El Dia de los Muertos

Author: Bob Barner

Illustrator: Teresa Mlawer

            This book is a very basic introduction to the Hispanic celebration of El Dia de los Muertos and is bilingual (English/Spanish). It talks about the food, music, traditions and reasons surrounding this celebration. It is an excellent way to start a discussion on cultural differences. I would recommend using this book for younger kids (early elementary) because even though the pictures are colorful, lively, and help with understanding the topics presented, the language is very simple. It might be too simple for more advanced readers.

            This book would be perfect for an elementary Spanish class read aloud. I think it could also lead to good discussions about different things that each student does around this time of year (October/November) since there is also Halloween. This book is appropriate for group reading or individual reading and could serve a multitude of purposes in different activities. From my somewhat limited knowledge of Hispanic cultures, this book is accurate. I also like how it has a more detailed explanation of the celebration in the back of the book. All in all, it is a valuable cultural resource! 

Show Way

Title: Show Way

Author: Jacqueline Woodson

Illustrator: Hudson Talbott

Pub. Year: 2005

The story Show Way is a wonderful book about how generations all from Soonie’s great grandmother survived being slaves and sewed quilts that had secret codes on them for other slaves to get to freedom. As Soonie grew up, even though she was free, she made quilts and wrote and read books and shares the stories with her own children. This story has some great historical accuracy about slaves and the secret quilts they made.

This would be a great story for intermediate students – I feel like it a little lengthy and too much history for primary aged children. But it would be good for children to listen to and understand generations of history and the illustrations really depict what went on in the time period that will help them learn the history of slavery. It would be neat to take this book and have children research their own family history and see how far back they can go to see where their family came from! 

Tallulah's Solo

Title: Tallulah’s Solo

Author: Marilyn Singer

Illustrator: Alexandra Boiger

Pub. Year: 2012

This very sweet and fun story about a sibling rivalry where Tallulah works very hard for a ballet solo and her younger brother, Beckett, who also takes ballet is casted as the lead instead. Tallulah gets very angry and distances herself from him. But after realizing that he took ballet because of her, she helps her brother prepare for his big solo. The illustrations throughout the book are beautiful and really portray the personalities of the characters.

While there is not a great deal of diversity within the book, this books message would be a great way to teach young students about helping each other in times where we do not always get what we want. Not only do we need help from friends, but sometimes we can gain confidence from knowing we can depend on our family for support too.