Uncle Peter's Amazing Chinese Wedding (Look)

                                        

Look, Lenore. Uncle Peter’s Amazing Chinese Wedding. Ill. by Yumi Heo. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2006. ISBN 9780689844584

PLOT SUMMARY
Jenny is a young girl in a very bad mood. Her favorite uncle, Uncle Peter, is getting married and she is afraid that she will no longer be his “special girl”. In an attempt to prevent the wedding, Jenny gets a little mischievous. Despite Jenny’s intentions, the wedding continues and even Jenny can’t help but get caught up in the fun. In the end, Jenny decides that Uncle Peter’s marriage is worth celebration.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Lenore Look has written a playful book about Jenny, a young Chinese-American girl, as she experiences her Uncle's wedding. Exquisite metaphor and rhythmical qualities make this book ideal for reading aloud. Cheerful sentences, like "I am the jelly on his toast, and the leaves in his tea" will make readers smile and will stick in their heads long after the story's conclusion.

Readers will experience and learn the meaning behind many Chinese wedding traditions, including a tea ceremony, the gifts of "hungbau" and gold jewelry for luck, and a bed-jumping ceremony for fertility. Special foods, such as "wedding soup" and "long-life noodles" are featured as an important part of the wedding. Readers will also learn about how these wedding traditions have changed over time. Although this book will provide an education for those unfamiliar with Chinese wedding traditions, it never becomes laborious. The focus of the story remains on Jenny and her emotional turmoil. In the end, readers will rejoice with Jenny as learns that she is no less loved and decides to join in on the fun.

Illustrations of oil, pencil and collage add whimsy and joy to the story while adding to the cultural identity of the text. The excitement of the wedding is perfectly captured, along with the sour, somber expressions of Jenny. When Uncle Peter drives to pick up his bride from her house, Jenny is shown sulking in the back seat of the car while everyone is wreathed in smiles. Throughout the story Chinese symbolism is displayed in the background. As Uncle Peter and Aunt Stella share their first kiss, symbols of luck like red cloths and pairs of birds float behind them.

The illustrations show diversity in appearances among family members and wedding attendees. A variety of hair textures, skin tones, and clothing styles are the perfect backdrop for a modern Chinese wedding in the United States. The groom's tuxedo stands in contrast to his bride's traditional red silk dress and many of the children's shorts and t-shirts.
　
REVIEW EXCERPTS
Booklist- “universal emotions about family and change”
Kirkus Reviews- “Children of any culture will accept with pleasure Look's invitation to witness this distinctive iteration of a universal life event.”
Publisher’s Weekly- “a standout because of its appealing narrator”
School Library Journal- “A delightful invitation to learn more about Chinese traditions.”

CONNECTIONS
Read other Look has written about Jenny.
Henry’s First-Moon Birthday. ISBN 9780689822940
Accompany Uncle Peter’s Amazing Chinese Wedding with a chapter book perfect for read alouds.
Lin, Grace. The Year of the Dog. ISBN 0316060003

Learn about weddings in other cultures through these picture books.
Ammon, Richard. An Amish Wedding. ISBN 9780439259408
Bunting, Eve. My Mom’s Wedding. ISBN 9781585362882
English, Karen. Nadia’s Hands. ISBN 9781590787847
Jackson, Ellen. Here Comes the Brides. ISBN 9780802784681
Soto, Gary. Snapshots From the Wedding. ISBN 9780698117525

Grandfather's Journey (Say)

                                          

Say, Allen. Grandfather’s Journey. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1993. ISBN 0395570352

PLOT SUMMARY
Allen Say expertly uses beautiful illustrations and thoughtful text to weave together a story based on his grandfather’s life. This biographical story begins with his grandfather’s journey from Japan to the United States as a young teenager and recounts his travels across the country. The story then follows his grandfather’s eventual return to Japan with a wife and daughter. As time goes on, Say gives the reader glimpses of his own time spent with his grandfather in Japan. In the end, Say seems destined to follow in his grandfather’s footsteps as he too sets off for the United States as a young man and truly comes to understand his grandfather’s constant longing to belong fully to both countries and cultures simultaneously.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Grandfather's Journey is a simple, unassuming story of a man who's heart belongs to two very different countries. Say manages to make a large impact with the combination of expressive, thoughtful illustrations and carefully chosen words.

There are surprising few words in the picture book dominated by intense artwork. Say's simple sentences carry intense emotion and multiple layers of meaning that may not be immediately recognizable to younger audiences. In the story, the bombing of Japan in World War II is eluded to. The resulting devastation of the bombing and the bombing’s impact on separating Say’s grandfather from the United States is all expressed in one sentence. Say expresses so much sorrow when he writes, "Bombs fell from the sky and scattered our lives like leaves in a storm." The story in not written in a traditional linear format, but instead works to convey the story of a man and family stuck between two cultures.

The book's Caldecott winning artwork is enchanting. Illustrations look like individual paintings, often juxtaposed across the page from each other in order to tell their own story. For example, at the beginning of the book a black and white portrait of Say's young grandfather in traditional Japanese dress is next to a full-color painting of his grandfather on a steamship, wearing much too large "European clothes". The grandfather's comfort in the first picture is contrasted by the second picture which expresses both the adventure and unfamiliarity. Besides the contrast in Western style clothing and traditional Japanese clothing, there is a large contrast between the landscapes of the United States and Japan. Each painting demonstrates the individuality of each person, culture, and country.

AWARDS
1994 Caldecott Winner

REVIEW EXCERPTS
Kirkus Reviews- “Lovely, quiet- with a tenderness and warmth”
Publisher’s Weekly- “a very personal tribute to his grandfather and a distillation of universally shared emotions”
School Library Journal- “Splendid, photoreal watercolors”

CONNECTIONS
Pair Granfather’s Journey with its natural continuation, the story of Say’s mother’s immigration to Japan.
Say. Allen. Tea with Milk. ISBN 9780547237473

Study the role of illustrator and author, with a specific focus on Allen Say. Some of the following books will provide specific insight into Say’s own work and life and other books will delve into the world of artists, authors, storytellers, and illustrators everywhere.
Say. Allen. Drawing From Memory. ISBN 9780545176866
Say. Allen. Emma’s Rug. ISBN 9780618335237
Say. Allen. The Ink-Keeper’s Apprentice. ISBN 9780756968113
Say. Allen. Kamishibai Man. ISBN 9780618479542
Say. Allen. The Sign Painter. ISBN 9780395979747

Pair with another story of immigration, told through graphic novel.
Tan, Shuan. The Arrival. ISBN 9780439895293

Read a few books about immigrant experience of other Asian-American cultures through these books.
Korean: Choi, Yangsook. The Name Jar. ISBN 9780440417996
Vietnamese: Lai, Thanhha. Inside Out and Back Again. ISBN 9780061962783

The Year of the Dog (Lin)

Lin, Grace. The Year of the Dog. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2006. ISBN 0316060003

PLOT SUMMARY
Pacy is happy to have two names, her Chinese name and her American name. It isn't always easy for her to know who she is when she is one of the only Chinese-American kids at her school. To make matters more confusing, Pacy thinks she might be Taiwanese-American too, if she can figure out the difference! Pacy decides to make the most of the Year of the Dog by getting “rich”, discovering herself, and deciding what she wants to do when she grows up. It seems like a lot to do in just one year, but the lunar calendar has put luck on Pacy's side.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS
The Year of the Dog is a playful look at a year in the life of an average American girl. The events in the story are all loosely based on the author's own experiences growing up Taiwanese-American in a predominately Caucasian community. The result is a very realistic look at identity amongst first generation Americans and the resulting blend of cultures. Pacy is unhappy when she can't find any realistic books about Chinese or Chinese-Americans in the library. She becomes even more distressed when she is told she wouldn't make a good Dorothy in the school play because she is Chinese, and later is told that she is too Americanized and is more like a “twinky” than a real Taiwanese girl. It takes some careful introspection, and a little help from Mom, for Pacy to accept herself as "neither and both" Chinese and American.

Lin uses Pacy's addition of American M&Ms to the traditional tray of Chinese taffy melon candy at Chinese New Years to symbolize this blending of cultural identity. Both traditional Chinese and American celebrations, such as a Red Egg party to celebrate the birth of Pacy's cousin and Thanksgiving, are important highlights of Pacy's year. Taiwanese and Chinese words and writing are used sporadically and translated throughout the English text, again blending two cultures.

Lin uses delightful imagery throughout the novel, giving significance to Pacy's cultural heritage and helping those unfamiliar with Chinese and Taiwanese traditions and culture to visualize and fully participate in the story. When Pacy decides to enter a writing contest at school she decides to write about herself and her mother's ugly Chinese vegetables- including the ones that look like "warty frogs" and "purple sausages" and cook together to make her favorite soup- one that is like "swallowing a nice warm hug after being in the cold." Later, when Pacy won her first award for the same book she describes the experience as "creamy chocolate in my mouth, a warm feeling melt[ing] through me." Simple sketches also accentuate the text and elaborate on the story. For example, a drawing further details Pacy's dad's careless attitude toward's Christmas and tree decorating. Short stories told by Pacy's mom are added throughout the story as humorous looks at her mother's life that teach Pacy about her cultural background and the experiences of immigration.

The Year of the Dog is a fun novel that is perfect for reading aloud. It is a humorous novel that will produce elicit rounds of laughter while being completely relatable. It is both familiar and exciting to a cultural outsider- filled with both the universal experiences of childhood and the unique experiences of Taiwanese-Americans.

AWARDS
2006 Asian Pacific American Librarian Association Honor
2007-2008 Texas Bluebonnet Award

REVIEW EXCERPTS
Booklist: “something new for today's young readers”
Kirkus Reviews: “This comfortable first-person story will be a treat”
Publisher’s Weekly: “an autobiographical tale of an Asian-American girl's sweet and funny insights on family, identity and friendship”
School Library Journal: “A lighthearted coming-of-age novel with a cultural twist.”

CONNECTIONS
Visit the author’s website, GraceLin.com, for book trailers, recipes featured in books, author history, coloring pages, and other activities to accompany this book.

Read the other novels written about Pacy.
Lin, Grace. The Year of Rat. ISBN 9780316033619
Lin, Grace. Dumpling Days. ISBN 9780316125901

Readers who enjoyed The Year of The Dog may also enjoy reading:

Yee, Lisa. Good Luck, Ivy! ISBN 9781593693565

Jingle Dancer (Smith)

Smith, Cynthia Leitich. Jingle Dancer. Ill. by Cornelius Van Wright and Ying-Hwa Hu. New York: Morrow Junior Books, 2000. ISBN 0688162428

PLOT SUMMARY

A young girl name Jenna longs to participate in the jingle dance at an upcoming powwow, but does not have the tin jingles needed for her dress. Inspired by the traditional Muscogee Creek story told to her by her Great-aunt Sis, Jenna does not lose hope and sets out to collect the necessary four rows of jingles. Slowly, she respectfully asks to borrow just a few jingles from each of the strong women in her life. With the help of others, Jenna is able to “bounce-step” in the place of women who are unable to participate and merrily joins the jingle dancers!

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Jingle Dancers is a modern day story of a girl belonging to the Muscogee and Ojibway nations. The illustrations depict mainstream, suburban life. Jenna wears jeans and t-shirts, lives in a suburban home, and watches television. She also eats honey on her fry bread, listens to Muscogee stories, attends powwows with her family, and dreams of being a jingle dancer just like her grandmother! Jenna watches videos of her grandmother dancing and practices her “bounce-steps” as she dreams of wearing the special garment filled with rows of “singing” jingles. Throughout her journey to collect enough jingles, Jenna continues to demonstrate how many American Indians hold on to traditions from the past but live in the present. and 

Cynthia Leitich Smith carefully uses language throughout the story to invoke images of American Indian stories and traditional powwow sounds. For example, as Jenna moves from house to house collecting jingles, the time of day is announced through phrases such as when “Sun caught a glimpse of Moon” and “as Sun arrived at midcircle.” Important sensory language helps place readers in Jenna’s world and continually emphasizes the importance of the number four when her heart beats in rhythm with the powwow drums, “brum, brum, brum, brum” and the jingles on the dresses sing “tink, tink, tink, tink.” Author’s notes and a glossary help the reader further understand the importance of jingle dancing and the symbol of four in many American Indian cultures.

Illustrations play an important part in helping readers step into Jenna’s story.  Watercolors relay the warmth and sincerity in Jenna’s relationships with her grandmother, cousin, great-aunt, and friend. Varying skin tones, hair styles, and clothing choices show the individuality and diversity of members in the Muscogee and Ojibway nations. They also interweave elements of western design and clothing with accurate accents from Jenna’s heritage. Beautiful regalia worn by Jenna and her fellow dancers in the ending pages are accurate, as carefully explained by Smith in the author’s note. 

REVIEW EXCERPTS

Booklist: “The colorful, well-executed watercolor illustrations lend warmth to the story.”

Kirkus Reviews: “A useful portrayal of an important cultural event in a Creek girl's year.”

School Library Journal: “will give some readers a new view of a contemporary Native American way of life”

CONNECTIONS

Read about Shannon, a real modern day Ojibway dancer.

King, Sandra. Shannon: An Ojibway Dancer. ISBN 9780822596431

Learn more about Powwows with this introductory book.

Boyden, Linda. Powwow’s Coming. ISBN: 9780826342652

Read about other traditional dances found in a variety of American Indian cultures. 

Denny, Elizabeth. Jenneli’s Dance. ISBN: 9781894778619

Savage, Leah. Niimiwin: Everyone Dance. ISBN: 9780982087060

The Birchbark House (Erdrich)

Erdrich, Louise. The Birchbark House. New York: Hyperion Books for Children, 1999. ISBN 780786814541

PLOT SUMMARY

The Birchbark House is a thoughtful depiction of Omakayas as she goes through a pivotal year in her young life. Set in 1847, Omakayas is an eight year-old girl of the Ojibwa. The reader follows her through the four seasons as her family creates a birchbark house by the lake, prepares for the coming winter, moves into their winter home in town and suffer through hunger and sickness. Finally the book concludes with Omakayas finding spiritual and physical healing.  

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

The Birchbark House is the beautiful story of Omakayas, a strong spirited child who deals with typical childhood woes. Her older sister does not pay her enough attention, her younger brother is annoying, and she hates her chores. However typical as this may seem, Omakayas is far from average. She has a special gift: she can converse with a bear, her spirit guide! 

Through the course of the story, Omakayas and her family experience the effects of white settlers moving west. She learns first hand of the devastation and death brought through English settlers as her family contracts “the scratching disease” or smallpox. 

Through the course of a year, Omakayas experiences great loss, learns of her terrifying past, and comes to understand her future. With the help of the strong women in her life, Omakayas learns to quietly listen as “dizzy spells” pass over her. She comes to understand that when she listens closely she is able to gain information from her spirit guides that will eventually assist her in healing others.

Through Omakayas, Erdrich is able to weave together a picture of what daily life was like for the American Indian Ojibwa people in the 1847. Edrich explains that she uses information found in her search for information about her own heritage to give vivid descriptions of Omakaya’s life. The reader learns through Omakayas of the tedious tasks of scraping hides to create the materials necessary for “makazins” and of drying berries to flavor winter soups. The reader also experiences with Omakayas traditional Ojibwa stories as they are orally passed to her from her father “Deydey” and her grandmother “Nokomis.”

Edrich incorporates poetic Ojibwa speech patterns and language throughout the novel. For example, when Omakayas’ grandmother retells the story of how their island came to be she explains how “Nanabozho blew on Muskrat until he came back to life” and eventually how these actions led to “this earth we are on today.” Words belonging to the Ojibwa language are often defined through the story’s context, but are always included in the glossary and pronunciation guide at the story’s conclusion. By flipping to the glossary, readers can learn that Nanabozho of grandmother’s story is a “great teacher of the Ojibwas.” 

Erdrich has also included small black and white sketches at the beginning of each chapter and periodically throughout the text. Younger readers will find the illustrations helpful in visualizing unfamiliar scenes. For example, the image of Omakayas scraping a hide with a new tool given to her by her father will help reader’s understanding of the laborious process. Another image demonstrates Omakayas’s sister’s new outfit sewn by their mother, while other illustrations show the variety of clothing styles and appearances of her father and his friends. All of these images provide critical additional information to the reader as they may be reading of unfamiliar settings, clothing styles, and ways of life.

REVIEW EXCERPTS

Publisher’s Weekly: “Against the backdrop of Ojibwa cultural traditions, Omakayas also conveys the universal experiences of childhood.”

School Library Journal: “deftly drawn characters, relationships that ring true, and fascinating details about the daily life of the Ojibwa”

Kirkus Reviews: “a novel that is by turns charming, suspenseful, and funny, and always bursting with life.”

CONNECTIONS

Continue reading books in Erdrich’s Birchbark House series:

Erdrich, Louise. The Game of Silence. ISBN 9780064410298

Erdrich, Louise. The Porcupine Year. ISBN 9780064410304

Erdrich, Louise. Chickadee. ISBN 9780060577902

Learn about modern members of the Ojibwa people by reading these books:

Bial, Raymond. The Ojibwe. ISBN 9780761408635

King, Sandra. Shannon: An Ojibway Dancer. ISBN 9780822596431

Learn more about the legends of Nanabosho by reading books by Joseph McLellan, available through Oyate.com. 

McLellan, Joseph. Nanabosho and the Woodpecker. Ill. by Rhian Brynjolson. 1989.

McLellan, Joseph. Nanabosho: How the Turtle Got Its Shell. Ill. by Rhian Brynjolson. 1989.

McLellan, Joseph. Nanabosho, Soaring Eagle, and the Great Sturgeon. Ill. by Rhian Brynjolson. 1994.

Learn facts about the Ojibwa people at this website:

American Indians for Children. “Ojibway Fact Sheet.” http://www.bigorrin.org/chippewa_kids.htm 

Code Talker (Bruchac)

Bruchac, Joseph. Code Talker: A Novel About the Navajo Marines of World War Two. New York: Dial Books, 2005. ISBN 0803729219

PLOT SUMMARY

Ned Begay is just a young child when he is sent away from his family and Navajo reservation in order to attend a boarding school. There he is expected to learn the ways of white men in order to protect his people and reassure others that the Navajo will “always be friends of the United States.” While at boarding school, Ned faces harsh prejudice, but still manages to excel in his studies. Once World War II begins, however, Ned begins a new journey. He joins the marines and enters the war where his Navajo customs and language are no longer ridiculed, but praised and much needed. This historical novel uses the fictitious character, Ned Begay, to tell the story of how courageous Navajo marines fought for the United States while staying true to the traditions and values of the Navajo.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

In Code Talker, Ned Begay orally narrates his story with the reader. He brings the reader into his life, referring to the reader as one of the “grandchildren” and often reminding the reader of what and how “we Navajo” see and do things. The tale provides vivid, sometimes brutal, but always accurate descriptions of his life and World War II. When he is first sent to boarding school he describes having his hair cut off as feeling “naked and ashamed.” Later, he describes the experience of war and is honest about how some struggled with coping. Begay explains how “war is a sickness that must be cured” and “is a time out of balance.” 

Many Navajo traditions are introduced through the natural course of the story, such as placing pollen on one’s tongue in the mornings and Blessingway Ceremonies. The meshing of Catholic and traditional Navajo religious beliefs are explored by Ned Begay, as are differences in experiences for Navajo during Ned Begay’s youth and for the Navajo youth of today. 

The complex and beautiful Navajo language is presented throughout the novel. Ned Begay recounts the harsh punishments by his teachers for speaking in Navajo. Later, Ned explores the joy, healing, and pride that slowly returns to him as he is encouraged and praised for using his primary language in order to pass secret codes through the American armed forces. The reader learns how not everything can be directly translated from English into Navajo and vice versa. The reader also learns how Navajo is a complex language, and how Navajo men and women from different regions have different dialects, making the work of code talkers even more difficult. As Ned Begay narrates he provides translations for words like “Nihima” (our mother) and “Na’ats’oosi” (mouse) without ever patronizing the reader.

Code Talker is a fictional, war time book that provides factual history on the contributions of Navajo marines in World War Two and on Navajo culture while entertaining readers with its captivating storytelling.

REVIEW EXCERPTS

Booklist: “Readers who choose the book for the attraction of Navajo code talking and the heat of battle will come away with more than they ever expected to find.”

Kirkus Reviews: “With its multicultural themes and well-told WWII history, this will appeal to a wide audience.”

School Library Journal: “Bruchac's tale is quietly inspiring.”

CONNECTIONS

Learn more about Navajo Code Talkers through a collection of photography.

Kawano, Kenji. Warriors: Navajo Code Talkers. ISBN 9780873585132

Learn about World War II through the eyes of Japenese Americans.

Mochizuki, Ken. Baseball Saved Us. ISBN 9781880000199

Uchida, Yoshiko. The Bracelet. ISBN 9780698113909

Read other books for young adults written by Joseph Bruchac.

Bruchac, Joseph. Hidden Roots. ISBN 9780557711680

Bruchac, Joseph. The Heart of a Chief. ISBN 9780141312361

Bruchac, Joseph. Skeleton Man. ISBN 9780064408882

Bruchac, Joseph. The Return of Skeleton Man. ISBN 9780060580926