Week 7-Books of information!

    Hello again, readers! For this week’s assignment, I am reflecting upon books of information for young readers. Lets begin!

 Yang, Kelly, et al. Yes We Will: Asian Americans Who Shaped This Country. Dial Books For Young Readers, 2022. 

    ISBN 978-0-593-46305-5

    For my first selection, I have chosen Yes We Will: Asian Americans Who Shaped This Country by Kelly Yang, illustrated by Nabi H. Ali et al., and published in 2022 through Dial Books For Young Readers. As described within her author bio in the back of the book jacket, Yang is an Asian American New York Times bestselling author who has won multiple esteemed awards such as 2019 APALA Award for Children’s Literature, the Parents’ Choice Gold Metal, amongst having her work published on various bestselling lists (Yang, 2022) Yes We Will is a wonderful children’s picture book which introduces young readers to the history, hardships, creations and achievements of Asian American people in our nation. Yang, through her book, gives a spotlight to not only the cruel oppression and challenges faced by Asian American communities in the United States’ history, but she also highlights the incredible dreams and achievements made a reality by Asian American creators as well. Yang’s book is written from the perspective of an Asian American author, sharing love and pride in her Asian American heritage with readers of different age groups, but showing Asian American children in particular through diverse examples, that Asian American people can accomplish any dream or goal that is in their heart. 

    The book uses concise language with short, one-to-two lines on each page, but contains powerful messages about famous Asian Americans who have shaped history within its text combined with gorgeous illustrations by a different artist on every page, sure to captivate readers of all ages. Yang’s book takes a broad view of Asian American history, being an introduction for child readers, with footnotes along the bottom of the pages with information about different eras of Asian American history, historical figures and accomplished celebrities of Asian American heritage, with credit given to the respective artist of each book page. The book does not follow a strict chronological order, highlighting significant historical moments, and spotlighting Asian American creators from different time periods throughout the book, from the 1800s to modern day. The author’s note features historical framework as well as information regarding the Asian American creators and historical figures within the previous pages for readers who want to learn more. Illustrations vary in style due to the variety of artists, also of Asian descent, with greys or darker earth tones used for historical hardships in Asian American history, while pastels and warm colors are used for illustrations depicting the love, dreams and incredible accomplishments of the Asian American people within the book. The concise text combined with the stunning illustrations tell not only the dark side of Asian American history, but ensures to highlight the joy, pride and determination of the Asian American community to young readers as well.

Stewart, Melissa, and Sarah S. Brannen. Summertime Sleepers: Animals That Estivate. Charlesbridge, 2021. 

    ISBN 978-1-58089-716-7

    My second selection is Summertime Sleepers: Animals That Estivate by Melissa Stewart, illustrated by Sarah S. Brannen, and published in 2021 through Charlesbridge. Summertime Sleepers is book which introduces the concept of estivation, or summertime animal hibernation, to early elementary-aged readers. Stewart is well informed to be writing on the subject of estivation, as the according to her book’s author bio, she holds degrees in both biology and science journalism, along with having written over 180 books for children, and living in Massachusetts, a state known for hibernating animals (Stewart, 2021). Whereas estivation will likely be an unfamiliar concept for many young children before reading, the book is easy to read and follow, with a narrow focus for child readers, as the author arranges the information in order of enumeration, connecting and comparing the different ways in which animals sleep, whether in groups, alone and how their hibernating arrangements differ based on the varying environments in which the animals call home. Stewart in her own words, utilizes a “soft, cozy, lyrical voice” for her story narrative, balanced with Brannen’s soft illustrations filled with light, calming earth tones, they combined to create a relaxing design throughout the book, reflective of the book’s subject matter. The softness of the narrative voice, writing and illustrations help keep the format of the book easy to follow for young children, explaining new concepts with a narrow focus, ensuring to talk at the level of the child readers without overcomplicating the subject nor simplifying it too much in the process.  

Maillard, Noble, and Juana Martinez-Neal. Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story. Roaring Brook Press, 2019. 

ISBN 978-162672-746-5

   For my third selection, I have chosen Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story, written by Kevin Noble Maillard, illustrated by Juana Martinez-Neal, and published in 2019 through Roaring Brooks Press. This is a beautiful story which depicts a Native American family, young children and their Nana, preparing the titular fry bread together, but the story is much more than simply about the act of baking. As poetic and power words described within the dust jacket of the book state, “Fry bread is food. Fry bread is time. Fry bread is nation. Fry bread is us” (Maillard, 2019). The story narrative uses concise, but moving language with a narrow focus for children, acting as an introduction for young readers to fry bread as a cultural dish amongst Native American communities, describing to children audience the not only a vivid image of the texture, shape, flavor and joy the baking or eating of fry bread can bring people, but empathizes the different unique variations of fry bread as different tribes, families and individuals each have their own special approach and connection to the food as a tradition passed down through generations and shared across indigenous nations. Martinez-Neal's lovely pencil-sketch cartoon illustrations in warm colors highlights the love shared between the family in the book, the warm of their relationships, pride in the traditions of their heritage and the same joy that both the older and younger generations find in the activity of baking fry bread, all shine through on each page of the book. Within the back of the book, author Maillard shares with the readers his own recipe for fry bread, in addition to the author notes containing more historical and cultural framework that older children and adults can read to learn more about the importance of fry bread within different Native American nations.

Weatherford, Carole Boston, and Floyd Cooper. 

    Unspeakable: The Tulsa Race Massacre. 

    Carolrhoda Books, 2021. 

     ISBN 978-1-5415-8120-3

 

    For my fourth selection, I have chosen Unspeakable: The Tulsa Race Massacre by Carole Boston Weatherford, illustrated by Floyd Cooper, and published in 2021 through Carolrhoda Books. Weatherford is a highly esteemed author, having won a Newbery Honor, as well as being a Sibert Honor winner and two-time recipient of the NAACP Image Award (Weatherford, 2021). Weatherford’s passionate, powerful writing and Cooper’s stunning, empathetic illustrations complement each other in order to educate children about the horrors of the titular Tulsa Race Massacre, “helping readers young readers understand the events of the past so we can move toward a better future for all” (Weatherford, 2021). Weatherford’s sentences are fairly short, being two-to-four lines on each page, with Cooper’s illustrations filling the spaces of the page with highly detailed drawings of the African American community of Greenwood during the early 20th century. Weatherford’s writing and Cooper’s illustrations has a narrow focus in a narrative story, empathizing the emotions, both positive and negative, of the Greenwood African American people, underling their history as a thriving community with families, businesses, love, dreams and lives, that were horrifically burnt down by truly cruel, racist mobs. Weatherford does not talk down nor sugarcoat the tragic events of the massacre to young readers, but uses the opportunity to educate children about this tragic historical event through honest, concise language, combined with somber, impactful illustrations by Cooper. The book ends on a hopeful note, reminding readers of the responsibility of rejecting hatred and violence, to not ignore the tragic context of history and the importance of working toward a brighter, better future for everyone (Weatherford, 2021).

Reading Responses - Week 6 - Poetry

 Hello again! For this week’s assignment, I will be reflecting upon and giving an evaluation of four different books of poetry, I hope you enjoy reading!

    Brooks, Gwendolyn, and Ronni Solbert. 

    Bronzeville Boys and Girls. Harper & Row, Publishers, 1956.

    Library of Congress catalog card number: 56-8152

     For my first book selection, I have chosen Bronzeville Boys and Girls by Gwendolyn Brooks, pictures by Ronni Solbert, through Harper & Row, Publishers. The scope of this collection is composed of thirty-four poems, each reflecting a range of emotions experienced of childhood. A table of contents helps readers to find specific poems, and while the poems are connected through the theme of childhood emotions, they are not organized beyond being captured moments of growing up in the titular Chicago neighborhood. Published in 1956 and set within the Bronzeville neighborhood of Chicago, the author draws upon her childhood home of Bronzeville, Chicago, IL., for inspiration in her collection; although the context is within a specific framework and time period, Brook’s poetry speaks to universal, everyday childhood experiences and emotions of joy, hope, fear and sadness that are a part of growing up, no matter the era or location. Within the structures of the poems, there is variation in the meter of the poem, with some poems being only four lines, while other poems instead fill their pages with several lines. Consonance rhymes and meter are utilized by Brooks to capture the emotions within her poetry, whether she is trying to convey feelings of calmness, joy, fear or sadness in each poem (Horning, pg. 70).   

    The purpose of the poetry collection is to be a celebration of Brooks’ own childhood, specifically speaking from perspective of an African American woman’s experience growing up in the mid-century, as well as a dedication to the strong emotions experienced during childhood, both the positive and negative aspects, as a whole.  As described within the book jacket introduction, “The poems are set in Chicago, but their locale be any one of the crowded, teeming cities of America” (Brooks). The collection is intended for a children audience, and while the language may be somewhat outdated by today’s standards, an aspect of the book modern children may have some trouble following along with, ultimately, modern audiences can still relate to the feelings described within the page, such as the joys as child hosting a pretend tea party such as in Mexie and Birdie, the wonder found in snow days as written in the poem, Cynthia in the Snow, or experiencing the confusion which comes with growing up and not recognizing oneself in mirror day, such as in Robert, Who is Often a Stranger to Himself. Solbert’s black and white sketches may not be particularly eye-catching to young, modern readers, but the illustrations accompany Brooks’ poems well, highlighting the moments of childhood and the emotions of the poem within each section of the collection.  

 

    Ada, Alma Flor, et al. Yes! We Are Latinos: Poems and Prose about the Latino Experience.     Charlesbridge, 2016.

     ISBN 978-1-58089-549-1

     My second selection is Yes! We Are Latinos: Poems and Prose About the Latino Experience by Alma Flor Ada and F. Isabel Campoy, pictures by David Diaz, published through Charlesbridge. This a wonderful collection of poems and essays capture the experience of being Latino and Latinia across America, highlighting the great variety of cultures, heritage and different languages that that part of countless Latin-Americans’ backgrounds. The purpose of co-authors Campoy and Ada’s collection is to explore the significant diversity that is to be found in the Latin-American experience, underling that there is no “right” way to be Latin-American, nor is Latin-American heritage homogeneous, but is instead a diverse tapestry spread across different countries and communities.

    The narratives of the poems are fictional, but they still are reflective of the real emotions and experiences of Latino people across America, with poems being accompanied by author notes which discuss the historical background and context for different Latino cultures throughout the book, along with beautiful black and white illustrations by Diaz capture the emotions and prose of the poetry while highlighting the art styles of Latin origins. Each poem varies in length, depending on the feeling the meter intends to invoke in the reader or the description of the Latino or Latina experience, whether the poem is meant to invoke contemplation about one’s own heritage and place in the world, or kept in short lines in order to stress the intensity of the narrator’s emotions. In addition to the poetry and information author notes between each section, the book also includes a tale of contents to help readers find a particular poem or informative entries, the back of the book includes acknowledgements where the authors thank everyone has helped inspire their work, s bibliography for teachers and parents to browse, and pages dedicated to further resources for readers of different age groups. The audience seems intended for older elementary, middle and high school children, specifically of Latino and Latinia American heritage, who may be having questions or become more reflective about their cultural background as they grow up, however, as the authors state within their book dedication “To all children, la Esperanza del mundo, the hope of the world” (Ada and Campoy, 2013).

     Harjo, Joy, and Michaela Goade. Remember. 

    Random House Studio, 2023. ISBN 978-0-593-48484-5

    My third selection, Remember by Joy Harjo, with illustrations by Michaela Goade, published through Random House Studio, is an adaptation of a singular poem told throughout the thirty-page book. The purpose of the book is intended by author Harjo for her audience of young readers to read her poem, pause and reflect on their own sense of self, their place in the world and to contemplate on how all people, all life, on Earth are connected together. Harjo incorporates imagery connected to her Mvskoke Nation heritage into the book, reflected in both her text and Goade’s breathtaking illustrations which accommodate Harjo’s moving words on each page. Harjo’s poem is told through two-to-four lines per pages, the meter of the poem to draw the readers’ attention to meaning and impact of the poet’s words, with the gorgeous warm red and cooling blues of the painted illustrations working in tandem to truly convey Harjo’s message behind the poem of her audience stopping to reflect upon the beauty of life and human connection.

 

     Mak, Kam. My Chinatown: One Year in Poems. Harpercollins Publishers, 2002. 

    ISBN 0-06-029191-5

    My fourth selection is My Chinatown: One Year in Poems by Kam Mak, published through HarperCollins Publishers. Written and illustrated by Mak, his collection is composed of fifteen poems. Written in free verse and organized into a narrative of a young boy who moves with his family from Hong Kong to Chinatown in New York, told over the course of a year, beginning and ending on the Chinese New Year. The poems on each convey the boy’s journey, his feelings of homesickness and dislike of the differences in America, slowing beginning to enjoy his new community until reconciling both Hong Kong and Chinatown as being home to him in the New Year. Illustrated with gorgeous, realistic paintings which mimic the impression of real-life photographs, the readers are able to immerse themselves into the poems’ narrative, accompanying Mak’s verses, helping readers to empathize with the narrator’s homesickness for Hong Kong transform into love his new home and community in Chinatown. The audience of the book is intended for elementary-aged children, but the story of the poem collection can resonate with readers of all ages, anyone who was experienced moving, significant change, homesickness or grown up belonging to more than one culture.

 

 

 

 

                                            Works cited

    Ada, Alma Flor, et al. Yes! We Are Latinos: Poems and Prose about the Latino Experience.     Charlesbridge, 2016.

     ISBN 978-1-58089-549-1

    Brooks, Gwendolyn, and Ronni Solbert. Bronzeville Boys and Girls. Harper & Row, Publishers, 1956.

    Library of Congress catalog card number: 56-8152

    Harjo, Joy, and Michaela Goade. Remember. Random House Studio, 2023. ISBN 978-0-593-48484-5

    Horning, Kathleen T. From Cover to Cover: Evaluating and Reviewing Children’s Books. Revised ed., Collins, 2010. 

    ISBN 978-0-06-077756-2

    Mak, Kam. My Chinatown: One Year in Poems. Harpercollins Publishers, 2002. 

    ISBN 0-06-029191-5

 

Reading Response Week 5 - Traditional Literature!

   Hello again, Professor Huggins and classmates! It's Lizzy Prain! For this week’s assignment, I post my reading responses for Week 5, in which we review traditional literature, otherwise known as recorded fairytales, folklore, myths and legends in print which had previously been passed down through oral storytelling. Let’s begin, shall we?

 Campoy, F. Isabel, et al. Tales Our Abuelitas Told: A Hispanic Folktale Collection.

    Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2006. 

    ISBN 978-0-689-82583-5

   For my first selection from the syllabus reading list, I chose a fascinating, informative and heartwarming book, Tales Our Abuelitas Told: A Hispanic Folktale Collection by F. Isabel Campoy and Alma Flor Ada, illustrated by Felipe Davalos, Vivi Escriva, Susan Guevara, and Leyla Torres, published in 2006 through Atheneum Books for Young Readers. Campoy and Ada’s book is a collection of twelve folktales of Hispanic cultural origin, primarily from Spain, but also incorporating influences in its stories and histories from other nations and continents, across European, African, Arabian, Jewish, indigenous American cultures as well. The collection includes “Welcome” and “About” pages after each folktale, in which the co-authors provide perspective, historical context, and cultural background to each of the chosen stories, in addition to providing readers with Spanish translations. Within the welcome chapter, it is stated that “The stories in this book form a mosaic of different shapes, colors, and designs” (Campoy and Ada, pg. 1). A fitting description as the collection is composed of stories from not a singular source, but a wide variety in a rich tapestry that reflects the diversity of Hispanic heritage, cultures and individual experiences.

    I found that the purpose of the collection by the co-authors was intended to be the sharing of their favorite stories told to them by their abuelitas when they were children with new generations. Their audience intended to be young children, working as an introduction to different variations in Hispanic folklore and history, but I see no reason why the collection cannot be enjoyed by older readers in addition, especially those looking to be educated about traditional Hispanic folklore and its roots in a historical context. The co-authors provide both enthralling entertainment in their narration as different forms of traditional folklore such as fairytales, pourquoi and beast stories, interweaved throughout the collection, alongside stunning, colorful illustrations in warm colors and vibrant tones in each story which frame a key element of the folklore and its respective in question. In the chapter “About” sections at the end of each story, the authors provide readers with context for the stories’ sources, their meaning in the framework of Hispanic heritage and the context in different cultural histories, in addition to highlighting the different variations in the stories and which countries certain folklore are more popular than others. In terms of the book’s style of narration, the authors captured the experience of oral storytelling through their text, sprinkling humor and a genuine sense of love for the memories of their abuelitas’ stories throughout the collection. Whereas each story can be read individually and are not necessarily connected as sequels in a series would be, they still connect to portraying the diversity of Hispanic cultures and communities around the world, with the intention of helping readers gain an appreciation for cultural influences, historical framework and variety of individuals whose voices and experiences have shaped the variations of folklore adapted for Compoy and Ada’s collection from their childhoods listening to their abuelitias’ stories. 

    Hamilton, Virginia, et al. 

    The People Who Could Fly: American Black Folktales.

    Alfred A. Knopf, an Imprint of Random House, Inc, 1985. 

    ISBN 9878-0-394-86925-4

    For my second selection this week, I have chosen The People Who Could Fly: American Black Folktales, told by Virginia Hamilton, illustrated by Leo and Diane Dillton, published in 1985 through the Random House, Inc. The purpose of The People Who Could Fly as a collection of twenty-four stories is described within Hamilton’s introductory section of the book as a preservation in printed word of the oral folklore which were passed down from Black slaves throughout generations, preserving their experiences and history through storytelling. Within the collection, the author gives historical context and stresses the cultural significant of the stories as they were crafted based on the environments and experiences of the African American people who faced cruel oppression through the history of our nation, the stories not being only tales for entertainment, but historical records which reflect the hopes, sorrows, angry and creativity of countless individuals. These stories within the collection are as much a celebration of the African American people, their creative voices, expression of self, strength and triumphs in the face of sheer oppression and cruelty as much the stories are reminder of the unfathomable cruelties within North American history. As author Hamilton describes within her introduction “These tales were created out of sorrow. But the hearts and minds of the black people who formed them, and passed them on to us were full of love and hope. We must look on the tales as a celebration of the human spirit” (Hamilton, pg. xii).

    Within the collection, Hamilton provides both a bibliography at the end of her text, filled with sources to other books and alternative variations of the stories she has shared throughout the pages. Additionally, Hamiliton provides origins for the folklore, alongside historical education and cultural context at end of each story. The author goes further by organizing the different folklore into four main sections, each based on a different aspect of black history and storytelling, as well as preserved style of narrative in her writing, utilizing a colloquial language or dialect, depending on the context of a given story as she unveils to the readers the framework of each folklore. Throughout the collection, beautiful illustrations created by the Dillons provide not only companion elements to the text, but convey a wide range of emotions, fear, joy, sorrow and wonder throughout the pages in striking black, white and gray imagery depicting the diversity in stories and experiences of the African American people. Hamilton’s collection can read and enjoyed by child and adult readers alike. Although the historical significance may go over the heads of the younger readers, and adult readers may enjoy the collection more due to understanding of the societal framework, I feel the hope, strength and creativity of the African American people in history expressed within the pages can enthrall readers across all age groups.  

 

                                           Works cited

    Campoy, F. Isabel, et al. Tales Our Abuelitas Told: A Hispanic Folktale Collection.

    Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2006. 

    ISBN 978-0-689-82583-5

    Hamilton, Virginia, et al. 

    The People Who Could Fly: American Black Folktales.

    Alfred A. Knopf, an Imprint of Random House, Inc, 1985. 

    ISBN 9878-0-394-86925-4

 

Reading Response 2 -Picture Books!

    Hello again, readers! For this week, I am posting my reading responses to the second half of the Picture Book assignment for my class, LIS 721 01 Material for Children. Each of the five books below that I evaluate have been selected from the five columns within the syllabus’ require reading list. I hope you enjoy!

    Perkins, Mitali, and Sara Palacios. 

    Between Us and Abuela: A Family Story from the Border. 

   Farrar Straus Giroux, 2023. ISBN 978-0-374-30373-0

 

    Within my first selection of children’s picture books is Between Us and Abuela: A Family Story from the Border, by Mitali Perkins and illustrated by Sara Palacios, published by Farrar Straus Giroux. This book is told in first-person narrative from the perspective of Maria, a young Mexican-American girl, as she, her little brother, Juan and their mama travel to the U.S.-Mexico border in order to spend La Posada Sin Fronteras with their abuela, who they are visiting for the first time in five years. This is a beautiful story about familial love, creativity, and perseverance in the face of hardships, while balancing a difficult theme of being separated from loved ones during the holidays, all told through the lens of a young girl’s point of view. The words and illustrations on each page reflect a spectrum of emotions ranging from fear, confusion and sadness at the unfair situation, but ultimately, feelings of hope, joy and love, as Maria goes on a quest to deliver a present to her abuela, despite the fence separating them across neighboring nations.

    This picture book uses soft textures with geometric shapes and warm colors of red, orange and yellow to invoke the feelings of familial love that Maia, her mother, brother and abuela all share for one another. The picture book depicts the warm of yellow sand contrasted with the cool blues of the ocean on multiple pages, while creating lovely scenery, the large grandness of the beach depicted in the illustrations underline how distant Maria and Juan feel from their abuela in Mexico, even if they are physically close by on the other side of the wall. The illustrations and the artist’s choice of colors, go a long way to express the sadness of the family’s separation and brief visit together, but also convey Maria’s ingenuity and love for her abuela as well. The picture book avoids stereotypes as it tells the story from Maria’s perspective as border policies and politics regarding immigration into North America have negatively affected her ability to visit with family in Mexico. This is a story I would be willing to share with people of all ages and backgrounds, as  it is a story about realistic issues regarding modern immigration policies, told from the perspective of a child protagonist is directly being impacted by said polices, and is ultimately a story about unbreakable bonds of love for family, no matter how close or far apart they might be, with a belief in basic human kindness as people on both sides of the U.S. and Mexican border help Maria bring her present to abuela.  

    Le, Minh, and Dan Santat. Drawn Together. Disney-Hyperion, 2018.

     ISBN 978-148476760-3

    In my second picture book selection, I have chosen Drawn Together, written by Minh Le, illustrated by Dan Santat and published by Disney-Hyperion. This is gorgeous, heartwarming story about a young Asian-American boy visiting his grandfather for the day, with the story exploring the grandfather and grandson overcoming a combination of cultural, generational and language barrio through their shared love of drawing in order to find common ground and connection. There are few, short sentences throughout the pages, with the story primarily being told through colorful, increasingly dynamic illustrations instead. There is little in the way of background explained, leaving it unexplained how much or how little the grandson knows of his heritage or his grandfather’s language, but enough is told through the images on page to convey the feelings of disconnect the grandfather and grandson feel, with artwork being the bridge which brings them together.

There is variety in cultures depicted, as the book author and artist create a story based in Vietnamese and Thai-American experiences through their respective writing and artwork, but is ultimately a story anyone of any background or walk of life can relate to as the book depicts a near universal experience of different generations in family struggling to understand one another, but ultimately find shared interests and through those interests, find common ground with each other in the end. The story is initially told in muted earth tones with large, spacious images with minimal details in the backdrops, highlighting the grandfather and grandson’s disconnection, only to become increasingly vibrant in a variety of red, yellow, blue and green color with a mixture of art styles which contrast, but come to blend together with strongly detailed textures which overwhelm each page as the story progress, bring to life the relationship the grandfather and grandson are developing, if not in words, than through actions and illustrations. Drawn Together is a beautiful story which stresses the value of finding shared commonalities with our loved ones, whether than focusing on what is different and highlighting the value of building bridges over gaps, whether cultural or generational, in order to find human connection and love.  

 

   Barnes, Derrick. I Am Every Good Thing. 

    Atlantic Provinces Special Education Authority, Library, 2019. ISBN 978-0-525-51877-8

    In my third selection, I have chosen I am Every Good Thing by Derrick Barnes, illustrated by Gordon C. James and published by Nancy Paulsen Books. This is a powerful children’s picture book, told from a young male, African American perspective, but should be shared with all young readers, as the book combines stunningly realistic illustrations with moving text on each page about finding self-worth, pride and joy in one’s self, their accomplishments, and dreams for the future. Neither the text nor the illustrations distract from one another, but the author and artist contribute in equal importance to the book, their talents working in tandem to create a powerful, positive message about African American identity, self-love and the incredible importance of recognizing each person for who they are, with words of affirmation and encouragement ion each page, with vibrant illustrations accommodating each poetic line by the narrator.  

 

    Forsythe, Matthew. Pokko and the Drum. 

    Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2019.

    ISBN 978-1-4814-8039-0

For my fourth picture book selection, I have chosen Pokko and the Drum by Mathew Forsythe, published by Paula Wiseman Books and Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.  This a fun, whimsical story told through lovely earth tone water color illustrations created by the author, depicting the consequences of the titular Pokko’s march through her mushroom home and woodland community after her parents, her soon-to-be-regretful father and go-with-the-flow mother, gift the young frog child with a drum to play. It’s a delightful story, its humorous plot of Pokko being gifted a noisy toy drum is nicely contrasted with the easy-going earth tone watercolors spread out on white backdrops that are minimalistic at times beyond the characters of interest on the given pages. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves stories with anthropomorphic characters or enjoy stories with fairytale inspirations. I think this good book for young girls to read as well, as Pokko becomes rather assertive after gaining her drum and becomes a inspirational leader in her community after causing a band to form in amongst her neighboring forest animals who follow the sounds of her music.    

      Kusel, Susan, et al. The Passover Guest. Holiday House, 2021.          ISBN 978-0-8234-4562-2 

    In my fifth evaluation, I have chosen The Passover Guest by Susan Kusel, illustrated by Sean Rubin and published through Neal Porter Books. Set in Washington D.C. during 1933, the story follows a young Jewish girl named Muriel and her parents who receive a visit from the prophet Elijah as Passover approaches and her neighborhood prepares for the important holiday. This was a wonderful, heartwarming story. As an outsider to the Jewish faith, community and culture, it is difficult for me to say whether the story avoids stereotypes or generalizations. However, writing from an outside perspective, I found it the story to be a very moving introduction to the traditions of Passover, with positive themes about the strength in the love of family, love and compassion for one’s community, pride in one’s heritage and having faith in a higher power, all told from the perspective of the story’s protagonist character, Muriel, whose act of kindness and bravery to a stranger during the Great Depression sparks another act of kindness to her family in return.

    The choice of colors in the illustrations, I found, are key elements of the storytelling. While the book features, particularly in the beginning, yellow, reds, browns and grey, depicting the state of Muriel’s city during the 1933s, various shades of blue are the primarily colors highlighted throughout the story. I found it very interesting how different shades of blue were used to convey the characters’ emotions and the tone of the story to the reader, whether it was dark or muted, to convey moods of sadness and despair at the unfortunate situation of Muriel’s family, only to become much cooler, calming shades of blue instead as the story reached its happy ending, highlighting the feelings of warmth, love and happiness within Muriel’s family and the Jewish community as the neighborhood came together to celebrate Passover. I would recommend this picture book to any child as introduction to customs of the Passover holiday and to understanding its importance within the Jewish culture and faith.    

                                                                      Works cited

Barnes, Derrick. I Am Every Good Thing. Atlantic Provinces Special Education Authority, Library, 2019. ISBN 978-0-525-51877-8

Forsythe, Matthew. Pokko and the Drum. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2019.

ISBN 978-1-4814-8039-0

Kusel, Susan, et al. The Passover Guest. Holiday House, 2021. ISBN 978-0-8234-4562-2

Le, Minh, and Dan Santat. Drawn Together. Disney-Hyperion, 2018. ISBN 978-148476760-3

Perkins, Mitali, and Sara Palacios. Between Us and Abuela: A Family Story from the Border. 

   Farrar Straus Giroux, 2023. ISBN 978-0-374-30373-0