Book Review: SAMIR AND YONATAN

A. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Carmi, Daniella. 2000. SAMIR AND YONATAN. New York: Scholastic.

ISBN 0439135404.

B. PLOT SUMMARY
Samir, a Palestinian boy, is sent to an Israeli hospital for surgery due to accident in the war. Because the hospital is far away from his hometown and his parents have to take care of other family members, he has to stay in the same ward with five other children. He feels trapped among unfamiliar people and blames himself for his brother’s death until he is able to form friendship with the other children. Yonatan, an Israeli boy, is Samir’s best friend. They both enjoy pretending to travel together in their dreams to Mars. Samir recovers from his family tragedy and emotional conflicts through their journeys. On the final day before Samir leaves the hospital, he is finally convinced by Tzahi, a naughty boy, to urinate out on the trees just outside of hospital. Samir is able to create a more hopeful outlook and philosophy. As a result of his friendships with children of the opposing Israeli culture. Samir becomes stronger and finds closure in the matter of his brother accidental death.

C. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Although the story’s setting is only in an Israeli hospital, Carmi presents Arabian cultural markers through the protagonist, Samir’s, observations. Carmi depicts Samir’s and five other children’s facial features, skin tone, physical activities and their relationships with their families. The obvious cultural marker is related to war and its effects on people’s lives. Their sentiments and emotions are also deeply connected to war. For example, children hope their parents will be able stay with them or visit them in the hospital. The children hope to the bomb and fighting will stop immediately; however, it seems to them that the war is never over. The war is the major reason that all of the children are wounded and are confined to stay in the hospital. War forces people to form new attitudes which may be either positive or negative. Carmi also explores gender and children’s roles, and gives a fascinating glimpse into Arabian lifestyle which is another cultural marker.

Language is one of the elements that make this book successful in relating Arabian cultural markers through the text. In order to present cultural authenticity, Carmi uses many Arabian terms related to people’s lives and their religion, such as currency, food, beverage, room settings and war. It creates clear pictures for readers to understand the current political issues and the Middle Eastern; however, it is also difficult to read in the very beginning. Fortunately, a detail glossary is provided to access readers. It's a vivid and well-written book which provides information, allowing readers to form their own pictures of Middle Eastern culture. This book also presents a strong plot and characterizations. Samir is a quiet and thoughtful boy who suffers because of his brother’s death. Yonatan is also a quiet boy like Samir; however, Yonatan loves to read and has active imaginations. He helps Samir to find closure in the death of his brother. Tzahi is a naughty boy always does some crazy. While in the ward and Samir becomes angry about his unpredictable behavior. The book also has some warm and nice adults who help these children in this uncontrollable situation. However, it also has characters that push children into unhappy conditions.

In the real world, Israelis continue to fight with Palestinian over land. In the hospital Samir, a Palestinian boy recovers from his physical trauma and mental pain through his relationship with his new Israeli friends. I believe that the author makes it clear that there are no boundaries or hate in a child’s world. It is only when children are presented with negative models that they learn to disrespect other. This book not only serves as a vivid description of Middle Eastern culture through children’s experiences and feelings, but it also provides meaningful lessons for each.

D. REVIEW EXCERPTS
From the Publisher: “This is a story of violence and healing the story of a boy facing the enemy he has been taught to fear.”

Publishers Weekly: “A Palestinian boy comes to terms with his younger brother's death by an Israeli soldier in this slow-paced but affecting novel originally published in Hebrew in 1994.”
Publishers Weekly: “the book's understated tone and detailed character development prevent its message from becoming obvious or heavy handed.”

Children's Literature: “It is a story first of fear of the unknown, and then of tolerance and acceptance, as Samir learns to love these Jewish children as if they were his own siblings.”

VOYA: “Although the book appears appropriate for a much younger audience, the emotions and

issues are complex and more suited for middle school readers. Young teens will relate to Samir's feelings of being an outsider and will appreciate the message of peace that is the central theme of the book. This title received an honorable mention for the UNESCO prize for Children's Literature in the Service of Tolerance.”

Debra Mitts Smith – KLIATT: “Its easy and flowing style makes it accessible to middle schoolers, while its topic makes it equally appropriate for older teens. An ALA Notable Book and a New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age.”
School Library Journal: “Life in the hospital is described as clearly as life in the Occupied Territories and readers will sympathize with Samir's fear and loneliness and welcome his new friendships. Written in Hebrew but published first in Germany, the book is smoothly translated and will have wide appeal.”

E. CONNECTIONS
Other children’s literature related to the Middle Eastern
1. Testing the sky: a Palestinian Children by Ibtisam Barakat
2. If you could be my friend: letters of Mervet Akram Sha’ban

and Galit Fink by Litsa Boudalika
3. Yasir Afafat: a life of war and peace by Elizabeth Ferber
4. Sitti’s secrets by Naomi Shihab Nye
5. Arafat and the Palestine Liberation Organization by Diana Reische
6. Middle East in search of peace by Cathryn J. Long
7. Jerusalem mosaic: voices from the Holy City by I. E. Mozeson

and Lois Stavsky
8. When will the fighting stop? : a child’s view of Jersalem

by Ann Morris
9. Youth in the Middle East: voices of despair by David J. Abodaher
10.Gavriel and Jemal: two boys of Jerusalem by Paul Conklin
11.Disney’s Aladdin: adapted from the film by A. L. Singer
12.Aladdin: and other tales from the Arabian Knights

by Rosalind Kerven
13.Seven daughters & seven sons by Barbara Cohen and Bahija
14.Number art: thirteen 123s from around the world

by Leonard Everett Fisher
15.Space between our footsteps: poems and paintings from

the Middle East by Naomi Shihab Ny

16.Tales from the Arabian nights retold by N. J. Dawood

Boook Review: BE GOOD TO EDDIE LEE

A. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Fleming, Virginia. 1993. BE GOOD TO EDDIE LEE. New York: Putnam & Grosset.

ISBN 0399219935.

B. PLOT SUMMARY
Eddie is lonesome and no one pays attention to him because he is different. He only has one friend named Christy who is asked by her mother to be nice to Eddie, but she does not like Eddie following her around all summer. On one hot summer day, JimBud invites Christy to go wading and looking for frog eggs but does not want Eddie to go with them. Christy scolds Eddie and tells him to go home. JimBud wants to start on his journey with Christy; therefore he yells a warning to Eddlie to go home. Finally, Christy realizes that JimBud has made up a story about finding frog eggs because he wants Christy to come with him. Meanwhile, Eddie is the person who finds beautiful lilies and frog eggs for Christy, and teaches her a lesson, “Do not steal the creature from nature.”

C. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
This is Ms. Fleming’s first book for children and the story was inspired by her close friendship with a person who has Down syndrome. She honestly portrays the feelings, sensitivities and honesty in children with Down syndrome. The cultural markers in this community are seen through the dispositions of these stubborn, happy and carefree children. The facial features of Eddie in illustrations with a round face and slanted eyes without eye folds are physical characteristics of individuals with Down syndrome. Although both the author and illustrator are not insiders, they present the cultural accuracy and authenticity of this condition.

Even though there are only a few dialects spoken by Eddie, language also plays a very important role in accurately describing the portrait of Eddie through his gestures and physical movement. The descriptions of Eddlie’s sentiment and disposition are physical characteristics of children with Down syndrome, such as Eddie waddles down the steps and grins all the time. The author also authentically depicts what people’s feelings about being with individuals in this community through dialogues among Christy, JimBud and Eddie. For example, Christy says “I will be bothered with him following me around all summer.” People’s general attitudes when they work with children with disabilities are also presented in the text. They treat them like as an animal but not like a human being, to such as extent that Eddie grins and says “I am not a dog.”

This story not only depicts how individuals with Down syndrome cope with other people, but also implies all the human beings are the same. The illustration on the last page shows that Christy has a similar face as Eddie’s when shown in an inverted reflection in water. The most touching part in this story is when Eddlie comforts Christy when she feels upset by saying “that’s okay and I like you anyway.” Eddlie also puts his right hand over his heart saying “it’s what’s here that counts.” I believe that this is the same way that individuals with disabilities want to be treated by “counting” in other people’s hearts.

E. REVIEW EXCERPTS
Publishers Weekly: “This story about a boy with Down's syndrome a rarity for its potential to entertain, educate and encourage deeper consideration for others.”

School Library Journal: "Cooper's artful accompaniment to the text that truly brings out the author's positive message. Be Good to Eddie Lee is welcome for slightly older children, but mostly for the realism it exudes rather than the somewhat contrived story."

Booklist: “This title will undoubtedly be valued for its Down's syndrome theme, but detailed references to the pyracantha bush, the belted kingfisher, and the "beaver-gnawed birches," supported by Cooper's luminous paintings, also recommend it as a nature story.

E. CONNECTIONS
Information about individuals with Down syndrome:
Individuals with Down syndrome usually have distinctive physical characteristics such as a round face and slanted eyes without eye folds. Other physical characteristics are heart abnormalities, hearing problems and respiratory problems. They vary considerably in the degree of mental retardation associated with the disorder, and few of them can be functional members in society. They are usually happy and carefree but stubborn. Some young adults with Down syndrome can achieve much in both work and independent living through special education.

About the author:
Virginia Fleming was born and raised in a small county near the mountains in North Carolina, and lives in New Jersey now. She writes many poems and stories related to experiences in her childhood. She graduated from Brevard University and was a preschool teacher for more than ten years. She is a professional writer now.

Other books for children with mental illness
1. Berniece Rabe's Where's Chimpy? by Albert Whitman.
2. Our Brother Has Down's Syndrome by Cairo Jasmine.
3. Autism by Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen
4. Since We’re Friends: An Autism Picture Book by Celeste Shally.
5. I am Utterly Unique: Celebrating the Strengths of Children with

Asperger Syndrome and High-Functioning Autism by Elaine Marie Larson.
6. Ian’s Walk: A Story about Autism by Laurie Lears.
7. Rules by Cynthia Lord.
8. Andy and His Yellow Frisbee by Mary Thompson.
9. Blue Bottle Mystery: An Asperger’s Adventure by Kathy Hoop Mann.
10.The Boy Who Ate Stars. By Kochka
11.Friend Learn about Tobin by Diane Murrell.
12.Little Rainman by Karen L. Simmons.
13.Buster and Amazing Daisy by Nancy Ogaz.
14.Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko.
15.Guidando a Louis by Lectorum.
16.Looking for X by Deborah Ellis.
17.Oliver Onion: The Onion Who Learns to Accept and Be Himself by Diane Murrell.

Book Review: HEATHER HAS TWO MOMMIES

A. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Newman, Leslea. 1989.HEATHER HAS TWO MOMMIES. Los Angeles CA: Alyson ISBN 1555835708.

B. PLOT SUMMARY
Heather is raised in a lesbian family, and she loves her two mothers not only because “two” is her favorite number, but also because they can play different things with her. Kate is a doctor and she plays make dramatic plays with Heather. They like to play patients and doctors. Jane is a carpenter and Heather likes to search her toolbox for nails, screws and the tape measure. Heather also likes to spend time with her two mommies together, going to the park on sunny days or baking cookies at home on rainy days. Heather feels happy living with her two mommies until she finds that she is the one who has two mommies without a father at home. In the classroom, the teacher lets the children talk about their families and share their family’s drawings. Then Heather realizes that no one has the same family structures and each family has his or her own family members which are diverse.

C. CRITICAL ANALY SIS
Leslea is an inside author realizing that children who come from this community need to read books related to their life’s experiences and see their portraits in stories. Readers can predict that the book is about the lesbian family from the title on the cover page but not from its illustrations. They clearly know the theme when the two mommies and Heather are illustrated on the third page. This illustration is a cultural marker. The story begins with the concept of similarity and difference. Heather’s favorite number “two” related to her possessions, such as arms, pets and mommies. Heather does different things with her mama Kate and mama Jane separately, and they also do something together. Heather feels satisfied and happy living with her two mothers until she goes to school.

The teacher, Molly, is the person helping Heather to cope with the conflict of having two mothers. She helps Heather to realize that everyone is unique and has different family members by sharing children’s life’s experience in the classroom, and drawing and sharing family sketches. Meanwhile, it also help Heather build self-image and self-confidence. These strategies provide ideas for teachers and parents to help their children to deal the similarity and difference in gay and lesbian families.

This is a well-designed book because both texts and illustrations provide diverse images for readers. Helping people understands diversity with in family structures through children’s skin tones, hair styles and clothing. The author uses simple language and words which are easy to read. Meanwhile, the book also shows that adults’ support and parents’ love are the power of children’s growth in all type of families.

D. REVIEW EXCERPTS
From the Publisher: “ Heather Has Two Mommies has sold over 35,000 copies, launched a minor industry in providing books for the children of gay and lesbian parents and, as attested to by a recent New Yorker cartoon, become part of the cultural lexicon.”

Lesbian Review of Books: “A frank, unapologetic, and ultimately cheerful portrait of a high-spirited preschooler who has two gay moms.”

Children's Literature: “I like the idea of sharing a large range of family books with young children to show life's diversity. Among those books there ought to be some that picture gay and lesbian families. When it comes to gay and lesbian children's books, Alyson Press is far and away the forerunner. They are known as the company that stirred up the original controversy with Heather Has Two Mommies and Daddy's Roommate. Both are good introductions for younger children to the subject of families with gay and lesbian parents.”

E. CONNECTIONS
1. Daddy's Roommate by Michael Willhoite

2. Daddy's Wedding by Michael Willhoite

3. Is Your Family Like Mine by Lois Abramchik

4. Mama Eat Ant, Yuck! by Barbara Lynn Edmonds

5. Best Best Colors (Anti-Bias Books for Kids) by Eric Hoffman, et al

6. When Grown-Ups Fall in Love by Barbara Lynn Edmonds

7. ABC A Family Alphabet Book by Bobbie Combs, et al

8. 123 A Family Counting Book by Bobbie Combs

9. Felicia's Favorite Story by Leslea Newman

10.How My Family Came to Be: Daddy, Papa and Me

by Andrew R. Aldrich

11.Emma and Meesha My Boy: A Two Mom Story by Kaitlyn Considine

12.The Duke Who Outlawed Jelly Beans and Other Stories

by Johnny Valentine

13.One Dad, Two Dads, Brown Dad, Blue Dads by Johnny Valentine

14.The Daddy Machine by Johnny Valentine, Lynette Schmidt

15.Molly's Family by Nancy Garden, Sharon Wooding
16.King & King & Family by Linda De Haan, et al.

17.While You Were Sleeping by Stephanie Burks, Kelli Bienvenu

18.Lucy Goes to the Country by Joe Kennedy, John Canemaker
19.Asha's Mums by Rosamund Elwin, et al.

20.A Boy's Best Friend by Joan Alden, Catherine Hopkins

21. Two Moms, the Zark, and Me by Johnny Valentine, Angelo Lopez

22. Gloria Goes to Gay Pride by Leslea Newman, Russell Crocker

23. Saturday Is Pattyday by Leslea Newman, Annette Hegel

Book Review: THIS NEXT NEW YEAR

A. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Wong, Janet S. 2000. THIS NEXT NEW YEAR. New York: Frances Foster. ISBN 0374355037.

B. PLOT SUMMARY
The story is about a family celebrating the Lunar New Year and preparing luck ornaments and mascots for having luck and fortune, happiness and health in whole coming year. The protagonist, a Chinese-Korean boy, not only introduces how he and his families celebrate the Chinese New Year, but also identifies the Lunar New Year and depicts the things of other races do as well as their perspectives of the traditional rituals in Chinese New Year.

C. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Being an insider author, Janet’s story provides great cultural markers that connect to Chinese-Korean culture in the text and illustrations. Although the traditional rituals and customs of Chinese New Year spontaneously involves many cultural markers, such as the dragon dance and tiger dance, red envelopes and lanterns, Janet depicts the deeper meanings of these customs from other racial perspectives. Janet also provides clear and realistic portrayals of food and clothing in this holiday focusing on her original culture which present other cultural markers. It is help readers explore their own formulates of deeper meanings in this holiday.

Even though no Chinese or Korean dialects are used in the text, language is one element to make this book successful. Janet organizes simple sentences with rhymes and rhythm as well as compares these sentences with vivid illustrations on each page to enhance interests for reading and allure readers complete reading at one time. It's a vivid and beautiful, and well-written book which provides information for readers an authentic understanding of the Lunar New Year.

D. REVIEW EXCERPTS
Children's Literature: “Through a young boy's eves we experience the joys and anticipation leading up to the lunar New Year, the Chinese New Year. Lunar New Year is celebrated at a different time each year because it depends on when the new moon occurs. It is a time for hope and a second chance. A time to reach for your dreams. Yangsook Choi brings the celebration vividly to life with her bright, vibrant pictures.”

School Library Journal: “Wong carefully and clearly presents the reasons behind the rituals in a manner understandable to young children. She explains in an appended note about her own confusion as a child about the timing and meaning of the holiday. Choi's vibrant, somewhat primitive paintings realistically capture the details of and preparations for this hopeful time of year. Youngsters will enjoy the bright colors and the sense of motion and activity conveyed as the boy helps his mother clean, flosses his teeth, and cringes from the noise of the firecrackers. A good choice for anyone getting ready to celebrate Chinese New Year.”
Kirkus Reviews: “ Wong's (Night Garden, 1999, etc.) poetic voice creates art from the ordinary. Choi's (Nim and the War Effort, 1996, etc.) lively, two page spreads in bright colors, perfectly complement the energetic text, adding visual reinforcement to the scenes described by the narrator.”

Hom Book: "The concepts of renewal, starting over, and luck, which inform many of the rituals, will resonate with young readers, and the narrator's personal impression of the celebration makes this a refreshing departure from the standard nonfiction holiday-introduction fare."
Comments from the Author: “For me, the Lunar New Year is truly a time of hope. Once I have failed all the crazy new year's resolutions I routinely make on January 1st, here it is—I have a second chance, a fresh start. I hate cleaning house but I love a clean house, and each Lunar New Year's Eve, I madly rush around dusting and mopping and clearing my desk, making room for some good luck to settle. And then, on Lunar New Year's Day, I feel great. I eat well for a few extra weeks. I walk. Why couldn't this happen at any other time of the year? It could—and should! Teachers and librarians might want to read this book at the beginning of the "real" new year for most of us—the beginning of the school year, in September!”

E. CONNECTIONS
Official website for Janet S. Wong
http://www.janetwong.com/index.cfm

Awards and Honors
Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Award
Nick Jr. "Best Holiday Book[s] of 2000"

Other picture books related to Chinese New Year
· My First Chinese New Year by Karen Katz.
· D is for Dragon Dance by Ying Chang.
· The Runway Rice Cake by Ying Chang.
· Chinatown by William Low.
· Bring in the New Year by Grace Lin.
· Long-Long’s New Year: A Story about the Chinese spring Festival by Catherine Gower.
· My Chinatown: One Year in Poems by Kam Mak.
· Chinese New Year by David F. Max.
· Chinese New Year by Judith Jango-Cohen.
· Celebrating Chinese New Year by Diane Hoyt-Goldsmith.
· Chinese New Year: Festival of New Beginnings by Terri Sievert.
· My Chinese New Year by Monica Hughes.
· Chinese New Year by Julie Murray.
· Chinese New Year Crafts by Karen E. Bledsoe.
· Chinese New Year by Dianne M. MacMillan.
· Dragon Parade: A Chinese New Year Story by Steven A. Chin.
· Lion Dancer: Ernie Wan’s Chinese New Year by Kate Waters and Madeline Slovenz-Low.
· The Dragon New Year: A Chinese Legend by David Bouchard.
· Happy New Year!: Kung-his Fa-ts’ai! by Demi.
· Moonbeams, Dumplings & Dragon Boats : A Treasury of Chinese Holiday Tales, Activities
& Recipes by Simonds, Nina.

Book Review: HOW MY PARENTS LEARNED TO EAT.

A. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Say, Allen.1984. HOW MY PARENTS LEARNED TO EAT. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company. ISBN 0395442354.

B. PLOT SUMMARY
The protagonist is a Japanese American girl whose mother is Japanese and father is an American sailor. Her parents meet and fall in love when her father’s ship is stationed in Yokohama. They both enjoy spending time talking and walking on the street, having a wonderful time to get together. However, they both are afraid of making a date to meet and eat because they do not know how to use each other’s eating implement like, forks, knives and chopsticks. In order to make a deep impression to each other and show their love, her mother learns to use forks and knives and her father practices eating noodles with chopsticks. Finally they can have dates and eat together in both eastern and western restaurants. Now it is natural in the protagonist’s family to eat with chopsticks some days and with knives and forks other days.

C. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Say’s stories present magnificent cultural markers which connect to Japanese culture; therefore, it is easy to find Japanese cultural makers in this book. For example, on the cover, it shows local Japanese food courts decorated with signs in Japanese characters and traditional ornaments, such as red lamplights on streets. Meanwhile, it also show Japanese styled tables and stools in outdoor noodle shops and the ways the customer standing in line to order food to eat with chopsticks in front of the chef presenting people’s ordinary life on the street as cultural markers. Skin tones, facial figures and hair styles in the illustrations present cultural markers. Say also presents traditional and contemporary Japanese lives in the clothing, foods, dishes, and kitchen appliances through his illustrations. For example, the elders and waitresses wear kimonos and slippers with their hair in a bun style. Women in younger generations have straight hair and wear skirts with high heels. Men wear lightly colored shirts and pants. People eat sushi, sukiyaki and soup with chopsticks and they bow to each other, display other cultural marker.

Language plays less important roles to identify cultural markers in this book. In addition, the names of the protagonist’s mother, two food names and few Japanese characters on street signs, it is difficult to find Japanese words and sounds in the text. It is good for reading but less relates to cultural markers. In order to present the protagonist feels free to live in two different cultural life style, Say provides the eastern life style, wear kimono, eat Japanese food with chopstick in the first page, and the western life style in the last page, such as wearing a dress with an eating clothe, eating with a fork and a knife. The author is also very careful to combine the different cultural kitchen utensils in these two pages, such as a rice cooker, a pepper mill, a toaster and, a Japanese tea can and tea pot in the last page to show cultural differences in a very detail.

This book provides realistic portrayals of people’s lives in Yokohama after World War II and how they accommodate with conflicts in cross-culture; however, Say does not explore the cultural values, facts and attitudes in depth; therefore, readers can not formulate informed thought by themselves.

D. REVIEW EXCERPTS
From the Publisher: “An American sailor courts a young Japanese woman and each tries, in secret, to learn the other's way of eating.”
School Library Journal: “The book is wonderfully thought-provoking in its portrayal of the subtle similarities and differences among cultures.”

Reading Rainbow: “An American sailor courts a Japanese girl and each tries, in secret, to learn the other's way of eating. The two discover that when learning to eat using different tableware, manners, and customs, people often encounter problems, as well as triumphs.”

E. CONNECTIONS

Official website for Allen Say
http://www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com/authors/allensay/
Video clip in YouToBe
http://youtube.com/watch?v=gPtSl_kUrPc
Video clip in PBS
http://pbskids.org/readingrainbow/books/hearmore/039c.html
Learn more about Japanese
http://www.amphi.com/~psteffen/fmf/information.htm

Book Review: THE EARTH DRAGON AWAKES

A. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Yep, Laurence. 2006. THE EARTH DRAGON AWAKES. New York: HarperCollins Children’s Books. ISBN 0060275243.

B. PLOT SUMMARY
The main plot of is about two families’ survival in the San Francisco earthquake of 1906; one is an American family and another is a Chinese family. Henry was born into a wealthy family and lived in an upper level community. He is only child in the Travis family; however, his parents are both too busy with their business and social lives to take care of him. Ah Sing is the houseboy of the Travis family and his son, Chin, is the best friend of Henry. Although Chin cannot speak English very well, Ah Sing insists that he lives in Chinatown, and Chin has to go to a Chinese school to maintain his Chinese culture. The earthquake happened during the night while everyone is sleeping. It destroys all the property of Chin’s family. They run away from Chinatown and stay with a fisherman in Oakland to make money for living. The fierce fire comes after the earthquake and forces Henry’s family to give up all their properties and run to safety. Finally, two family members meet after the earthquake nearly three days later and have a short happy reunion in the Bay area. After everything calms down, the Travis family decides to go home San Francisco and rebuild their house. Chin and his father have to stay with the fisherman to earn money. There is one strong belief that both Henry and Chin share; that is someday they will live together.

C. CITICAL ANALYSIS
The dragon is a symbol or cultural marker at the very beginning of every segment of the story. The characters have Chinese names, such as Ah Sing and Ah Quon; Yep does not clearly address cultural markers like facial features, skin tones, hair styles, and clothing and body types in the text. Signs and decorations on the buildings, and the pattern and tempo of people’s lives in Chinatown are other cultural markers that identify Chinese immigrants. Mahjong, a traditional game for leisure time in the Chinese culture, is also mentioned in the text. Like other Chinese immigrants, Ah Sing insists on living in Chinatown and sending Chin to Chinese school to keep his cultural awareness and Chinese identity.

The culture of the people in this story is Chinese and the protagonist is a second generation immigrant in America. Although Ah Shing persists in maintaining his Chinese culture through his son, there are no Chinese characters, verbal sounds or dialects in the text which allow the readers to catch the storyline. The main issue depicts two different cultural families overcoming an unpredictable tragedy involving their cultural values and an attitude. Chin and his father are not reluctant to leave their tenements after the earthquake and stay in an unknown new place. Comparatively, Henry’s families hesitate to leave their houses and insist on going back and rebuilding their home. The fluent writing flow and short versions of each segment in a journal format enhances the way to compare and create a whole picture of what happened during the earthquake from different points of time. Although the story is non-linear without the beginning, culmination or ending, the author consistently describes the story by time lines.

D.REVIEW EXCERPTS
Children's Literature: “I must start by stating that Laurence Yep is one of my favorite authors for children's books and this book has not changed my mind in any way. The characters in this story learn many lessons—how disasters bring out the best and worse in people, how heroes are made from ordinary people, and how people find strength from within that they never knew they had to start over and rebuild their lives. Yep is an excellent writer and writes this story about the different perspectives of two young friends. I highly recommend this book.”

School Library Journal: “Yep's research is exhaustive. He covers all the most significant repercussions of the event, its aftershocks, and days of devastating fires, and peppers the story with interesting true-to-life anecdotes. Its "natural disaster" subject is both timely and topical, and Yep weaves snippets of information on plate tectonics and more very neatly around his prose. A solid supplemental choice.”

Kirkus Reviews: “Simple sentence structure and the use of present tense throughout make this a very accessible introduction. With little character development, the focus is on what rather than the whom. Still, this is solid historical fiction full of details about the times and backed up with an afterword explaining the author's connection and suggesting sources for further reading. It is notable especially for the attention paid to the experience of San Francisco's Chinese immigrants, and a good choice for reluctant readers.”

F.CONNECTIONS
Other literature related to Chinese American
· Ruthanne Lum McCunn. Pie-Biter.
· Allen Say. El Chino.
· Andrea Chang. Goldfish and Chrysanthemums.
· Andrea Cheng. Shanghai Messenger.
· Belle Yang. Hannah Is My Name.
· Bernard Ashley. Cleversticks.
· Carol Stepanchuk. Exploring Chinatown: A Children’s Guide to Chinese Culture.
· Eleanor Coerr. Chang’s Pape r Pony.
· Ellen Levine. I Hate English.
· Gene Luen Yang. American Born Chinese.
· Ginnie Lo. Mahjong All Day Long.
· Grace Lin. Year of the Dog.
· Huy Voun Lee. In the Leaves.
· Kam Mak. My Chinatown: One Year in Poems.
· Karen Chinn. Sam & the Luck Money.
· Katrina Saltonstall Currier. Kai’s Journey to Gold Mountain.
· Laurence Yep. Dream Soul.
· Laurence Yep. The Lost Garden.
· Laurence Yep. Magic Paintbrush.
· Lenore Look. Ruby Lu, Brave and true.
· Lenore Look. Henry’s First Moon Birthday.
· Lenore Look. Uncle Peter’s Amazing Chinese Wedding.
· Lensey Namioka. An Ocean Apart, A World Away.
· Lensey Namioka. Ties That Bind, Ties That Break.
· Mary Anne Fraser. Ten Mile Day.
· Milly Lee. Landed.
· Paul Yee. Dead Man’s Gold and other Stories.
· Paul Yee. A Song for Ba.
· Susan M. Nunes. The Last Dragon.
· Tin. Brothers.
· Valerie Petrillo. A Kid’s Guide to Asian American History.
· Yin and Lee Patricia Gauch. Coolies.

Book Review: A BOY CALLED SLOW

A. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Burchac, Joseph. 1994. A BOY CALLED SLOW. New York: Philomel Books. ISBN 0399226923.

B. PLOT SUMMARY
Slow was born into the Hunkpapa band of the Lakota Sious and his name was given to him because he moves slowly. This type of naming is the custom of the Hunkpapa. Even though females are dominant in this society and parents love girls more than boys, Slow’s parents still feel fortunate to have a son. However, Slow does not like his name and feels unhappy with it. He wishes that he could have a new name like his father’s, Returns Again. His father can communicate with animals and has the four other names given to him by the old bull buffalo. His father is also very brave to help the tribe escape danger at one time. In his tribe, people need to be very brave in doing special deeds to receive a new name. Even though Slow is shorter than other boys at the same age, he grows up to have broad and strong shoulders and kills his first buffalo at the age of ten. One day he leads his people to fight with the Crow and saves their lives as well as he gains many horses and weapons for the war party. His brave and unique deeds win his new name which is the same as his father’s name “Tatan’ka Iyota’ke.”

C. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
This is a unique picture book presenting American Indian cultural markers in both the illustrations and the text. Baviera uses dark colors of brown, purple, black and indigo-blue with gloomy light to present a mysterious Indian culture. It is easy to discover cultural markers in traditional representations. For example, people with copper skin tone live in Tipis. Males with strong muscles and wide shoulders ride on horses on the plain to fight with enemies to protect their families. Females with straight long hair have calm and gentle attitudes to take care of their children. Drawings on Tipis of horses running, buffalos and horses on the plain and eagles hovering in the forest are animals presented in this story. The recurring themes are about a boy building his self-esteem by using his bravery and wisdom to help the tribe survive. Also, the story shows customs of giving a child a name and the social positions of man and women to be Hunkpapa’s cultural markers.
Language plays an important role in identifying original cultures; however it may be an obstacle for outside readers to get into the reading. The language of the Indian dialects, titles and terms are appropriately used in the text to enhance cultural authenticity. For example, “Wakan-Tanka”is the creator in Sioux, and the term of Tiyospaye and Tipi are the dwellings for Hunkpapa to live. Language flow is very calm and smooth in this story like an Indian telling his/her life experiences and customs while you are reading the book.
The original culture is identified as the Hunkpapa branch of the Lakota Sioux, and the year the story happened is also addressed at the beginning. Even though Bruchac is of the Abenaki descent, he writes a story about Hunkpapa, showing he values all Indian cultures by accurately presenting native languages, customs, dresses, symbols and settings.

D. REVIEW EXCERPTS
Publishers Weekly: “Bruchac's (see Gluskabe and the Four Wishes, reviewed above) meaty yet cohesive narrative is richly complemented by Baviera's large, atmospheric paintings. Employing a somber palette marked by radiant bursts, the first-time children's illustrator evokes the solemnity and awe of ripening adulthood. Satisfying for its attention to historical and multicultural issues; stirring in its consummate storytelling. Satisfying for its attention to historical and multicultural issues; stirring in its consummate storytelling.”

Horn Book: “The pictures evoke a sense of timelessness and distance, possessing an almost mythic quality that befits this glimpse into history.”

Children's Literature: “Bruchac provides another dramatic story in which he tells how a young Sioux brave named Slow earned his name-Sitting Bull. Leading his tribe against the attack of the enemy Crow, Slow proves himself to be brave. The paintings are marvelous, almost mystical, and match the quiet force of this legendary hero.”

School Library Journal: “The illustrations, oils that are rich and somber, convey details of traditional Lakota life, from the warm, close interiors of the family home to a pre-dawn assembly of warriors about to raid their Crow neighbors. The text creates an equally subtle portrayal of Plains Indian life. Many stereotypes of Native American culture are gently corrected, as when the author acknowledges that "women are the heart of the nation.'' The traditional Lakota explanation for the advent of horses is given alongside mention of their historical introduction by European explorers. Dialogue in the Native language helps to convey the richness of the culture. By the time Slow earns his new name, young readers will feel they know a real person-the man who was to become Sitting Bull, one of the great Sioux warriors and a hero at the Battle of Little Bighorn. This book works beautifully as historical fiction; it is less successful as biography as none of the dialogue is documented. An inspiring story.”

E. CONNECTIONS
Hunkpapa Sioux Indian Tribe History
http://www.accessgenealogy.com/native/tribes/siouan/hunkpapahist.htm

Other Children’s Literature with Hunkpapa Themes:
Aller, Susan Bivin. 2004. Sitting Bull.
Adler, David A. 1993. Picture Book of Sitting Bull.
Black, Sheila. 1989. Sitting Bull and the Battle of the Little Big Horn.
Collier, Lincoln James. 2003. The Sitting Bull You Never Knew.
Davis, C. Kenneth. 2003. Don’t Know Much about Sitting Bull.
George, St. Judith. 1931. To See with the Heart: The Life of Sitting Bull.
Isaacs, Sally Senzell. 2000. America in the time of Sitting Bull: 1840 to 1890.
Left Hand Bull, Jacqueline. 1999. Lokota Hoop Dancer.
Schleichert, Elizabeth. 1997. Sitting Bull: Sioux Leader.
Shaughnessy, Diane. 1997. Sitting Bull: Courageous Sioux Chief.

Resources come from Denton Public Library and TWU Library.

Book Review: INDIAN SHOES

A. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Smith, Cynthia Leitich. 2002. INDIAN SHOES. New York: HarperCollins Children’s Books. ISBN 0060295317.

B. PLOT SUMMARY
It is a story about Cherokee-Seminole, Ray and Grandpa Halfmoon who are the main characters in this book. The book is divided into six stories about the secure love between Ray and his grandpa as well as his extended family in Chicago and Oklahoma. In order to get a pair of moccasins for grandfather, Ray tries to trade his own high-top boots to him but it does not work. Finally, Ray wins third place for a drawing of grandpa’s boots in an art competition when he really feels he should have a received first-place. Finding a solution to a dreadful haircut by grandpa, caring for many pets of their neighbors on Christmas Day, going fishing with grandpa at midnight and realizing the true meanings of competition are all valuable examples presented by the author in a way that is both quirky and funny.

C. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
This is a contemporary Indian story. It tells about the relationship between Ray and his grandpa, and the love and care of his extended family. A few traditional culture markers can be found, such as Grandpa’s ponytail hair style and moccasins. Some rituals are the heritage of the colonists such as an ice-cream truck playing “Pop Goes the Weasel.” The fluent writing flow, which employs a dialectic form, i.e., “you’ll never be able to see the ball comin’,” helps to relate the story to the illustrations and enhance the interest of readers, giving them a deeper understanding of modern life among the Cherokee-Seminole Indians.

D. REVIEW EXCERPTS
From the Publisher: “ Cynthia Leitich Smith writes with wit and candor about what it's like to grow up as a Seminole-Cherokee boy who is just as happy pounding the pavement in windy Chicago as rowing on a take in rural Oklahoma.”

Publishers Weekly: "Though the author affectingly portrays the strong bond between grandson and grandfather, the narrative bogs down with flowery or overwritten passages (e.g., "Ray's and Grampa's breath puffed cloudy as they trudged next door to the Wang home. In the driveway, Mrs. Wang's VW Bug waited to be freed from the snow like a triceratops skeleton embedded in rock"). Kids may have trouble sticking with this collection. "

Children's Literature: “The chapters are short, easy to read, and Jim Madsen's appealing soft pencil illustrations are inviting. Easy chapter books about contemporary Native Americans are hard enough to find that readers may forgive the storyteller's overblown language as poetic licenseand enjoy the theme that it is the small things in life and the friendly connections with those you love that matter most.”

School Library Journal: “There are no mystical nature spirits or cathartic history lessons, only the everyday challenges common to any contemporary kid, as experienced by an Indian boy who is firmly grounded in his own family's heritage. With its unadorned portrayal of urban Indian life, Shoes is a good book for any elementary-aged reluctant reader, and a necessity for indigenous children everywhere.”

Kirkus Reviews: “An excellent choice for younger readers from the author of the bittersweet Rain Is Not My Indian Name (2001).”

E. CONNECTIONS
Cynthia Leitich Smith’s Official Author’s Webside: http://www.cynthialeitichsmith.com/CLS/cyn_books/shoes/indian_shoes.html

Other Nonfiction with Cherokee Themes:
Aaseng, Nathan. 2000. Cherokee Native v. Georgia: The Forced Removeal of a People.
Barrett, Tracy. 2000. The Trail of Tears: An American Tragedy.
Birchfield, D. L. 2004. The Trail of Tears.
Brill, Marlene Targ. 1995. The Trail of Tears: The Cherokee Journey from Home.
Bruchac, Joseph. 1999. Trail of Tears.
Burgan, Michael. 2001. The Trail of Tears.
Chiltoskey, Mary Ulmer. 1972. Cherokee Words with Pictures.
DeAngelis, Therese. The Cherokee: Native Basket Weavers.
Fitterer, C. Anne. 2003. Sequoyah: Native American Scholar.
Harrel, Sara Gordon. 1979. John Ross.
Hirshfield, Laura. 2001. Cherokee Heroes: Three Who Made a Difference.
Hoyt-Goldsmith, Diane. 1993. Cherokee Summer= Cwy ay.
Johnston, Tony. 1998. Trail of Tears.
Lepthien, Emilie U. 1985. The Cherokee.
Lowe, Felix C. 1990. John Ross.
McAmis, Herb. 2000. The Cherokee.
Oppenheim, Joanne F. 1979. Sequoyah: Cherokee Hero.
Press, Petra. 2002. The Cherokee.
Reed, Marcelina. 1993. Seven Clans of the Cherokee Society.
Roop, Peter and Connie. 1998. If You Lived with the Cherokee.
Rumford, James. 2004. The Cherokee Man Who Gave His People Writing.
Santella, Andrew. 2001. The Cherokee.
Sneve, Virginia Driving Hawk. 1996. The Cherokees: A First American Book.
Stein, R Conrad. 1993. The Trail of Tears.
Underwood, Thomas B. 1996. The Story of the Cherokee People.
Waxman, Laura Hamilton. Sequoyah.
Wheeler Jill. 1989. The Story of Sequoyah.

Book Review: THE STORY OF THE MILKY WAY: A CHEROKEE TALE

A. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Ross Gayle and Bruchac Joseph .1995. THE STORY OF THE MILKY WAY: A CHEROKEE TALE. New York: Penguin Putnam. ISBN 0803717377.

B. PLOT SUMMARY
This is a traditional Cherokee folktale told by a grandfather to his grandchildren. It shows people working hard to prepare and preserve food for the long frigid winter. A senior couple finds that some creature has stolen their cornmeal from their bins. They are very upset about their loss and being disrespected because no one should steal from their elders. Their grandson, Grandmother Sun, decides to catch the thief and finds the tracks of a giant dog. The Beloved Woman identified the dog as a spirit dog. Then, people in this community gather all together with their drums and turtle shell rattles to frighten it. Finally, the community members’ collaborate to scare and run the spirit dog away into the darkness.

C. RITICAL ANALYSIS
The story opens with the setting in the living room of a contemporary Indian family. There is a painting of people riding horses under a dark sky full of stars; another painting shows geometric shapes waving. A small vase, a pot with geometric shapes and dry corn are other cultural markers. All of these are arranged on the mantle.

The wooden frame houses, weaving tools, corn and cornmeal, agricultural implements, kitchen appliances, and hunting instruments hanging on the wall also present cultural markers in the story. Moreover women’s hair styles, men’s caps and their clothing help present clear portraits of Cherokee. The story identifies the original culture as Cherokee through its inclusion of traditional traits such as respect for senior persons, family relationship, and cooperation. All of these traits are Cherokee Indian in spirit.

Only a few Indian languages, such as titles, the Beloved Woman and Grandmother Sun are used in the text. Language with rhythm and rhyme plays important role for readers, encouraging them to keep on reading and easily catch the storyline. Men are the dominant character in most Indian stories; however, in this story women with long straight hair and children are dominant. Both the hunting dog and the spiritual dog are animal portraits in the story.

The story presents both modern and traditional Cherokee portraits. Even though the clothing and room settings are different between contemporary and traditional Cherokee Indian, the themes of respecting elders and family relationships never change.

D. REVIEW EXCERPTS

From the Publisher: “The author and illustrator capture the rhythms of the desert and the spirit of the Tohono O'odham people in a poem designed for choral reading.”

Children's Literature: “Although not all readers will be equally as ease with the rhyming verse, this is a rare portrayal of a little known traditional observance of the rhythms of the natural world.”

School Library Journal: “His use of deep tones and cotton ball clouds is reminiscent of Barbara Cooney's art. This is a versatile title that serves as both a social studies and language-arts extension.”

E. CONNECTIONS

Other picture books with Cherokee Themes:

Arneach, Lloyd. 1992. The Animal’s Ballgame.
Bannon, Kay T. 2001. Curious One: A Cherokee Legend.
Blevins, Wade. 1992. And Then the Feather Fell. mmpm. Lau T.
Blevins, Wade. 1996. A-ta-ga-hi’s Gift.
Blevins, Wade. 1992. Ganseti and the Legend of the Little People.
Blevins, Wade. 1996. Legend of Little Deer.
Blevins, Wade. 1996. Path of Destiny.
Blevins, Wade. 1994. Se-lu’s Song.
Blevins, Wade. 1996. The Wisdom Circle.
Bruchac, Joseph. 1993. The First Strawberries.
Bruchac, Joseph and James. 2001. How Chipmunk Got His Stripes.
Bushyhead, Jean L., Robert H. Bushyhead, and Kay T. Bannon. 2002. Yonder
Mountain: A Cherokee Legend.
Cohlene, Terri. 1990. Dancing Drum.
Craig, Idell. 1995. Cherokee Myths with Morals.
Dominic, Gloria. 1996. First Woman and the Strawberry: A Cherokee Legend.
Duvall, Debrah L. 2002. Great Ball Game of the Birds and Animals.
Duvall, Debrah L. 2003. How Medicine Came to the People A Tale of the Ancient Cherokees.
Duvall, Debrah L.2003. How Rabbit Lost his Tail.
Duvall, Debrah L. 2005. The Opossum’s Tail.
Duvall, Debrah L. 2004. Rabbit and the Bears.
Duvall, Debrah L. 2007. Rabbit and the Well.
Duvall, Debrah L. 2005. Rabbit and the Wolves.
Duvall, Debrah L. 2005. Rabbit Goes Duck Hunting.
Duvall, Debrah L. 2007. Rabbit Goes to Kansas.
Duvall, Debrah L. 2006. Rabbit Plants the Forest.
Ernesto, Lilly. 1995. How Grandmother Spider Got the Sun.
Haley, Gail E. 1996. Two Bad Boys: A Very Old Cherokee Tale.
Hamiltion, Anna Blanche. 1954. Rabbit Goes Duck Hunting.
Hurst, Hawk. 2001. Story of the First Flute.
Keams. Geri. 1992. Grandmother Spider Brings the Sun: A Cherokee Story.
King Thomas. 1992. A Coyote Columbus Story.
King Thomas. 1998. Coyote Sings to the Moon.
Lossiah, Lynn King. 2001. Cherokee Little People.
Michaelis, Catherine. 1994. How Earth was Made: A Cherokee Myth.
Moore MariJo. 2000. First Fire.
Moore MariJo. 2000. The Ice Man: A Traditional Native American Tale.
Moore MariJo. 2000. The Cherokee Little People: A Native American Tale.
Penn, Audrey. 2003. The Whistling Tree.
Pennington, Daniel. 1994. Itse Selu: Cherokee Harvest Festival.
Red Earth. 1998. Selu and Kana’Ti: Cherokee Corn Mother and Lucky Hunter.
Roop, Peter and Connie. 1992. Ahyoka and the Talking Leaves.
Ross Gayle. 1995. How Turtle’s Back Was Cracked: A Traditional Cherokee Tale.
Roth, Susan L. 1988. Kanahena: A Cherokee Story.
Roth, Susan L. 1990. The Story of Light.
Stroud, Virginia A. 1996. The Path of the Quiet Elk: A Native American Alphabet Book.
Stroud, Virginia A. 1995. A Walk to the Great Mystery.
Ugidali. 1981. Stories from Ugidali: Cherokee Story Teller.
Underwood, Thomas B. Cherokee Legends and the Trail of Tears.
Underwood, Thomas B. 1982. Te Magic Lake: A Mystical Healing Lake of the Cherokee.
Wood, Francis Eugene. 1998. Wind Dancer’s Flute.

Book Review: THE SKIRT

A. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Soto Gary. 1992. THE SKIRT. New York: Delacorte. ISBN 0679883339.

B. PLOT SUMMARY
Miata is a girl who always lost her stuff; she loses her combs, sweaters, books, homework and lunch money, and her mother is mad at her for this issue. The most serious thing is that she loses a skirt in the school bus on Friday after class. The skirt had belonged to her mother when she was a child, and now Miata is going to wear it to dance with the other two girls on Sunday after church. Miata and her best friend, Ana, tries very hard; they cross a fence to get into the parking lot and stretch the pole to open the bus door to reach her skirt. Miata gets hurt from falling down on the bump of the bus and almost gets caught by her father as well as run into her mother. Finally she gets the skirt back at a big adventure and the skirt as beautiful as usual. On early Sunday morning, Miata’s mother gives her a tremendous surprise by giving her a brand new skirt with bright new colors and fresh smell. She like the new skirt and feel sad for old one. Finally, Miata has a good idea to dance in wearing both two skirts.

C. RITICAL ANALYSIS
Soto, an author, spontaneously depicts cultural markers in his canon, and it is easy to find cultural markers in “The Skirt” as usual. The readers can easily tell the story is about a Mexican culture from the cover page which with Mexican stripes on words of the title, “Skirt,” as well as the number of each Chapter. Meanwhile, the traditional costume, a folklorico skirt, wears a rainbow of shiny ribbons on the bottom. The food, frijoles, papas fritas and her father’s favorite meal, carne del viernes are also other cultural markers.

The dialect language is the majority of the content in this book. Language involving lot of Spanish dialects and terms play an important role in this story. For example, “Todavia no esta aqui” said by Ana’s grandmother. Soto appropriately utilizes Spanish dialects into the dialects which vividly describing this story rather than enhance difficulty of reading for outside readers. Even though few of Spanish dialects are difficult for readers to understand at the first reading, they still can catch the meaning by reading the following content.

The fluent writing flow and easily read words as well as the intensive storyline about family life and their relationship, and friendships between Miata and Ana are impulses for readers to keep reading and stay eager to read the whole story at one time. Readers can feel the rhythm and tempo while they are reading.

D. REVIEW EXCERPTS
The Publisher: “A warm-hearted story about a contemporary Mexican-American family.”

Publishers Weekly: “spunky and imaginative'' heroine, Miata comes up with a clever plan to retrieve her beloved folklorico dance skirt.”

School Library Journal: “This is a light, engaging narrative that successfully combines information on Hispanic culture with familiar and recognizable childhood themes. The San Joaquin Valley, California, setting is realistically drawn, and the closeness of Miata's family is reassuring. A fine read-aloud and discussion starter, this story blends cultural differences with human similarities to create both interest and understanding.”

E. CONNECTIONS
The website information about Gary Soto

The official Gary Soto website: http://www.garysoto.com/
Gary Soto: A teacher resource file: http://falcon.jmu.edu/~ramseyil/soto.htm
FactMonster: http://www.factmonster.com/ipka/A0884322.html

Book Review: FIESTA FIREWORKS

A. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Ancona George. 1997. FIESTA FIREWORKS. New York: Lee & Shepard. ISBN 0688148174.

B. PLOT SUMMARY
This is a story about firework festival of Tultepec in Mexico. The story begins with Caren, and her mother packing food for her families, her father, uncle and grandfather, who are too busy to finish fireworks for the festival. The adults back to work after lunch, and Caren and her mother make a small torito, a puppet of a bull’s head, together to carry in the parade on the festival. All the people in this municipality are busy to make things ready for festival; some make groups’ toritos, some put decoration on church with flowers and sprinkle colored sawdust on the walk like a carpet around the church. On the date of festival, children carry giant sparklers and men hold poles with spinning wheels of whistling rockets which light up the plaza and then the parade of small toritos and giant toros come to the plaza. People in this neighborhood eat and play and have a lot of funs in the bright night under the colorful flower sky.

C. RITICAL ANALYSIS
Ancona, a photojournalist, uses photos instead of illustrations to record people’s lives in his books. “Fiesta Fireworks” is a book about the firework festival in the Mexican city of Tultepec. There are many cultural markers including food, vessels, baskets, kitchen tools, a puppet of bull’s head, fireworks, and both decorations on the church and streets from the cover page to the end page which are clearly presented by photos. Meanwhile, the family relationship between Caren and her parents, and extended family relationship such as Caren with her grandfather and uncle as well as community force also is addressed in the content.

There are sixteen Spanish terms including greeting words, titles, food terms, and special events used in this book and more than six terms are repeatedly used for vividly depicting Mexican cultural life and the ritual of the traditional parade. Even though it is difficult for outside reader to know the meaning of terms, Ancona provides the explanation just next to the term and includes a glossary of Spanish terms in the last page. Meanwhile, the book also includes a map of the country which creates a geographic picture for readers.

The fluent writing flow and easily read words clearly related to photos which enhance reading interests for readers and help them have deep understanding about Mexican holiday and their life.

D. REVIEW EXCERPTS
The Horn Book: “This beautiful book will be prized for the information it gives and as a tribute to Mexican home life.”

Children's Literature: “Ancona's text and pictures show various members of a little girl's family who are busy making fireworks for Tultepec's fiesta. Young readers will love looking at the photos of comical, child-sized bull's head puppets. Other huge fireworks sculptures of the bull's' heads have to be carried or pushed by teams of young men. He weaves Spanish phrases throughout his story of the fireworks makers of Tultepec, and their dangerous jobs, all the while illustrating the idea of the traditional fiesta in a way that can be enjoyed by children of diverse cultural backgrounds.”

School Library Journal: “This stunning photo-essay describes the explosive happenings surrounding the celebration of the feast day of San Juan de Dios. This wonderful event, captured in sharp full-color photographs, includes a mass procession, with the patron saint's statue carried over a carpet of colored sawdust; crackling fireworks; and whistling rockets exploding in the night sky in dazzling designs. An informative tribute presents an enduring Mexican tradition, with exciting visuals and a basic glossary of Spanish terms.”
School Library Journal: “In a burst of colorful photographs, Ancona has brought to life the festival honoring the patron saint of Tultepec, Mexico.”

E. CONNECTIONS
Know more about the author: the website of George Ancona.
http://dept.kent.edu/virginiahamiltonconf/ancona.htmAward

Other books related festival in Hispanic and Latino culture

Puerto Rico by Aurea Rodrguez, 1999.
Celebration: Holidays of the United States of American and Mexico
by Nancy Tabor, 2004.
Fiesta! : Mexico’s Great Celebrations by Elizabeth Silverthorne, 1992.
Pinatas and Smiling Skeletons: Celebrating Mexican Festivals by Zoe Harris
And Suzanne Williams, 1941.

Book Review : THE RAINBOW TULIP

A. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Mora Pat. 1999. THE RAINBOW TULIP. New York: Penguin Putnam. ISBN 0670872911.

B. PLOT SUMMARY
Stella is a Mexican American. She speaks English at school but Spanish at home because her parents emigrate from Mexico and both of them cannot speak English very well. However Stella hopes her mother can speak English well like her neighbors as well as her classmate’s mothers. Stella’s mother is a warm and mild person, and always supports her daughter and gives her whatever she wants. Unlike the dressing and hair style of her mother’s colorless long dresses and a bun, Stella likes colorful dresses, and she cares about other people’s viewpoints on her. On the May parade, Stella wants to be different with other friends with a rainbow tulip dress instead of one single color tulip. Stella’s mother makes her dream come true which encourages her to have confidence on parade and would like to know more about her own culture.

C. RITICAL ANALYSIS
This is a typical picture book presenting Mexican culture recurring themes about family, food, vessels, holidays and immigrants like Harris addresses. Therefore, it is easy to find many cultural marks related to Mexican culture overall context. The story begins with a picture of the whole family at breakfast when mother serving yellow cod liver oil. Stella’s favorite dessert, sweet and sour lime sherbet, is the symbol of immigrants’ feelings. The costumes especially girls’ tulip costume, parade, and Maypole dance in the May parade which are also cultural markers in this book. In addition to the previous visual factors of cultural markers, the author, Mora, depicts both parents with the attitude of nurturing children, the inside feeling of a young girl and the life of immigrants which can be other culture markers.

Spanish Language plays important roles in this story. Mora uses the first-person account from a little girl to tell this story. The intimate terms, such as mama’ in Stella’s dialogues, and her mother consistently replies and answers her in Spanish enhance the relationship between the protagonist with her families in this culture. Stella is a girl not only eager to show her best dressing and focus on her appearance, but also likes to help her friends and make their dance successful. Stella is the role of typical characters of immigrants. They are hesitant and worry about other person’s perspectives.

Mora not only plainly depicts this story about family and friendship, but also describes a dilemma about a little girl’s self-esteem and cultural value; about her life’s difference between at home and outside, and her expectation between her mother at home and outside. The best part of this story is that Mora uses a taste of a traditional Mexican food, lime sherbet to metaphor the life of immigrants; it is sweet and sore and is hard to be different.

D. REVIEW EXCERPTS
Houston Chronicle: "The Rainbow Tulip celebrates diversity...Mora writes in her crystalline style."
Booklist: “The scenarios in words and soft-toned pictures show the warm, loving family and also the fun and success at school. . . . At first, the child is ashamed of her quiet, old-fashioned mother, but her parents keep a piece of Mexico at home, and Stella comes to value her dual heritage, even though it is hard to be different.”
Kirkus Reviews: “Set in El Paso, Texas, this moving family memoir focuses on Mora’s mother as a child who participated in her own way in the May parade...With warmth and directness, Mora celebrates diversity.”
Children's Literature: “Mora weaves many Spanish phrases into her text as she focuses on the May festival for which Stella's aunt sews a colorful tulip-petal skirt. The sensitive, muted watercolor illustrations suit the story's mood while the charming facial expressions help the characters come alive in this timely book.”
Library Journal: “Based on a story from the author's mother's childhood, and perfectly extended by soft, warm pastel drawings framed in white, this tale of family love and support crosses cultural boundaries and may remind youngsters of times when their families made all the difference. Pair this with Mary Hoffman's Amazing Grace, another story of an irrepressible child supported by a loving family.”
Multicultural Review: “Tapping into her mother’s childhood memories, Mora has culled a tender portrait of home life and early schooling to bring us a story of young Estelita, who learns at a very early age to negotiate her way through her dual Mexican-American identity...This is a quiet book that speaks volumes to today’s immigrant child.”
New Mexico Magazine: “Pat Mora, well-known as a poet and nonfiction writer, has created a touching and gentle tale...Mora’s story speaks to the experience of many children, from many generations, who wished their mothers looked more American, spoke English, but who also drew their greatest strength from their families.”

E. CONNECTIONS
Enrichment Activities
Bookmark Creations: Create bookmarks with your students and allow them to choose the content. Ideas include drawing their favorite character, scene, and happiest/saddest moment.
Create a Symbol: Have students design and color their own symbol to illustrate their connections to the special people in their lives.
Family Interview: Discuss with students the importance of carrying on family history through stories and conversations with their elders. Then, ask students to interview a family member and create a poem, dance, or song that represents their family.
Guest Speaker: Getting someone who has immigrated to the United States to come in and speak about the transition and their feelings can be a wonderful experience for children, especially those who are in a similar situation.
Integrate Art: Contact your school's art teacher and brainstorm ideas that would integrate art and the book The Rainbow Tulip. Some suggested materials to use include clay, pastels, or paper collage.

Books by Pat Mora
Agua, Agua, Agua , 1994
Bakery Lady , 2001
Birthday Basket for Tia , 1997
Confetti: Poems for Children , 1996
Delicious Hullabaloo , 1998
The Desert Is My Mother (El Desierto Es Mi Madre) , 1994
Listen to the Desert , 2001
Love to Mama: A Tribute to Mothers , 2001
Maria Paints the Hills , 2002
My Own True Name: New and Selected Poems for Young Adults, 1984-1999 , 2000
The Night the Moon Fell , 2000
Pablo's Tree , 1994
The Race of Toad and Deer , 2001
This Big Sky , 2002
Tomas and the Library Lady , 1997
Uno, DOS, Tres: One, Two, Three , 2000
Wachale!: Poetry and Prose About Growing Up Latino in America , 2001

Book Review: MIRANDY AND BROTHER WIND

A. BIBLIOGRAPHY
McKissack C. Patricia. 1988. MIRANDY AND BROTHER WIND. New York: KNOPF. ISBN 0679883339.

B. PLOT SUMMARY
Mirandy with a happy and smile face dances and swings around her mother’s snug kitchen. She tells her mother that in order to win the cakewalk contest on Sunday night, she would like to invite Brother Wind to be her partner at the junior cakewalk so she has to catch Brother Wind first. However, it is not easy to catch a special and free creature and no one in her neighborhood knows how to catch Brother Wind. On the way to catch Brother Wind, Mirandy meet her friend, Ezel, who hesitates to invite Mirandy to become his partner at the contest and shows his polite for Mirandy to get her dream partner. Finally, Mirandy get helps from the conjure woman and has Brother Wind to be her partner. She does win the cakewalk contest with her real partner, Ezel, but not with her dream partner.

C. RITICAL ANALYSIS
Patricia opens the story with the scenery of a cottage under a colorful and windy forest created by a powerful and blur creature, Brother Wind, with a magic stick. This makes the story begin with an unknowing mystery. Patricia’s stories provide many cultural markers of African American culture in variety of characters portrayals. For example, a young girl like Mirandy in braids and high-button shoes, middle age woman likes Mirandy’s mother in a bun and long skirt under knees and her grandmother in a kerchief and an apron. Indoor and outdoor settings also present many cultural markers, such as, a basket, a bowl and a canister, and the way people hang mugs in kitchen; a pail and water pump, a broken wheel and logs, a patch quilt hang on a clothline, and the way grandmother feeds chicken in backyard.

Language plays an important role in this story. Patricia uses vocal words, swish and swoosh, to let readers vividly feel windy by sound and vision. The language dialects by Mirandy and the other characters are a major part of the content. The black dialects and slang also can easily be found, such as “I’m gon’ get him yet” and “Ma Dear tol’ me” which vividly show African American life and present their culture.

A Cakewalk is a traditional African American dance. The author depicts how Mirandy wants to be the winner of the dance to show the importance of this dance in this culture. It also shows the cultural confidence and proud on Mirandy’s face during her dance. The other import part is friendship in this story. Mirandy shows her kindness and warmth to Ezel by dancing with him instead of with Brother Wind.

D. REVIEW EXCERPTS
Center for Children’s Books: “Illus. in full color."Mirandy is sure she'll win the cake walk if she can catch Brother Wind for her partner, but he eludes all the tricks her friends advise. This gets a high score for plot, pace, and characterization. Mirandy sparkles with energy and determination. Multi-hued watercolors fill the pages with patterned ferment. A treat to pass on to new generations.”

Publishers Weekly: “As a prefatory note explains, this picture book was inspired by a photo of the author's grandparents winning a cakewalk a dance rooted in Afro-American culture and her grandfather's boast that, in her dancing, his wife had captured the wind. In the book, Mirandy determines to catch Brother Wind and have him for her partner in the upcoming junior cakewalk. She tries a number of tactics springing from folk wisdom, and finally succeeds in trapping her prey in the barn. At the contest, Mirandy chooses to dance with her friend Ezelbut, with Brother Wind to do her bidding, the two friends win the cakewalk in style. Told in spirited dialect and rendered in lavish, sweeping watercolors, this provides an intriguing look at a time gone by. As a story, however, it proves somewhat disappointing. After the colorful description of cakewalking in the author's note and the anticipation created through Mirandy's own eagerness, the brief and rather static scenes portraying the dance itself are a letdown.”

School Library Journal: “A captivating story, with a winning heroine, told in black dialect.”

E. CONNECTIONS

Award
Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award Winner.

The website about the activities of Mirandy and Brother Wind
http://www.thinkingfountain.org/books/mirandy.html

Book Review: MANIAC MONKEYS ON MAGNOLIA STREET

A. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Johnson Angela. 1998. MANIAC MONKEYS ON MAGNOLIA STREET. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. ISBN 067989053.

B. PLOT SUMMARY
This is a story about Charlie who starts her new friendships and her family has a new life on Magnolia Street. Charlie has an elder brother, Sid, who always makes fun of her. As the story starts, he tells Charlie about Magnolia Street is full of maniac monkeys. Charlie and her new best friend, Billy, have a magic experience when they wait to see maniac monkeys under willow trees. Miss Marcia, a statue artist, make statue of Charlie as a gift to her, and Mr. Pinkton who held the whole house with fish, are two wonderful neighbors and friends of Charlie and Billy. Charlie, a sweet and enthusiastic girl, likes to be a helper for her neighbors and with sense of imagination and curiosity to explore unusual events in her neighborhood with Billy.

C. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Without looking at the cover of the book and the one illustration in Chapter one, it is hard to tell the story is about an African American girl begin a new life in a dominated Black neighborhood at the very beginning. The author also does not describe the physical portrayals of characters and indoor settings in detail. Therefore, only few cultural markers can be found in hair styles and dressing in illustrations, such as Charlie always wear braid hair and boys with a buzz haircut and wear overall pants.

Charlie is a sweet and friendly girl and she looks like a tomboy always wears a T-shirt and short pants. Children in this story are typical African American children. They like outdoor activities more than indoor activities. Charlie plays jumping ropes in the front yard, hanging around on streets with Billy, exploring adventure with street boys in the neighborhood and visiting neighbors just knocking their doors. The neighbors always open their hands and prepare dessert to welcome them. It sounds like another cultural marker in African American society.

Language dialects play an essential role throughout the story, and there are many conversations, greetings, and daily lives between Charlie with her friends, and Charlie with neighbors; however, it does not present too much cultural markers in it. It is hard to find the black dialect, but Charlie and Bill enjoy singing tongue twister and rhyme song in this story.

D. REVIEW EXCERPTS
School Library Journal: “This introduction to the main characters and the people in the neighborhood is the best of the bunch with a strong plot and a great platform for the two friends to bond and show off their cleverness. The stories that follow have less action but Charlie's antics will keep readers' interest. The realistic dialogue will make this comfortable reading for kids, though the few grammatical informalities ("Me and Billy") are unnecessary. Black-and-white sketches appear throughout this entertaining, if not gripping, beginning chapter book.”

Booklist: “Newly independent readers will enjoy Charlie's escapades as she makes herself at home on her new street.”

Kirkus: “Writing for a younger audience than that for any of her previous novels, Johnson (The Other Side, p. 1460, etc.) works in a more prosaic style; it lacks her usual lyricism, but is breezy and light, affectionately conveying Charlie's penchant for landing in trouble. Her sunny outlook and the recurring emphasis on friendship may win fans.”

E. CONNECTIONS
Other books by Johnson Angela
Daddy Calls Me Man. 1997. New York: Orchard Books.
Down the Winding Road. 2000. New York: DK Ink.
The Girl Who Wore Snakes. 1993. New York: Orchard Books.
Heaven. 1998. New York: Simon & Schuster Books.
Dav Pilkey. 1993. New York: Orchard Books.
The Leaving Morning. 1992. New York: Orchard Books.
Looking For Red. 2002. New York: Simon & Schuster Books.
One Of Three. 1991. New York: Orchard Books.
The Other Side: Shorter Poems. 1998. New York: Orchard Books.
The Rolling Store. 1997. New York: Orchard Books.
Songs of Faith. 1998. New York: Orchard Books.
Tell Me A Story, Mama. 1992. New York: Orchard Books.
Toning The Sweep. 1993. New York: Orchard Books.
The Wedding. 1999. New York: Orchard Books.
When I Am Old With You. 1993. New York: Orchard Books.

Book Review: UNCLE JED'S BARBERSHOP

A. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Mitchell Margaree King. 1993. UNCLE JED’S BARBERSHOP. New York: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0671769693

B. PLOT SUMMARY
The story happens in the early 19th century in the Southern America. Uncle Jed, Jean’s best friend, is the only black moving barber in the county. He comes to visit his customer with very little pay everyday and see Jean every Wednesday night. Jean has fun playing pretend hair cut and listening to his dream about his own barbershop, and what is the plan about his dream. Even though he is frustrated by unexpected events, Jean’s medical bills and the Great Depression put off his dream, he never gives his dream up and starts saving all over again. By the age of seventy-nine, he finally has his own barbershop and all people from the county come to celebrate with him and be his customers on the date of his birthday.

C. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
This book not only involves that characters portray a variety of physical, social and emotional attributes, but also depict relatives and friendships between two generations and dream accomplishment. It is easy to find the cultural markers of African American in this book, such as children’s hair styles, a male’s pants, patch quilts and house style in the South.

Mitchell does not directly depict people’s lives in the South. She uses the fist person of the protagonist, a little girl, to mildly describe the life people live, and their political status in the South, such that “most people were sharecroppers and travel about twenty miles into town to the hospital by wagon” and “in the hospital, we had to go to the colored waiting room.” The most outstanding part in this book is the description about relationship between Uncle Jed, and the protagonist in contents and illustrations. Mitchell does not disclose the protagonist’s name until Uncle Jed state that “he couldn’t let anything happen to his Sarah Jean” to show how important Jean for Jed. In the cover, it shows that Jed very carefully and seriously pretend cuts Jean’s hair and how happy and satisfied Jean is. Every picture of Jed and Jean is full with happiness and joy besides the one Jed with frown face stand in front of Jean’s bed and is anxious about her illness.

The majority settings are very simple involving with African American lives about desolated farm scenery and plain indoor furnishings at that time. Instead of using language dialect, the author use narrative format to display the story; therefore, it is difficult to find black dialects in this story.

D. REVIEW EXCERPTS
Publishers Weekly: “Convivial descriptions of family life are enhanced by Ransome’s spirited oil paintings.”

E. CONNECTIONS

The website of lessons and activities about Uncle Jed’s Barbershop:
http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/curriculum/socialStd/grade2/Uncle_Jed.html
http://www.kidseconbooks.com/html/uncle_jed_s_barbershop.html
http://pbskids.org/readingrainbow/parents_and_teachers/activity_117.html
http://tech.psdr3.org/projects/HERO/html/Bueckendorf/html/lesson_plan_12.html

Awards:
ALA Notable Children's Books

CBC/NCSS Notable Children's Book in Social Studies

Coretta Scott King Award Honor Book

Horn Book Fanfare

IRA Children's Book Award Honor

Book Review: THE SHADOWS OF GHADAMES

A. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Stolz, Joelle. 1999. THE SHADOWS OF GHADAMES. New York: Delacorte Press. ISBN 0385901313

B. PLOT SUMMARY
The story happens in the late 19th century in Libya. A young Muslim girl, Malika, has two mothers. Her birth mother is responsible for the household. Her second mother is brother’s mother who is allowed to travel veiled through the city shadows as long as she does not speak to a man. In Malika’s culture, women are confined to the rooftops. Malika’s freedom is being curtailed as she approaches twelve years of age which is close to the marrying age. When Malika’s father is leaving home to venture to another part of the country to trade his goods, Malika and her second mother find and care for a severely wounded man which is forbidden to hide a man at home in their society. Finally, the man learns to respect women and teaches Malika to read.

C. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Stolz’s story provides great cultural markers that connect to Berber culture. For example, women’s clothes and ornaments, veil to cover married women’s head and face when they go out or meet with men, and the material and purposes of containers and vessels. She also explores gender roles, courage, and gives a fascinating glimpse into Berber culture which is another cultural marker relating this culture.

Stolz invigorates her tale with elegant prose and a deft portrayal of a girl, Malika, verging on adolescence through living with two different types of female, tradition and modern, conservative and enthusiastic. She also creates an outsider, a young person, to provide a new life experience for Malika which enhances and presents her will to learn reading and writing. It finally persuade Malika’s mother to break traditional rules and support her desire. Instead of directly emphasizing how difficult to earn equal rights for female in this culture, Stolz uses a track of representing different clues for the same concept for readers to realize the difficulty.

Language is one element to make this book successful. Stolz uses the sound of words to describe an object which deepened mystery of it, such as youyouyouyouououou and zam-zam tap-tap zam-zam! It's a vivid and beautiful, and well-written book which provides information for readers to have their own pictures of the Middle Eastern culture.

D. REVIEW EXCERPTS
School Library Journal: “This quiet story is notable for the intimate picture of the traditional Muslim world that it conveys; unfortunately, not until the author's note at the end is the time period made evident. The imprecise use of language may make it difficult for readers to visualize this distant world and to understand the characters' motivations. Still, this novel would be useful in schools studying this part of the world.”

Booklist: “The vivid backdrop is intoxicating, but the story's universal concerns will touch readers most: sibling jealously, confusion about adult customs, and a growing interest in a world beyond family.”

E. CONNECTIONS
When I read this book, I found the importance of having the prior knowledge of the story settings.
Know more about Libya
Terri Willis. 2008. LIBYA. ISBN: 9780531124802.
Paul A. Rozario. 2003. LIBYA. ISBN: 9780836831115.
Don Lawson. 1987. LIBYA AND QUADDAFI. ISBN: 9780531103296.
Ted Gottfried. 1994. LIBY: DESERT LAND IN CONFLICT. ISBN: 9781562943516
Francesca Davis DiPazza. 2005. LIBYA IN PICTURES. ISBN: 97808225493.

Book Review: ON MY WAY TO BUY EGGS

A. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Chen, Chih-Yuan. 2003. ON MY WAY TO BUY EGGS. La Jolla, CA: Kane/Miller. ISBN 1929132492

B. PLOT SUMMARY
Shau-yu wants to play outside but his father asks her to buy eggs for dinner on the day which her mom is not at home. She is so happy to be a helper that she can have her adventure on the way to buy eggs. She plays with her shadow, teases with a street dog, looks the neighborhood through a lost blue marble ball, and steps on the falling leaves. Finally, she finds and wears a pair of lost adult glasses which makes her look and act like an adult with more confident to buy eggs.

C. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Like Chen notes on the epilog: “even though times have changed, there are some things remain the same,” helping a mother to buy materials for a meal is a very common experience for every child in Taiwan. Chen always reflects his personal or his friend’s life experience in stories. The idea of this book comes from observing a little girl carrying a bag of eggs through his window one day. Because ON MY WAY TO BUY EGGS is related people’s daily life, it also connects some cultural markers in Taiwan. For example, in this story, people use bamboo poles to hang their clothes and use red-white striped plastic bags for carrying grocery, such as eggs. They live in apartments with cages on windows and the settings of grocery stores. Children have fun with shadow and a marble ball which are most people’s memory in their childhood.

Chen also is good at depicting children’s portraits, characters and behaviors by language and drawing. The joys of children see neighbors and friends in the story or have fun on the way to buy things. They yearn to be adults and pretend acting like adults by wearing a tiny adult’s stuff, such as a pair of glasses.

Unlike most children’s books, instead of using bright colors and fancy drawing skills in this book, Chen uses dark colors throughout the story and delicate shades to extend the vision of the picture and show the speed of Shau-yu’s run. It plainly and truly presents the story just as our every day life.

D. REVIEW EXCERPTS
Publishers Weekly: “In the age of malls and Wal-Marts, a Taiwanese girl's blithesome errand feels like a joyful celebration of childhood. Young Shau-yu relishes in the simple pleasures of her walk...After a series of these small, gem-like moments, Shau-yu returns with the eggs her smiling father has requested, telling him, "Hello! I've had such a busy day." Chen's streamlined, blocky style keeps the focus on the human interactions and emotions, rather than the setting. With gentle humor, this timeless tale demonstrates how children largely live in - and appreciate - the moment.”

School Library Journal: “This universal tribute to the power of a child's imagination will strike a familiar chord with dreamers everywhere.”

Newsweek: “This is a country of immigrants, yet most of the best-known fairy tales hail from midieval Europe. That may change with the help of newly translated books from Asia. Among the best to hit bookstores this fall is On My Way to Buy Eggs...The striking illustrations that combine collage and line drawings are reminiscent of Ezra Jack Keats.”

The Washington Post: “...a treasure of a picture book...”

E. CONNECTIONS
About the author
Chih-Yuan Chen was born in 1975, grew up in an urban county of southern Taiwan. He lives and works in Taiwan and has loved drawing and painting since he was a child. “想念”—“Missing a person” is his first award book which is a wordless picture book; however, it is not printed in the United States. Chen is a famous young author and illustrator of children’s picture books in Taiwan and three-time winner of the prestigious Hsin Yi Picture Book Award.

Other books by Chih-Yuan Chen
Chen, Chih-Yuan. 2004. GUJI GUJI. La Jolla, CA: Kane/Miller. ISBN 1929132492
Chen, Chih-Yuan. 2006. FEATHERLESS CHICKEN. Alhambra, CA: Heryin Books Inc. Kane/Miller. ISBN 0976205696
Chen, Chih-Yuan. 2006. THE BEST CHRISTMAS EVER. Alhambra, CA: Heryin Books Inc. ISBN 0976205629