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.