Culture 5 Asian Pacific American Literature Book Blogs/ Reviews
Bibliography:
Say, A. (2011). Drawing from memory. Amsterdam University Press.
ISBN: 978-0-545-17686-6
Plot Summary:
This picture biography book is about Allen Say. He is a notable illustrator who shares his love for his culture and drawing. He shares that his family did not approve of his talent of drawing and that they did not believe it was a respectable living. He was inspired by a Japan’s cartoonist who became his fuel to follow his dreams.
Critical Analysis:
This book is entertaining and informative to read. It is a combination of informational and graphic novel format. The images are partly drawn/sketched, photographs (black & white and color). The images tell a story of his life as a child and memories he had that drove him to the person he is today. Allen Say is a representation of his culture and an inspiration to young illustrators who have felt suppressed because of their background or because of people in their life who don't believe drawing is good enough.
Review Experts:
Horn Book Guide starred (Spring 2012)
This rendering of Say's adolescence--a coming-of-age story within the context of a long life and vocation--takes the form of an album, with text, photographs, drawings, and paintings. At the center of the book is Say's relationship with Noro Shinpei, a popular cartoonist who took Say on as an apprentice at thirteen. Throughout the volume, content is reinforced through canny artistic choices and harmonious design.
Connections
Say, A. The Inker’s Shadow
Bibliography
Lin, G. (2019). Where the mountain meets the moon (1st ed.). Little, Brown Books for Young Readers.
ISBN: 978-0-316-11427-1
Plot Summary
This story is about a poor Chinese family who is barely making ends meet. One day Minli leaves a note behind for her parents and sets out in search of the Old Man of the Moon, a tale her Ba has told her of. She believes she can change her family's bad fortune to good by meeting the old man of the moon. Along the way she meets people and a dragon who help her along in her journey.
Critical Analysis
Grace Lin shares a part of her culture through fascinating and adventurous tales that are rich with history and Asian references. The main character, Minli, possesses a strong, brave, and determination to change her family's fortune. This is a great adventurous book that is surely to take you along for a ride. It reminded me of the Wizard of Oz. A search of the great Oz, the monkeys, and the black road she encountered throughout the story. I enjoyed this book and would surely recommend it. The illustrations are mostly small but give the reader an insight of authentic asian culture and beliefs. Lin shows cultural elements and traditions that reflect the asian culture.
Review Experts
Booklist starred (May 1, 2009 (Vol. 105, No. 17))
Grades 3-6. In this enchanted and enchanting adventure, Minli, whose name means “quick thinking,” lives with her desperately poor parents at the confluence of Fruitless Mountain and the Jade River. While her mother worries and complains about their lot, her father brightens their evenings with storytelling. One day, after a goldfish salesman promises that his wares will bring good luck, Minli spends one of her only two coins in an effort to help her family. After her mother ridicules what she believes to be a foolish purchase, Minli sets out to find the Old Man of the Moon, who, it is told, may impart the true secret to good fortune. Along the way, she finds excitement, danger, humor, magic, and wisdom, and she befriends a flightless dragon, a talking fish, and other companions and helpmates in her quest. With beautiful language, Lin creates a strong, memorable heroine and a mystical land. Stories, drawn from a rich history of Chinese folktales, weave throughout her narrative, deepening the sense of both the characters and the setting and smoothly furthering the plot. Children will embrace this accessible, timeless story about the evil of greed and the joy of gratitude. Lin’s own full-color drawings open each chapter.
Connections
Lin, G. Starry River of the Sky
Bibliography
Kadohata, C., & Kuo, J. (2013). The thing about luck. Adfo Books.
ISBN: 978-1-4169-1882-0
Plot Summary
It was a year of bad luck according to Summer, a 12 year old Japanese girl. Her parents and her worked in a field to make a living but bad luck struck and her parents had to leave for Japan. Summer is left with her grandparents to work in the fields. She tries not to disappoint them but has failed. Summer is looking for a Kouun for a change.
Critical analysis
This is a coming of age story. The main character Summer is a curious girl and wants to find out more about where she comes from. Through her journal entries and light humor the reader can get a sense of Summer as a person. She is a determined young girl looking for a way to change her family's bad luck, and in the process Kadohata highlights Summers struggles and shows young girls a courageous view they would have never expected.
Review Experts
Booklist starred (April 1, 2013 (Vol. 109, No. 15))
Grades 4-8. It seems that if Summer’s Japanese American family didn’t have bad luck, they’d have no luck at all. Certainly good luck (kouun) is elusive. Consider that Summer has had malaria; her little brother, Jaz, is friendless; her parents have to fly to Japan to take care of elderly relatives; and her grandmother (Obaa-chan) and grandfather (Jii-chan) must pay the mortgage by coming out of retirement to work for a custom harvesting company. When the siblings accompany their grandparents on the harvest, Summer helps her grandmother, a cook, while Jaz is Jaz: intense, focused, and bad-tempered. At first, things go reasonably well, but then Jii-chan becomes sick, and it appears that it might be up to Summer to save the day. Will she succeed? Kadohata has written a gentle family story that is unusual in its focus on the mechanics of wheat harvesting. Readers may skim the more arcane aspects of the labor-intensive work, focusing instead on the emotionally rich and often humorous dynamics of Summer’s relationship with her old-fashioned but endearing grandparents and her troubled younger brother. Another engaging novel from the Newbery Medal–winning Kadohata. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: With the blogosphere already starting to buzz, and author appearances and web promotions planned, Kadohata’s already sizable audience will likely increase with this title.
Connections
Kadohata, C. Kira-Kira
Bibliography
Young, E. (2016). The cat from hunger mountain (Illustrated ed.). Philomel Books.
ISBN:978-0-399-17278-6
Plot summary
In Hunger Mountain lived Lord Cat, a cat who lived lavishly and never had enough. One day Lord Cat’s rice field dries due to a drought. His servants are not able to sustain life and move away. Lord Cat begins to look for food and discovers a new meaning of fortune.
Critical Analysis
I think this is a great book to help readers recognize that tangible materials can not always bring happiness. Ed Young's illustrations in this book are thought-provoking. Somewhat abstract and dark. There is so much to look at with every page turned your eyes do not know what to focus on.
Review Experts
Kirkus Reviews starred (August 15, 2016)
A wealthy lord has everything, yet it’s never enough until deprivation teaches him life’s true riches.Lying in luxury atop Hunger Mountain, a haughty cat lord lives in excess. His clothes are spun from silk and gold, and he always leaves his bowl of the finest rice half eaten. But a drought begins, and famine spreads. The villagers leave; still the arrogant feline stays, refusing to part with his possessions. Finally, starving and alone, the lord ventures out and must beg for food. When a kindly monk gives him a spoonful of rice—the grains of which were collected from the cat’s wasted extravagance at Hunger Mountain—the lord finally understands what it means to be blessed. The well-paced fable is visually stunning, as photographs, textured paper, string, and other materials combine into magnificent paper collage illustrations. At times abstract but always beautifully composed, the artwork shows a deep appreciation for its audience, boldly challenging readers to interpret and extract meaning. During the cat’s epiphany, the mountain and mist resolve into a symbolic panda servant dutifully washing the rich lord’s rice. In a time when almost all illustrators use digital manipulation, this artist only needs paper and scissors to assemble a brilliant image. Young is at the height of his powers in this fable that offers a feast for the eyes, mind, and soul. A visual masterpiece. (Picture book. 4-8)
Connections
Wenzel, B. They All Saw the Cat
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