Culture 1 Multicultural & International Literature
Book Blog Review
Bibliography
Raschke, Jens, et al. Do fish sleep? Enchanted Lion Books, 2019.
ISBN: 978-159270-285-5
Batchelder Award Novel- Do Fish Sleep? By Jens Raschke
Plot Summary
This realistic fictional story is about a family that experiences a death in their family. Emil, who was sick, dies at a very young age. His sister Jeete and mom and dad are immersed in sadness. Jette recounts special moments she had with her little brother before his death. She is curious and at times does not completely understand death. As the family struggles with their emotions, they find help through family, friends, and counseling to cope with the death of Emil. In the end, Jette begins to accept and move forward with life,but never forgets her little brother.
Critical Analysis
I can see why this book is outstanding and a bestseller. It made my eyes water a couple of times. It places you in the shoes of Jette. She goes through many emotions, the stages of grief. The author delicately captures the emotions of grief. This novel was originally written in German and translated in many other languages. It has become an internationally known novel in which I believe it has done so well because its themes are universal. At some point in a person’s life, they will experience grief and the death of a loved one. It is an excellent novel for children to read so they build empathy and maybe learn how to deal with a loss. Also, know that they are not alone; others go through the same painful losses. The illustrations are somewhat simple, but powerful and touch your heart deeply. A reader can feel the pain of the characters by looking at the pictures.
Review excerpt(s)
Publishers Weekly (September 16, 2019)
This heartrending story by German writer Raschke is narrated by 10-year-old Jette, who describes the death of her terminally ill six-year-old brother Emil in unvarnished prose ("He lay there completely still. And pale, like yogurt"). Her parents are too devastated to offer much comfort. Earlier on, when Emil wasn’t as ill and they were on vacation, Jette asked her father whether fish could sleep. "Dad gave me a funny look and mumbled something. I saw that he didn’to know." It’s an early hint that the parents she depends on are as lost as she is. Another time, Jette and Emil talk frankly about death, and she offers Emil a version of Heaven that he likes: "pizza heaven, where he can eat as much pizza as he wants all day." Cartoonish drawings by Rassmus contribute to the straightforwardly painful mood, as when Jette is seen in the back of her car on the way to the funeral home with Emil’s seat empty beside her. Brutally honest about the suffering that follows the death of a young sibling, Raschke’s narrative is at once excruciating, honest, and compelling.áAges 8-12. (Oct.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Connections
Look for these other books for young people about grief and loss.
Spinelli, Jerry. Maniac Magee ISBN: 978-0-7807-1286-7
Henkes, Kevin. Sun & Spoon ISBN: 978-0-688-15232-1
Bibliography
Fox, Mem, and Judy Horacek. Good night, sleep tight. Scholastic Australia, 2017.
ISBN: 978-0545533706
One Picture book by Mem Fox: Good Night, Sleep Tight
Plot Summary
This book tells different nursery rhymes to Bonnie and Ben by their babysitter Skinny Doug. The children are excited and not ready for bed so Skinny Doug shares his bedtime stories his mother used to tell him in hopes to calm the children down to sleep.
Critical Analysis
This is a great read for young children. If you're looking for a book to introduce poetry or just simply a great bedtime story for young children, Good night, Sleep Tight is an excellent choice. Traditionally, young children are read bedtime stories and this book hits on the classic nursery rhymes and it certainly celebrates American culture. The illustrations are funny,age appropriate, whimsical that tells a story as well. The usage of bright watercolors are appealing to the reader(s). The illustrations are engaging and portray the ideal experience of a night without parents. It sets the mood and the characters bring joy and excitement.
Review Expert(s)
Sure to be requested and welcome for lapsits and reciting together any time of day." - Kirkus starred review
Connections
Tartan, Miro. Right Before Sleep ISBN: 978-1913691035
Bibliography
Avingaq, Susan, et al. The Pencil. Inhabit Media Inc., 2018.
ISBN: 978-1-77227-216-1
One picture book of choice: The Pencil
Plot Summary
The story begins with ananna leaving to help out a neighbor deliver her baby and the children are left with their ataata. It is a cold day in Canada. Father opens mothers special box and allows the children to play with the special pencil mother wrote letters with. Not knowing what ananna will say or think about them using the pencil to draw, Susan shows off their art work when anaaa returns. Anaana was disappointed and explained to the family the importance of the pencil and how they should be responsible with belongings. In the end, everyone was happy and the children learned a valuable lesson and enjoyed their day.
Critical Analysis
In The Pencil, the author shares a little about herself at the end of the book. This gives the reader a better understanding and background knowledge of the culture she portrays in her story. The author also provides a glossary to define and pronounce words that will be difficult to read and understand. I really liked this added feature because it helped me understand the language. The illustrations are my favorite. It is rich with culture and traditional tribal tools, attire. The pictures represent a piece of a childhood most of us can relate to growing up. The colors complement each other and have a calm and soothing feel. The illustrator Charlene Chua is one of my favorite illustrations so far.This book brought joy to me and reminded me to always appreciate and be responsible with our belongings.
Review Expert(s)
Kirkus Reviews (July 15, 2019)
When their mother leaves to help a neighbor, siblings Susan, Rebecca, and Peter are surprised when their father opens his wife’s wooden box of special things. With Anaana gone from their iglu, the children play all their usual games: a jumping contest, blindfolded hide-and-seek, drawing on the ice window, and playing with the dolls their grandmother has made for them, but soon all three become bored. However, Ataata surprises them by opening Anaana’s wooden box and taking out her pencil! He hands it and a piece of paper to Susan, the oldest and narrator, so she can draw. Soon, the other children each have a turn with the pencil, but with the paper full, they draw on the back of an empty tea box. Ataata must sharpen the pencil with his knife, making the pencil much smaller; Susan wonders what will happen when Anaana returns. Authors Avingaq and Vsetula understand life in Nunavut, Canada, and embed in the story the importance of being responsible for belongings and caring for them wisely. A helpful glossary of the Inuktitut words (italicized on first reference within the story) is included in the backmatter. Chua depicts a close, loving Inuit family dressed in furs; a traditional ulu and seal-oil lamp can be seen along with a European kettle in the cozy interior. A breath of warmth from the far north. (Picture book. 5-7)
Connections
Cali, Davide. The Little Eskimo.
Munsch, Robert N.. A Promise is a Promise
Bibliography
Atinuke, et al. Too small tola. Candlewick Press, 2021.
ISBN: 978-1-5362-1127-6
Novel of choice: Too Small Tola by Atinuke
Plot Summary
In a country named Nigeria, lives a young girl named Tola. She lives with her Grandmommy and two older siblings. Tola struggles with the fact that she is too small. Throughout the novel she proves those who see her as less because of her stature. She helps her Grandmommy with items they pick up at the market and carries heavy water jugs back to her apartment. Despite her having to prove her strength to others, Tola has a big heart. She shows random acts of kindness to the people in her community by helping the elderly and sick, or injuried. Tola is not too small to make a big impact.
Critical Analysis
This book depicts Nigeria’s environment and the struggles people go through on an everyday basis. Working 6 days a week, having no water or electricity, the struggle to have a stable job or income to pay rent. In the story, I noticed contemporary details on the way the children behaved and thought. To add, I felt there was a generational gap within the characters. It is also rich in culture, traditions, customs, and beliefs. Carrying a basket the head is custom and learned at an early age. Tola and the people in her community celebrate Easter and Eid and celebrate these religious days with new tailor made clothing. Another thing I noticed was the importance placed on education throughout the book. The girls seemed to place more importance on education than the brother. The themes family and multigenerational in this book are universal and can be related to around the world. Overall, it shows a contemporary attitude within characters and accurate representation of Nigerian family struggles, cultural beliefs, and customs.
Review Expert(s)
Horn Book Magazine (March/April, 2021)
Tola is small, but she is mighty. In three episodic chapters, Tola uses her not-inconsequential perseverance to help her grandmother, other family members, and those in her wider Lagos community. As she does in her chapter books about Anna Hibiscus (Welcome Home, Anna Hibiscus!; You're Amazing, Anna Hibiscus!, both rev. 11/17; and others), Atinuke provides child-friendly particulars that create a vivid picture of the setting (and just as in the Anna Hibiscus titles, continually re-sets the scene: "Tola lives in a run-down block of apartments in the megacity of Lagos, in the country of Nigeria"). When the water is not working in their apartment building, Tola and her siblings must fill jerry cans at a nearby tap, lining up with their neighbors before school. When Abdul the tailor visits Tola's family to measure them for their matching Easter outfits ("Easter and Eid do not often happen at the same time, and celebrations are all anybody is talking about"), he rides his bicycle with his sewing machine strapped on the back. Atinuke's writing is rich with imagery and replicates the music and rhythm of Tola's daily life. The stories are copiously illustrated with line drawings of a round-faced, appealingly welcoming protagonist. The friendly format, universal emotional truths, helpful illustrations, and strong writing work together to immerse young readers in Tola's world. Maeve Visser Knoth March/April 2021 p.80
Connections
Look for this other book for young people about family and self image.
Delacre, Lulu. Salsa Stories ISBN: 978-0-329-94379-0
