Bilingual

Indigenous wisdom

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

You Are the Land by Steph Littlebird (Nancy Paulsen Books, 32 pages, ages 4-8). From the time she’s born, a Native girl is surrounded by love, both from her family members and the natural world. She compares the two: her grandmother is like a flower with petals to wrap around her and keep her safe; her grandfather is like water, nurturing her and teaching her to use her voice like a thundering waterfall. Her parents, too, take care of her and teach her about the world, lessons that she passes on when she grows older and has a little sister. At her first powwow, she comes to appreciate her community, and she carries those lessons forward as that community works together to protect their land. “My culture teaches me that I am the land,” she concludes, “and the land is me.” Includes an author’s foreword telling how her Atfalati Kalapuya and Clatsop Chinook tribal connections have taught her to take care of the land and encouraging readers to do the same.

I love the environmental message of this book, with its emphasis on family, community, and connection to the land, but it’s the illustrations that make it truly spectacular. showing the girl and her family in a variety of beautiful nature scenes filled with a rainbow of colors. Those familiar with Steph Littlebird’s illustrations in My Powerful Hair will appreciate the way she connects the girl’s hair to the natural world.

The Animals Speak: the Lakota Way by S.D. Nelson, translated by Dakota Goodhouse (Harry N. Abrams, 48 pages, ages 4-8). “If you look with your eyes and listen with your ears, our animal relatives will share their ancient wisdom with you,” the author tells readers on the first page. “This is the Lakota way.” From there, each spread introduces a different animal with both the English and Lakota names and what that animal can teach: buffalo shows how to share and be generous, raven teaches how to listen and make wise choices. There are 16 animals (actually 15 and a tree) in all, with humans being the 17th on the last page. Each animal is shown in its habitat with symbols that suggest interconnectedness. Includes an author’s note with additional information about what humans can learn from animals and the art and traditions of the Lakota that inspired this book.

Another beautifully illustrated book by an Indigenous author, this could be used as a prompt for kids to consider their favorite animals and the lessons those animals teach. Each picture invites contemplation, with its interesting symbols and various portrayals of animals.

This magic moment

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Dawn by Marc Martin (Candlewick, 48 pages, ages 4-8). Each page has just one word, starting with “Dawn” and ending with “Sun”. In between, all sorts of animals and plants can be seen in gorgeous watercolor illustrations moving, eating, waking, or making noise, all illuminated by the changing light as the sun rises. Some of the words are alliterative (“sound, spring, still” to describe a series of pictures of a deer), others list the animals on the page (“dragonfly, cicada, bee, beetle”), while still others are a series of action words describing the movements in the panels (“jump, catch, dive, swallow” shows a fish leaping out of the water to catch an insect then diving back in). The final page, with the sun rising over the lake, looks peaceful and still, but readers will know all the activity the water and woods are hiding.

This book is visually stunning, and the different words would make a unique mentor text to show ways to succinctly describe what you see or hear. At 48 pages, it might not be engaging to read the way you would a story, so give the kids things to look for as you savor each of the stunning illustrations.

This Moment Is Special: A Día de Muertos Story by John Parra (Simon and Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books, 40 pages, ages 4-8). A boy narrates the moments of the day as he and his family celebrate Día de Muertos. Starting with breakfast with the family, he travels to school in a bus reading “Oaxaca”, spends a day at school, then comes home to play with his friends and eat dinner with his family. Each page of text has a few sentences in English and one summarizing sentence in Spanish. It’s an ordinary day in some ways, but also a special one marked with the white paint and decorations on people’s faces and hands, a performance at school, and a visit from abuela. The whole neighborhood is shown celebrating at the end, some wearing make-up and others not, carrying flowers and pictures of the dead. An author’s note asks a series of questions inviting readers to think about and celebrate special moments in their own lives.

There really aren’t enough Día de Muertos/Day of the Dead books for kids, and this one makes a nice addition, with John Parra’s distinctive artwork and the bilingual text that not only show readers different aspects of the holiday, but encourage discussion about appreciating people and events in the moment. I would have loved additional information about the holiday at either the beginning or the end of the book, as I know very little about it.

Eleven Words for Love: A Journey Through Arabic Expressions of Love by Randa Abdel-Fattah, illustrated by Maxine Beneba Clarke

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Candlewick

Summary:  The first few wordless pages show a family leaving their homeland with rainbow-colored suitcases.  In their new home, the girl opens one of the suitcases and leafs through a photo album.  The pictures depict different types of love, expressed through eleven Arabic words.  Each is described with a rhyming couplet: “There’s sunshine-warm friendship that glows and grows after two people meet (al-Wud)/And love that comes like a sudden breeze, sweeping you off your feet (al-Hawa).”  In between, the refrain is repeated, “There are eleven words for love, and my family knows them all,” with the last page reading, “There are eleven words for love, and I love that my family knows them all.”  40 pages; ages 5-9.

Pros:  Warm, colorful illustrations illuminate this celebration of love in its many forms of a Palestinian family that has fled home to start life in a new place.

Cons:  I wish there had been some context notes either at the beginning or the end.  The only reason I know this is a Palestinian family is from reading reviews.

Veo, Veo, I See You by Lulu Delacre

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers

Summary:  During the pandemic, a girl and her mother and brother play a game of Veo, Veo, or I Spy, to spot essential workers in their community.  Mami lost her job as a cook, so she cooks at home now, and the family takes food and medicine to some older relatives before stopping at the food pantry on the way home.  In the course of their errands, they see trash collectors, a nurse, a pharmacist, a bus driver, and other workers who are keeping their city going so that others can safely stay at home.  Back at home, the girl makes a collage sign saying, “I see you!” that includes pictures of many of the workers, leading to cheers and applause from the community.  Includes an author’s note about the pandemic, and how it brought essential workers, and the fact that many of them are Black or Brown, to people’s attention.  40 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  Although the setting is the Covid pandemic, this book could be used to introduce lots of different community helpers.  The illustrations are bright and appealing, with cartoon bubbles for dialog: Spanish for Mami and English for the kids.

Cons:  The pandemic setting makes this already feel a little dated, as many of the kids reading the book will have little or no memory of that time.

Yenebi’s Drive to School by Sendy Santamaria

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Chronicle Books

Summary:  Yenebi and her younger sister Melanie get woken up at 4:00 a.m. to begin their trip to school.  On the road with Mami and Melanie, Yenebi confronts her archenemy: la línea, the line of cars waiting to cross the border.  Will they wait two or three hours this morning?  Mami and Yenebi debate while Melanie sleeps.  Then Mami says the magic words, “hora de desayunar!”  It’s time to decide what to buy for breakfast, choosing from the vendors all around them.  They enjoy chicken tamales as they get closer to the border.  After showing their papers to the stern border patrol agent, they’re finally in the United States and on their way to school.  It’s 7:00 a.m., right on schedule, and when they finally get to school, Yenebi is feeling wide awake.  “Estoy listo,” she declares, ready for her day.  Includes an author’s note about her own experiences crossing the border to go to school.  Available in English and Spanish (El viaje de Yenebi a la escuela). 40 pages; grades K-4.

Pros:  I plan to pair this book with 9 Kilometers as an introduction to the lengths some kids have to go to to get to school.  Yenebi is pretty cheerful about her long drive, and Sendy Santamaria beautifully portrays the sense of community she experienced from this daily journey. I’ve added this to my back to school book list.

Cons:  I wondered what Mami did all day, since I assume she would have to take her daughters home after school.

Spanish Is the Language of My Family/El español es la lengua de mi familia by Michael Genhart, illustrated by John Parra

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by Neal Porter Books

Summary:  Manolo is excited to sign up for his school’s Spanish spelling bee, because “Spanish is the language of my family,” or “es la lengua de mi familia.”  He already knows how to spell a lot of Spanish words, but some are unfamiliar to him, and his abuela helps him prepare.  While they study, she tells him how she and her classmates were punished for speaking Spanish in school.  On the big day, there’s stiff competition, but Manolo wins the bee by correctly spelling “respeto,” the Spanish word for respect, which he has for his abuela, his family, and his Spanish language.  Includes an author’s note with additional information about the history of the Spanish language in the United States and the National Spanish Spelling Bee.  40 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  Manolo’s pride in his bilingualism is evident, with Spanish words easily woven into the text, and a contrast to abuela’s shameful experiences with the language when she was growing up.  John Parra’s illustrations are always a treat. I hope this story will inspire educators to check out the Spanish spelling bee.

Cons:  The disgraceful history of the Spanish language in the U.S.

Kapaemahu by Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu Dean Hamer, and Joe Wilson, illustrated by Daniel Sousa

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by Kokila

Summary:  This Hawaiian legend tells the story of four healers, or mahu, who traveled from Tahiti.  They were neither male nor female, but “a mixture of both in mind, heart, and spirit.”  Each one had their own healing power: spiritual, all-seeing, healing from afar, and laying on of hands.  After bequeathing their powers on the people of the island, the Hawaiians wanted to build a monument to show their gratitude.  They moved four huge boulders onto the beach at Waikiki.  Even after the mahu left, the stones remained for many centuries until more and more people arrived in Hawaii and the area was built up.  The stones have been recovered, but the true nature of the mahu has often been written out of the story.  This book (and the film on which it is based) seeks to correct that.  Includes authors’ notes, a history of the healer stones, additional information about the Olelo Niihau language, and a glossary.  40 pages; grades 1-5.

Pros:  Written in both English and the indigenous Hawaiian Olelo Niihau language, this beautiful legend inspired both this book and a short film, released in 2021.  The author’s note reveals that the nature of the mahu was removed from the story for many years, due to their possession of both male and female spirits.  An excellent addition to collections of both folklore and bilingual books.

Cons:  A Google search revealed to me that the stones are popularly known as the Wizard Stones, which feels like kind of a trivialization of the true story. 

Growing an Artist: The Story of a Landscaper and His Son/Cultivando a un artista: la historia de un jardinero paisajista y su hijo by John Parra

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by Simon and Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books

Summary:  The narrator spends the day helping his father with his landscaping business.  It’s hard work, and one of his classmates snubs the boy when he sees him working in his yard.  But visiting the dump and choosing plants from the nursery is fun, and his dad’s enthusiasm about his business is contagious. Everywhere they go, the boy pulls out his sketchbook and draws what he sees.  Their last visit is to a couple who want to transform their overgrown yard.  When the boy gets home, he begins to create a design for the new yard.  His dad agrees to use his plans.  “You have a gift,” says his mother, as he looks at all the sketches he’s made of his day.  Includes an author’s note about his father’s landscape business and how he helped his dad as a child.  Available in English and Spanish. 40 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  This would make a great mentor text for memoir/narrative writing. Belpré honoree John Parra brings to life a story which is clearly close to his heart.

Cons:  I would have enjoyed seeing a side-by-side illustration of the boy’s blueprint and the finished yard he helped design.

The Year We Learned to Fly/El año en que aprendimos a volar by Jacqueline Woodson, Illustrated by Rafael López

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Nancy Paulsen Books

The Year We Learned to Fly - Kindle edition by Woodson, Jacqueline, López, Rafael. Children Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.

El año en que aprendimos a volar (Spanish Edition) - Kindle edition by Woodson, Jacqueline, López, Rafael, Canetti, Yanitzia. Children Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.

The Year We Learned to Fly: Woodson, Jacqueline, López, Rafael: 9780399545535: Amazon.com: Books

Summary:  From the team that brought you The Day You Begin comes this picture book about a brother and sister going through a difficult year.  There’s boredom in the spring when the weather keeps them inside, sibling fights in the summer, loneliness in autumn, and finally, a move away from the familiar neighborhood in winter.  Each season, their grandmother reminds them, “Lift your arms, close your eyes, take a deep breath.”  When they do, the two children are able to fly, looking down on their city and letting go of their difficult feelings.  In their new house, other kids are initially unfriendly, but when they see the two who can fly, they close their eyes, take a deep breath, and join them.  Includes an author’s note acknowledging Virginia Hamilton’s The People Could Fly: Black American Folktales as her inspiration for this story.  Available in English and Spanish. 32 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  I probably shouldn’t start predicting the 2023 Caldecott the day before the 2022 awards will be announced, but I do love Rafael López’s beautiful illustrations that perfectly complement the intriguing, poetic text by Jacqueline Woodson.

Cons:  Don’t hurry through the story; there’s a lot to unpack in both the text and the illustrations.

I have a discussion guide for this book on Teachers Pay Teachers that includes discussion questions, vocabulary, and connections.

¡Mambo Mucho Mambo! The Dance That Crossed Color Lines/El baile que atravesó la barrera de color by Dean Robbins, illustrated by Eric Velasquez

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Candlewick

Amazon.com: ¡Mambo Mucho Mambo! The Dance That Crossed Color Lines: 9781536206081: Robbins, Dean, Velasquez, Eric: Books

Amazon.com: ¡Mambo Mucho Mambo! The Dance That Crossed Color Lines: 9781536206081: Robbins, Dean, Velasquez, Eric: Books

Summary:  In the 1940’s, young people danced in groups divided by race and ethnicity.  Millie danced to jazz in her Italian neighborhood, while Pedro danced to Latin songs in his Puerto Rican community.  But then a band called Machito and His Afro-Cubans started mixing things up, using jazz trumpets and saxophones with Latin maracas and congas to make what they called Latin jazz.  In 1948, New York City’s Palladium Ballroom broke the rules by opening its doors to everyone and hiring Machito to play for them.  It brought together Millie and Pedro, who danced a new dance called the mambo–and danced it so well that they became the best at the Palladium, the best in New York City, and finally, the best in the United States.  Includes an author’s note with more information on Machito, the Palladium, and the dancers mentioned in the text; also a list of resources.  40 pages; grades 1-5.

Pros:  The realistic oil painting illustrations and the brief text capture the movement and energy of the dancers, as well as the different groups that came together at the Palladium.  The back matter adds good informational value.

Cons:  No photos.