Culture 1: International Literature

CULTURE 1: INTERNATIONAL CULTURE

 

A. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Lam, T. (2020). The Paper Boat.  Toronto, ON. Owlkids Books. ISBN 9781771473637

B. PLOT SUMMARY

The Paper Boat is a wordless picture book filled with collage art. It starts with a lengthy author’s note of how the author and her family fled Vietnam and the troubles of living in and escaping Vietnam. The pictures follow a girl and her family walking and passing a family of ants. As the adults swat at the ants, the young girl helps the ants. In return the ants lead the way for the girl and her family to find their boat to leave. The girl builds a paper boat for the ants. The story of the humans and the ants are intertwined as they both are leaving their current home to find a new home.

C. CRITICAL ANALYSIS INCLUDING CULTURAL MARKERS

The author’s note has the description of Vietnam and the “one and only” picture of the author from a refugee camp. Other cultural markers are the dress of the characters which is traditional Vietnamese. In one of the beautifully crafted pictures of the family looking at trying to escape, we are presented with a boat with a Vietnamese flag hoisted high above the boat. The ants’ voyage on their hand-crafted paper boat shows a treacherous, long, hot, and miserable travel. While the reader does not see the travels of the family of people leaving Vietnam, their voyage mirrors that of the ants. Another marker of the culture of the family is when the family sits down at the dinner table to a meal. In the background is a photograph of deceased family member with a lit candle placed beside the photograph. The dinner table is filled with a plate of fish, bowls of noodles, and a plate of rolls with sets of chopsticks lying in wait for use.

D. REVIEW EXCERPTS

Best picture book of 2020 by Kirkus, School Library Journal, Booklist, New York Public Library, the Globe and Mail, CBC, and the Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books 

Publishers Weekly: “In wordless cut paper and mixed media collage, Lam (My Cat Looks Like My Dad) fictionalizes her family’s escape from Vietnam, drawing a human family into relationship with the ants that are interested in food on their table.

Goodreads: “Impressionistic collages and a moving, Own Voices narrative make this a one-of-a-kind tale of courage, resilience, and hope.”

E. CONNECTIONS

Chen, Eva. I Am Golden. ISBN 9781250842053

Medina, Medina. Evelyn del Rey is Moving Away. ISBN 9781536207040

Yee, Lisa. Maizy Chen’s Last Chance. ISBN 9781984830258

A. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Fox, M. (2009). Hello, Baby! New York. Beach Lane Books. ISBN 9781416985136

B. PLOT SUMMARY

This rhyming picture book by Mem Fox shows a variety of baby animals. The baby animals shown page by page are a monkey, porcupine, lion, owl, hippo, warthog, and crocodile. Then the narrator meets the sweetest baby of all: herself.

C. CRITICAL ANALYSIS INCLUDING CULTURAL MARKERS

The book is filled with pure white pages with a richly colorful animal illustration. The animals included are animals which can be found in Australia and Africa, the countries were author Mem Fox has lived. While these animals are native to the locations of Mem Fox, they would not lead a typical reader to think the text was written anywhere specifically.

D. REVIEW EXCERPTS

CCBC Choices (Cooperative Children's Book Council)

NYPL 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing

Capital Choices Noteworthy Books for Children's and Teens (DC)

Publishers Weekly: “Like her Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes, Fox's newest has all the marks of a lap-sit classic. In mellifluous motherese, the narrator poses a series of playful questions to a baby.”

Simon & Schuster: “With an exuberant rhyming text by bestselling author Mem Fox and adorable cut-paper illustrations by Caldecott-Honor recipient Steve Jenkins, this book is an irresistible celebration of the joyful connection between parent and child. Now available for the first time as a Classic Board Book, this story is perfect for the youngest readers!”

E. CONNECTIONS

Daywalt, Drew. The Crayons Book of Feelings. ISBN 9780451534040

Wilson, Karma. Bear Wants More. ISBN 9780689845093 

A. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Cuthew, L. (2020). Blood Moon. Somerville, Massachusetts. Walker Books Ltd.

ISBN 9781536215038

B. PLOT SUMMARY

Blood Moon is the story of a teenager named Frankie who suffers through traumatic teenage happenings. Frankie and her best friend Harriet get in a fight after Harriet sexted a teacher she liked. While Harriet endures the criticism and name calling from others, she takes her anger and disappointment out on Frankie. While the two friends are not speaking, Frankie finally spends time with Benjamin, the boy she has a crush on. When Frankie and Benjamin have an intimate moment, Benjamin discovers blood on his hands. Somehow, the news of what happened to Frankie and Benjamin spreads everywhere an ugly meme makes its way across the internet. Frankie must navigate telling her parents the truth, repairing her friendship with Harriet, repairing her relationship with Benjamin, and created an unforgettable moment at her school.

C. CRITICAL ANALYSIS INCLUDING CULTURAL MARKERS

While reading Blood Moon I pictured the story occurring in many different places. She is a teenager who goes to school, has a best friend, has interest in a boy, and has goals. In the beginning of the book a group of teenagers celebrate a boy’s birthday at a skating rink. Frankie and her parents eat out at a pizza place one night. Her boyfriend Benjamin plays rugby. These are not significant markers.

There are a handful of cultural markers which could point to a culture, but it is more circumstantial. For instance, Frankie and Harriet lived next door to each other in their own home but shared a common wall. Many homes in the United Kingdom are terrace housing, also known as townhomes or row homes in the United States.  Benjamin’s sister lived in California and on a different time when he tried to talk to her on the phone, which would indicate a place farther than the United States. Benjamin’s sport was rugby, which is a popular sport in the UK. Another small clue is the ending of the writing on the meme of Frankie, “And I bloody loved it!” Again, another nod to the language used in the UK. Overall, a reader would not realize the specific culture of Bloody Moon.

D. EXCERPTS

Penguin Random House: “This powerful, timely novel in verse exposes provocative truths about periods, sex, shame, and going viral for all the wrong reasons.”

Publishers Weekly: “When someone creates a meme about Frankie getting her period during a moment of intimacy with Benjamin, it’s easy for Frankie to blame Harriet-and Benjamin, of course, since he is the only one who knew that it happened. Feeling betrayed and utterly along, Frankie must find a way to persevere as the internet piles on to shame her.”

E. CONNECTIONS

Foley, Lucy. The guest list. ISBN 9780062868930

Wise, Rachel. Set the Record Straight! ISBN 9781442444454

A. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Thor, A. The Lily Pond. 2011. New York. Delacorte Press. ISBN 9780375899140

B. PLOT SUMMARY

The Lily Pond tells of a young teenage girl named Stephanie and her sister, who are Jewish refugees who were relocated from Vienna by their parents. Her parents are stuck in Nazi controlled Vienna. After living on the island with her aunt and her family, she becomes a border with a rich family. She has had a crush on the son in the family and gets swept away by his friendship. She borders with the family while attending a girls school on scholarship. She soon finds herself accused of cheating and risks losing her scholarship. After making a fool of herself with the boy she loved Stephanie runs back to the island. She finds hope from two friends who believe in her and help her return to school. This book is the second in a series of three. It is a great read, and you will not miss out starting with this title.

C. CRITICAL ANALYSIS INCLUDING CULTURAL MARKERS

The Lily Pond is full of descriptions of the ocean, the island, the fishing boats, the smell of fish, and the cobblestoned streets. This gives the reader a strong sense of the setting of the story, as well as the time. The feelings of the characters, with concerns of class, privilege, Hitler, and Germany highlight how WWII impacted the people of Austria and Sweden. At one point in the story, Stephanie receives a letter from her parents with a Hitler postage stamp. This was a disappointing sign her parents were unable to leave Austria and travel to America. There are descriptions of the architectural differences between Stephanie’s newest city, Gothenburg, and the island she called home for a short time. Stephanie is invited to stay for a dinner party at the home where she borders, but she soon realizes she is not a guest but a servant. Stephanie was also expected to eat in the kitchen with the house servant and not with the family. The women in Stephanie’s life are concerned mostly with love and religion, not education and making a life for yourself.

D. EXCERPTS

Mildred L. Batchelder Honor Book

ALA-ALSC Notable Children’s Book

Booklist: “A compelling look at World War II–era Sweden, this distinguished Holocaust story will resonate."

Horn Book: "Stephie’s story of adjustment to a new school and of a first crush is both specific and universal"

E. CONNECTIONS

Backman, Fredrik. The Winners. ISBN 9781982112790

Strandberg, Mats. Cirkeln. ISBN 9789129676051

 

 


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