A thoughtful take on Chinese American history that goes beyond the usual fare.
Ming wants a Christmas tree, but her mother refuses, telling her, “Christmas trees are not Chinese.”
Accompanied by golden- and sepia-toned depictions of early-20th-century life, Gong’s text gives readers a glimpse into the lives of families who arrived in the United States during the gold rush. Little Ming feels like an outsider, ostracized at school for being Chinese yet wanting to take part in American traditions. Why does Mama so vehemently refuse to participate? Then Pop takes her to visit some old friends of his father’s, and she listens to them tell stories about panning for gold, traveling the West, and surviving the San Francisco earthquake, always recovering from setbacks with resilience and strength. Afterward, Ming and Pop visit a sequoia grove where many immigrants before them escaped their troubles and connected with nature. Pop also has a compromise for Ming and her mother, a new Christmas tradition that does not forsake Mama’s Chinese roots. Most illustrations depict beautiful landscapes and settings illustrated with intricate details and glowing warmth, but human figures are inconsistent, the faces at times either too bland or a bit frightening. And while the plot is simple and Mama’s motivations are unclear, it is Gong’s depiction of the long arc of a bittersweet history in the context of the strength of human character that readers will remember.
A thoughtful take on Chinese American history that goes beyond the usual fare. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Sept. 29, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-62972-779-0
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Shadow Mountain
Review Posted Online: Aug. 17, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2020
Halloween is used merely as a backdrop; better holiday titles for young readers are available.
A ghost learns to appreciate his differences.
The little ghost protagonist of this title is unusual. He’s a quilt, not a lightweight sheet like his parents and friends. He dislikes being different despite his mom’s reassurance that his ancestors also had unconventional appearances. Halloween makes the little ghost happy, though. He decides to watch trick-or-treaters by draping over a porch chair—but lands on a porch rail instead. A mom accompanying her daughter picks him up, wraps him around her chilly daughter, and brings him home with them! The family likes his looks and comforting warmth, and the little ghost immediately feels better about himself. As soon as he’s able to, he flies out through the chimney and muses happily that this adventure happened only due to his being a quilt. This odd but gently told story conveys the importance of self-respect and acceptance of one’s uniqueness. The delivery of this positive message has something of a heavy-handed feel and is rushed besides. It also isn’t entirely logical: The protagonist could have been a different type of covering; a blanket, for instance, might have enjoyed an identical experience. The soft, pleasing illustrations’ palette of tans, grays, white, black, some touches of color, and, occasionally, white text against black backgrounds suggest isolation, such as the ghost feels about himself. Most humans, including the trick-or-treating mom and daughter, have beige skin. (This book was reviewed digitally with 11-by-16.6-inch double-page spreads viewed at 66.2% of actual size.)
Halloween is used merely as a backdrop; better holiday titles for young readers are available. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-7352-6447-2
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Tundra Books
Review Posted Online: July 13, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
Only for dedicated fans of the series.
When a kid gets the part of the ninja master in the school play, it finally seems to be the right time to tackle the closet monster.
“I spot my monster right away. / He’s practicing his ROAR. / He almost scares me half to death, / but I won’t be scared anymore!” The monster is a large, fluffy poison-green beast with blue hands and feet and face and a fluffy blue-and-green–striped tail. The kid employs a “bag of tricks” to try to catch the monster: in it are a giant wind-up shark, two cans of silly string, and an elaborate cage-and-robot trap. This last works, but with an unexpected result: the monster looks sad. Turns out he was only scaring the boy to wake him up so they could be friends. The monster greets the boy in the usual monster way: he “rips a massive FART!!” that smells like strawberries and lime, and then they go to the monster’s house to meet his parents and play. The final two spreads show the duo getting ready for bed, which is a rather anticlimactic end to what has otherwise been a rambunctious tale. Elkerton’s bright illustrations have a TV-cartoon aesthetic, and his playful beast is never scary. The narrator is depicted with black eyes and hair and pale skin. Wallace’s limping verses are uninspired at best, and the scansion and meter are frequently off.
Only for dedicated fans of the series. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4926-4894-9
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: July 14, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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