Dogs Don’t Do Ballet by Anna Kemp

a. Bibliographic data
Kemp, Anna. 2010. DOGS DON’T DO BALLET. Ill. by Sarah Oligvie. New York: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 141699839X

b. Brief plot summary
Biff has one dream: to become a star ballerina. His young owner understands his desire but her father and ballet instructor repeatedly tell her, “Dogs don’t do ballet!” But when the prima ballerina unexpectedly falls during a performance, Biff saves the days by donning a tutu and proving to the audience that even dogs can be ballerinas.

c. Critical analysis
Dogs Don’t Do Ballet is a beautifully written picture book for young children. The text offers interesting vocabulary words (ex: “looks longingly”, “calamity” “orchestra”) to promote discussion among readers. The setting is unknown, although the illustrations hint at a metropolitan city with parks and city buses. The lack of a specific city name makes the story more universal, as if the story could take place in New York, London, Tokyo or Paris.

The main character in this story, Biff, is a male dog who dreams of becoming a ballerina. Although, the story is fictional and the character is an animal, the idea of a boy being a tutu wearing ballerina may cause some readers to wonder about the author’s intentions of writing this story. More importantly, the underlying message seems to be that one shouldn’t let other people’s opinions or beliefs stand in the way of one’s dreams. This message should be shared and celebrated with children as a way to foster courage and confidence.

The illustrations in Dogs Don’t Do Ballet offer a whimsical feel to the story. Biff’s emotions are captured through the images on the pages and the reader is drawn in and can’t help but root for the ballet loving pooch. Oligvie does a good job of portraying a variety of characters so that the audience sees an array of ethnicities present, as in scenes such as the dance class and the ballet performance.

d. Reviews/Awards
• ALA Rainbow List selection
• I could not find any reviews from reputable sources such as Booklist, SLJ or Kirkus Review

e. Connections
• Students (and dogs) who love ballet can read one of these fabulous picture books starring ballerinas:
o Angelina Ballerina by Katharine Holabird
o Gwendolyn the Graceful Pig by David Ira Rottenberg
o Tallulah’s Tutu by Marilyn Singer
o Sugar Plum Ballerinas series by Whoopi Goldberg
o Dancing in the Wings by Debbie Allen and Kadir Nelson

The Year of the Dog by Grace Lin

a. Bibliographic data
Lin, Grace. 2006. YEAR OF THE DOG. New York: Hachette Book Group. ISBN 031606002X

b. Brief plot summary
Year of the Dog is a story about a young Taiwanese-American girl named Grace who struggles with her identity as she grows up in upstate New York. When at home, Grace goes by her Taiwanese name Pacy, and enjoys festivities and traditions that celebrate her Japanese heritage. At school Grace tries her best to fit it and enjoy being a kid. Since this year is the Year of the Dog, Grace is supposed to discover herself, but different opportunities lead her to failure. When a story writing project is assigned in school, Grace is stumped as to what to write about, but ends up deciding to share her life as a Taiwanese American with her teacher and discovers that she has a gift for writing.

c. Critical analysis
Author Grace Lin weaves pieces of her personal life with bits of fiction to create a charming story about a girl who is growing up under the influence of two cultures. The setting, which takes place mainly in school and at Grace’s home in New York, provide the reader with characteristics of both the Taiwanese and American celebrations and traditions that this young girl experiences in her daily life. During the Christmas holiday, Grace and her sisters struggle to convince their parents to do “American” things like put lights on the house and buy actual gifts to open on Christmas morning. The girls also plead with their mother to cook a turkey on Thanksgiving in an effort to celebrate like the other kids at school. While their mother gives in to their requests, their “traditional” Thanksgiving dinner also includes many Asian influences.

Many Japanese-Taiwanese cultural holidays and traditions are shared in this story as well. Grace and her sister dye eggs red when a new baby cousin is born. Lin also explains to the reader that traditionally red envelopes containing money are given in lieu of gifts. Most importantly, Lin examines the big way that the family celebrates Chinese New Year. The tedious cleaning, the hours of cooking and the New Year’s candy are all interesting traditions that Grace’s family participates in each year.

The differences between the two cultures are also noted in less obvious ways. Grace recounts her sister explaining why she and her sister have two names, one for at home and one for school and Lissy comments “it’s easier for the Americans to say”. In contrast, when Grace attends a Taiwanese camp the other girls make fun of her because she doesn’t speak Taiwanese. There is a connection to be made with any child who has ever felt that they didn’t fit in with a particular crowd.

d. Reviews/Awards
• From SLJ: “A lighthearted coming-of-age novel with a cultural twist. Readers follow Grace, an American girl of Taiwanese heritage, through the course of one year–The Year of the Dog–as she struggles to integrate her two cultures. Throughout the story, her parents share their own experiences that parallel events in her life. These stories serve a dual purpose; they draw attention to Graces cultural background and allow her to make informed decisions. She and her two sisters are the only Taiwanese-American children at school until Melody arrives. The girls become friends and their common backgrounds illuminate further differences between the American and Taiwanese cultures. At the end of the year, the protagonist has grown substantially. Small, captioned, childlike black-and-white drawings are dotted throughout.”
• From Booklist: “Lin, who is known for her picture books, dots the text with charming ink drawings, some priceless, such as one picturing Grace dressed as a munchkin. Most of the chapters are bolstered by anecdotes from Grace's parents, which connect Grace (and the reader) to her Taiwanese heritage. Lin does a remarkable job capturing the soul and the spirit of books like those of Hayward or Maud Hart Lovelace, reimagining them through the lens of her own story, and transforming their special qualities into something new for today's young readers.”

e. Connections
• Follow up with another of Lin’s work:
o Where the Mountain Meets the Moon
o Year of the Rat
o Ling & Ting: Not Exactly the Same!

Apple Pie Fourth of July by Janet Wong

a. Bibliographic data
Wong, Janet. 2002. APPLE PIE FOURTH OF JULY. Ill. by Margaret Chodos-Irvine. Orlando: Harcourt. ISBN 0152057080

b. Brief plot summary
A young Chinese-American girl spends the Fourth of July inside her parents’ store wondering why they are cooking traditional Chinese food on an American holiday. As the day wears on, customers start to trickle in for chow mein and sweet and sour pork and the girl comes to realize that both cultures have mixed together to create her own Fourth of July tradition.

c. Critical analysis
Apple Pie 4th of July tells the story of a Chinese-American girl who helps her parents in their grocery store while others in the community attend Fourth of July celebrations. This story is light-hearted and will entertain audiences of all ages. Children will identify with the girl as she goes through many emotions throughout the day. Adults can appreciate the child-like innocence and naivety of a young girl who is learning about what is means to be part of family traditions.

Wong is able to blend characteristics of both the Chinese and American cultures into this simple, yet entertaining story. While the Fourth of July celebration is viewed as American- parades, fireworks and apple pie, the Chinese culture is represented through food- chow mein, sweet and sour pork and eggrolls. Because the family is part of the two cultures, they blend pieces of each into their own holiday tradition.

While the little girl is adamant that “no one wants Chinese food on the Fourth of July” she is respectful and continues to help her parents. The level of respect for family and elders shows a cultural connection to the traditions of the Chinese.

Many of the cultural markers are created through the illustrations of Margaret Chodos-Irvine. The physical depictions of the girl and her family, illustrated using printmaking techniques on colored paper, are the only strong indication that the family is Chinese-American. The illustrations also bring life to the setting, the family grocery store, where traces of both the Chinese (take out box designs, foods, fortune cookies) and American (clothing, store goods, apple pie) cultures are present.

d. Reviews/Awards
• From Publisher’s Weekly: “The well-paced text heavily freighted at the beginning and swift by the end reflects the girl's changing emotions and moods. The art resembles cut-paper collage. Chodos-Irvine deploys sharply defined objects in a range of colors and patterns to construct harmonious, forthright compositions that will likely prove inviting to readers of many backgrounds.”
• From SLJ: “This simply told story explores a child's fears about cultural differences and fitting in with understanding and affection. A Chinese-American girl helps her parents open their small neighborhood grocery store every day of the year. However, today is the Fourth of July and her parents just don't understand that customers won't be ordering chow mein and sweet-and-sour pork on this very American holiday. Done in a "variety of printmaking techniques," Chodos-Irvine's illustrations are cheerfully bright and crisp, capturing the spirit of the day as well as the changing emotions of the main character.”

e. Connections
• Teachers can use this book to discuss differences in holiday traditions and celebrations
• Young readers may enjoy one of the other works by Janet Wong, including:
o Dumpster Diver
o Buzz
o Alex and the Wednesday Chess Club
o Minn and Jake

Tea with Milk by Allen Say

a. Bibliographic data
Say, Allen. 1999. TEA WITH MILK. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company. ISBN 0547237472

b. Brief plot summary
After spending the first part of her life living in San Francisco, Masako (or May as she is called in America), must follow her parents when they move back to Japan. Although she has graduated high school in America, May must now return to school to be educated in Japanese. Irritated with her new life, May buys a ticket to Osaka, a large city in Japan, and gets a job in a department store. While working, she meets a young man and begins a friendship that will last a lifetime.

c. Critical analysis
Author Allen Say does an excellent job in retelling his mother’s life story in Tea with Milk. The somber tone of the book reflects the thoughts and feelings of young May as she struggles with adjusting to her new life in Japan. Underneath the loneliness and “a heavy heart”, May is a girl with dreams of being independent and living life on her terms. There is a sense of bravery in May that shines through even her saddest moments.

Say confronts the differences in the Japanese and Japanese-American cultures head on. From the first page, readers understand that May is known by two different names and speaks two different languages. She has even grown accustomed to two types of food: “At home she had rice and miso soup and plain green tea for breakfast. At her friends’ houses she ate pancakes and muffins and drank tea with milk and sugar.”

Readers are able to share May’s experience as she is introduced to Japanese traditions such as sitting on the floor (instead of chairs), wearing a kimono in place of her American clothing, and bowing in the traditional Japanese greeting. Likewise, readers are also able to share her sense of adventure in making it on her own and accomplishment in discovering herself.

The watercolor illustrations in Tea with Milk provide support for the text when needed (such as May’s isolation at school on page 9) but also enhance the emotions of the main character (the devastated facial expression on page 7 or the bright, American outfit worn in defiance on page 15). Each character drawn on the pages of this beautiful book are detailed and realistic. As an illustrator, Say has paid careful attention to his images so even the backgrounds of buildings and rooms have depth.

d. Reviews/Awards
• From SLJ: “Continuing the story he started in Grandfather's Journey (Houghton, 1993), Say explores familiar themes of cultural connection and disconnection. He focuses on his mother Masako, or May, as she prefers to be called, who, after graduating from high school in California, unwillingly moves with her parents to their native Japan… The pages are filled with detailed drawings featuring Japanese architecture and clothing, and because of the artist's mastery at drawing figures, the people come to life as authentic and sympathetic characters. This is a thoughtful and poignant book that will appeal to a wide range of readers, particularly our nation's many immigrants who grapple with some of the same challenges as May and Joseph, including feeling at home in a place that is not their own.”
• From Booklist: “Say's masterfully executed watercolors tell as much of this story about a young woman's challenging transition from America to Japan as his eloquent, economical prose. Raised near San Francisco, Masako (her American friends called her May) is uprooted after high school when her parents return to their Japanese homeland… Through choice words and scrupulously choreographed paintings, Say's story communicates both the heart's yearning for individuality and freedom and how love and friendship can bridge cultural chasms.”

e. Connections
• Readers should read Grandfather’s Journey by Allen Say to understand the characters of Tea with Milk.
• This story can be coupled with other tales of immigration such as the wordless picture book, The Arrival by Shaun Tan.
• An author study can be completed by reading Say’s biography at http://www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com/authors/allensay/author.shtml or reading any of the other works listed below:
o Tree of Cranes
o Emma’s Rug
o The Boy in the Garden
o Under the Cherry Blossom Tree
o Allsion

Crossing Bok Chitto: A Choctaw Tale of Friendship and Freedom by Tim Tingle

a. Bibliographic data
Tingle, Tim. 2008. CROSSING BOK CHITTO: A CHOCTAW TALE OF FRIENDSHIP AND FREEDOM. Ill. by Jeanne Rorex Bridges. El Paso: Cinco Puntos Press. ISBN 1933693207

b. Brief plot summary
Martha Tom, a Choctaw Indian girl, disobeys her mother’s warnings to not cross the Bok Chitto river and wanders into a meeting of a forbidden slave church. There she meets a boy named Little Mo who helps her find her way back to the Bok Chitto. Over the years Martha and Little Mo become friends, using the secret stepping stones under the river’s murky water as a path to friendship. When Little Mo’s mother is to be sold to another plantation, Martha and the rest of the Choctaws help the family cross the Bok Chitto to safety.

c. Critical analysis
Many cultural celebrations and events take place during the pages of this picture book. Crossing Bok Chitto begins with Martha’s mother preparing for a traditional Choctaw wedding and ends with a crossing ceremony to allow Little Mo and his family to pass safely across the river and away from the slave owners. When Martha first stumbles across the secret church meeting, she listens in to the sermon and song of the slaves who have come to gather. These moments in the story help the reader understand each child’s way of living.

Without reading the author’s notes at the end of the book, the audience (unless familiar with the Choctaw culture) is unaware of the accuracy in the details of the wedding ceremony and dress described in the story. If the reader had been armed with the knowledge that exists in the author’s notes, the story would hold even more power in its words.

Tingle does an excellent job in setting the stage of the story. His opening words echo the power that the Bok Chitto river held for these two groups of people. The conclusion of the book is equally well written and has a storyteller’s flair in the final page (The descendants of those people still talk about that night). Rorex’s illustrations on both the opening and ending spreads reflect both the tone and setting described in the text perfectly.

The illustrations in Crossing Bok Chitto showcase the cultural differences between the Choctaw Indians and African American slaves. Each group of people is depicted accurately in both physical attributes and time period clothing. Throughout the story, one character is drawn up close in great detail, while the others are in the background with blurred faces. This aspect of the illustrations helps to illuminate the emotions happening in the text, while offering more detail through the background images.

The underlying tone of this simple, yet beautiful book is acceptance. The two children become friends and are able to truly appreciate each other and where they come from. Both Little Mo and Martha have moments in the story when they are “deeply touched” by the others' way of life.

d. Reviews/Awards
• 2008-2009 Bluebonnet nominee
• 2007 ALA Notable Children’s Book
• Jane Adams Peace Award Honor Book
• From SLJ: “Dramatic, quiet, and warming, this is a story of friendship across cultures in 1800s Mississippi. While searching for blackberries, Martha Tom, a young Choctaw, breaks her village's rules against crossing the Bok Chitto. She meets and becomes friends with the slaves on the plantation on the other side of the river, and later helps a family escape across it to freedom when they hear that the mother is to be sold. Tingle is a performing storyteller, and his text has the rhythm and grace of that oral tradition…The paintings are dark and solemn, and the artist has done a wonderful job of depicting all of the characters as individuals, with many of them looking out of the page right at readers.”
• From Booklist: “In a picture book that highlights rarely discussed intersections between Native Americans in the South and African Americans in bondage, a noted Choctaw storyteller and Cherokee artist join forces with stirring results.”

e. Connections
• Readers can further examine the Choctaw culture by checking out any of Tingle’s other literary works below:
o Saltypie: A Choctaw Journey from Darkness to Light
o Walking the Choctaw Road: Stories from Red People Memory
o When Turtle Grew Feathers: A Tale from the Choctaw Nation

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian by Sherman Alexie

a. Bibliographic data
Alexie, Sherman. 2009. THE ABSOLUTELY TRUE DIARY OF A PART TIME INDIAN. New York: Hachette Book Group. ISBN 0316013692

b. Brief plot summary
Written as the journal of fourteen year old, Arnold Spirit, this story follows a Spokane Indian boy who decides to withdraw from high school on his reservation and enroll in a public school in a neighboring white town. Readers are taken along on his journey as Arnold, or Junior as he is also called, deals with prejudice, acceptance, love and loss. As the school year comes to an end and summer begins, Arnold finally comes to terms with himself and with life.

c. Critical analysis
When reading this story, the audience is not drawn in to a specific culture, but rather experiences what it is like for Arnold, a Spokane Indian, to adapt to an environment full of “white” people and trying to find acceptance among a different culture. Because of this delicate situation, negatives terms such as “chief, Tonto, and Squaw boy” are used to describe Arnold’s harsh treatment upon starting school at Reardon.

This is not to say the story lacks in cultural references to life of the Spokane reservation, or rez as Arnold calls it. Author Sherman Alexie does a fine job describing the rez setting, especially when it comes to nature. The Spokane characters in the story are seen through the eyes of a fourteen year old boy so, although at times it may seem the descriptions seem harsh and judgmental, the feelings are authentic to a teenage boy dealing with the issues of family and friends.

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian carries an overarching theme of hope as the story unfolds. Whether the characters are the white students at Reardon, the “poor Indians” or the “even poorer white people”, many of the characters are searching for hope. As Arnold’s dairy comes to a close, the reader can tell that he has indeed found hope for his future.

The sketches used throughout the story depict the different people that are relevant to Arnold’s life. Characters such as his family and friend, Rowdy, are shown having dark hair and strong features. The friends Arnold makes while attending Reardon, are all white children and are shown with light hair and softer facial features. A very thought provoking and interesting sketch is provided on page 57, in which Arnold draws himself as half white, half Indian. The physical differences of the two cultures are most evident in this illustration.

d. Reviews/Awards
• From Booklist: “Alexie's humor and prose are easygoing and well suited to his young audience, and he doesn't pull many punches as he levels his eye at stereotypes both warranted and inapt. A few of the plotlines fade to gray by the end, but this ultimately affirms the incredible power of best friends to hurt and heal in equal measure. Younger teens looking for the strength to lift themselves out of rough situations would do well to start here.”
• From SLJ: “The many characters, on and off the rez, with whom he has dealings are portrayed with compassion and verve, particularly the adults in his extended family. Forney's simple pencil cartoons fit perfectly within the story and reflect the burgeoning artist within Junior. Reluctant readers can even skim the pictures and construct their own story based exclusively on Forney's illustrations. The teen's determination to both improve himself and overcome poverty, despite the handicaps of birth, circumstances, and race, delivers a positive message in a low-key manner. Alexie's tale of self-discovery is a first purchase for all libraries.”

e. Connections
• Due to some of the content in this book, I would not suggest that it be used as a group discussion piece. I believe that some of the situations may be embarrassing for students to discuss in front of peers.
• Students who enjoyed the format of this book may appreciate these other novels written if the form of diaries or journals:
o The Dork Diaries series by Rachel Renee Russell
o The Dear Dumb Diary series by Jim Benton
o Red Scarf Girl by Ji-Li Jiang
o Monster by Walter Dean Myers

Buffalo Song by Joseph Bruchac

a. Bibliographic data
Bruchac, Joseph. 2008. BUFFALO SONG. Ill. by Bill Farnsworth. New York: Lee and Low Books. ISBN 1584302801

b. Brief plot summary
This story follows a buffalo calf as she is rescued by a father and son after her mother is slain. The boy and his father take the calf to Walking Coyote, a man who plans to raise the buffalo orphans until they are old enough to travel over the mountains to safety. The calf, now called Little Thunder Hoof, leads the herd through mountains and finally finds a home with a rancher named Michel Pablo.

c. Critical analysis
The acknowledgments and afterword written by Bruchac prove both a deep passion and understanding for the culture and the animals depicted in the story. Bruchac is able to take a small piece of history and use it to create a beautifully written book about the near extinction of the North American Bison, commonly referred to as buffalo.

The story identifies with a particular Native American people, the Salish and specifies the Flathead Indian reservation as the setting for Buffalo Song. The main character, Walking Coyote, is based on a real person, adding authenticity and historical value to the work. Although, most of the story itself does not include references to the Salish people, the reader is introduced to the culture through traditional Salish tale shared at the beginning, as well as the author’s well written afterword.

The depiction of the passage of time is shown through observations in nature (The sun rose and set two times) which lends a peaceful and historical quality to the story. The imagery (the whole earth was black with buffalo) used throughout Buffalo Song helps create a setting that is true to the mountains and valleys of the Flathead Indian Reservation in 1873.

The oil on canvas paintings that accompany the text intensifies both the tone and the setting of Buffalo Song. The human characters are drawn with great care so that readers are able to sense their emotions. The landscape artwork found throughout the book echoes Bruchac’s words as readers follow Little Thunder Hoof over the mountains and into the valley to become part of the historical Pablo-Allard herd.

d. Reviews/Awards
• From Booklist: “Partly fictionalized, the story begins with the only surviving calf of a herd destroyed by white hunters. Young Red Elk persuades his dad to take the calf to Walking Coyote’s shelter. Bruchac’s long, eloquent afterword fills in the facts of the near extinction and the people and organizations who prevented it, a story so dramatic, it didn’t need to be fictionalized. Farnsworth’s beautiful, full-bleed oil paintings picture a landscape black with buffalo, and then the calf with the people who help it grow strong enough to join the herd and roam free.”
• From SLJ: “The gentle narrative eloquently conveys the beauty and importance of this animal; though there is a bit of adventure during the journey, the heart of the tale is the respect and commitment shown toward the buffalo by Walking Coyote and others. The orphaned calf became the herd's leader, and her courageous actions represent the spirit of the species. Richly atmospheric oil paintings capture the magnificence of the creatures, the kindness of the people, and the beauty of the surrounding landscapes.”

e. Connections
• Teachers can use Buffalo Song to discuss animal extinction and conservation issues.
• To learn more about the author, visit Bruchac’s website at http://josephbruchac.com/
• Younger readers can enjoy some of Bruchac’s other picture books
o How Chipmunk Got His Stripes
o The First Strawberries
o Thirteen Moons on Turtle’s Back
• Older audience may try one of Bruchac’s novels
o Code Talker: A Novel about the Navajo Marines of World War Two
o Trail of Tears
o Skeleton Man

Dizzy in Your Eyes: Poems about Love by Pat Mora

a. Bibliographic data
Mora, Pat. 2010. DIZZY IN YOUR EYES: POEMS ABOUT LOVE. New York: Knopf Books for Young Readers. ISBN 0375843752

b. Brief plot summary
A collection of poems written through the eyes of a emotion-packed adolescents.

c. Critical analysis
The different forms of poetry showcase Mora’s true talent for writing. From the popular Haiku and couplet to lesser known forms of poetry, such as the anaphora or the sestina, Mora is able to write them all and still stay true to the tone of the collection- raw teenage emotions.

Hispanic literature for children often revolves around family. Several poems in this collection talk about a teenager’s relationship with a family member (i.e. Sisters, Valentine to Papi, Kissing). Spanish words and phrases are lightly used throughout the collection, with the exception of the piece entitled Conversation/Conversacion that describes the budding relationship between two students from two different cultures. The use of Spanish text is seamless throughout the collection and offers a glimpse into the culture without overshadowing Mora’s desire to write about “the intensity of the teen years” (p. 1).

Many of the poems in this collection appeal to readers of any race or ethnicity. While a Spanish words and phrases may be sprinkled throughout the book, the emotions and feelings are universal. Any reader who has ever been a teenager can identify with heartache, love, loneliness and uncertainty. More than a culturally specific work, this collection is representative of middle and high school experiences (prom, homecoming, school in general and family dynamics).

d. Reviews/Awards
• From Booklist: “Mora writes in free verse, as well as a wide variety of classic poetic forms—including haiku, clerihew, sonnet, cinquain, and blank verse—and for each form, there is an unobtrusive explanatory note on the facing page. The tight structures intensify the strong feelings in the poems, which teens will enjoy reading on their own or hearing aloud in the classroom.”
• From SLJ: “Peppered with Spanish, the selections define the emotion in countless ways. The quiet lyricism of some lines will prompt many readers to roll them over and over on their tongues; this is a world in which a simple smile can make a boy feel as if he's "swallowed the sun" or one's worst fear might be a kiss "dull like oatmeal." Where relevant, poetic form is indicated, defined, and discussed on the adjacent page.”

e. Connections
• Teachers can use Dizzy in Your Eyes as an engagement piece when introducing a poetry
• This book can also be incorporated into an author study or display for National Poetry Month in April.
• Those who enjoy Mora’s work can visit either of the two following websites for further information: www.patmora.com and http://sharebookjoy.blogspot.com
• Readers can admire Mora’s other literary works by reading any of the following:
o Book Fiesta! Celebrate Children’s Day/Book Day
o Tomas and the Library Lady
o Thanks/Gracias
o Love to Mama: A Tribute to Mothers
o Borders
o Confetti: Poemas para ninos/Poems for Children