The Pirate of Kindergarten by George Ella Lyon

a. Bibliographic data
Lyon, George Ella. 2011. THE PIRATE OF KINDERGARTEN. Ill. by Lynne Avril. New York: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 1416950249

b. Brief plot summary
Ginny is super excited about kindergarten but doesn’t like the fact that she sees two of everything! She has a hard time reading and even runs into things because of her double vision. After being screened for a vision test, Ginny learns that she must wear an eye patch to help correct her double vision. With her new patch, she becomes the pirate of kindergarten and is once again excited to be at school.

c. Critical analysis
The Pirate of Kindergarten is a great picture book to share with students of all ages and opens the door for discussion about learning, physical and mental disabilities. Young students can benefit greatly from developing an understanding and respect for people and their differences.

Ginny is a typical kindergartner, who embodies the self centered world of a five year old in thinking everyone saw the way she did. Anyone who has met a kindergartner knows that they rarely see the world outside of what they know personally. It also shows the innocence of a child in not understanding what is wrong or not knowing how to solve a problem. The school setting provides a great opportunity for the author to explore the activities Ginny could find difficult and social interactions that may arise from it.

While some of the kids make fun of Ginny, it is not the focus of the story. More attention is paid to the difficulties Ginny has in completing tasks like reading, coming to circle and cutting with scissors. The reading audience in able to feel how frustrating and embarrassing things can be when you see two of everything. The teacher also gives the adult reader something to think about because of the way in which she responds to Ginny. “We read with our eyes, not our noses” and “don’t squint” show that the teacher has no understanding of Ginny’s problem but had she paid more attention, she may have seen the signs and been able to help her.

The illustrations in The Pirate of Kindergarten provide the reader with a visual understanding of how Ginny saw the world. While her vision problem goes undiagnosed, the images are blurred or doubled, just as Ginny sees them. Once she gets her eye patch, the illustrations become clearer and more focused. The illustrations also convey Ginny’s emotions and confidence as she overcomes her vision disability.

d. Reviews/Awards
• From Booklist: “Created with pastels, acrylics, and colored pencils, Avril’s bold and wonderfully vivid mixed-media illustrations sometimes portray the classroom through Ginny’s eyes, with overlapping images of chairs, books, and people, though they usually present an outside perspective. Based on Lyon’s own experience, the sensitively written story radiates empathy and good humor. Even children who have not experienced Ginny’s problem will understand her occasional frustration and find it intriguing that one person can literally see the world differently from another.”
• From SLJ: “Lyon's short, descriptive sentences set up the situation deftly, and Avril's astute chalk, pencil, and acrylic drawings of "two of everything" provide a vivid window into Ginny's pre-treatment world.”

e. Connections
• Teachers can use this story to create a tolerant environment in the classroom, especially with younger students (K-1)
• Here are some other picture books for children that address special needs/ learning issues
o Julia Chen Headley's The Patch is another story about a pirate who has trouble with his vision.
o The Higgledy-Piggledy Pigeon by local Austin author, Don Winn is about a dyslexic pigeon who has trouble in flight school
o Lily and the Mixed Up Letters by Deborah Hodge is a story about dyslexia
o Some Kids Just Can’t Sit Still! by Sam Goldstein teaches students about ADHD
• Try reading the non-fiction series for children, Pebble Books: Understanding Differences

Habibi by Naomi Shihab-Nye

a. Bibliographic data
Shihab-Nye, Naomi. 1997. HABIBI. New York: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0689825234

b. Brief plot summary
At her parents’ request, fourteen year old Liyana moves from her home in St. Louis to her father’s homeland, Jerusalem. As her family sells off their belongings and moves across the ocean, Liyana is worried that she will not fit in and that people will forget her. Upon arriving in Jerusalem she meets her father’s family for the first time, including her grandmother Sitti, and starts school in the Armenian quarter of the city. Slowly, Liyana adjusts to life in a new country and begins to make friends of all races and religions.

c. Critical analysis
Habibi does an excellent job of explaining life within Jerusalem without negatively portraying the varying cultures. Political situations involving the different cultures are presented, but done so through Liyana’s point of view which makes them a tad lighter in tone. Because the main character is Arab-American, the Palestinian traditions and values are dominant. Through Liyana’s encounters in the Armenian quarter and with her Jewish friend, Omer, Shihab-Nye provides glimpses of the other cultures present within the setting of the novel. Overall, the author’s attention to detail provide both well rounded views of each group of people, as well as descriptions of some of the beautiful landmarks and scenery to be found in Israel.

The cultural markers in this story are abundant. Liyana’s family speaks Arabic and many phrases are included in the text, most importantly the use of habibi and habibti (meaning my darling) are used to explain how loved and safe Liyana and her brother feel. Many native foods are referenced throughout the text, such as Jordan almonds, Jericho oranges and olive oil. Traditional dishes, like baba ghanouj, falafel, and katayef, are also introduced through Liyana’s journey.

Upon meeting her relatives, Liyana is struck by the beauty of the women’s clothing. “The women’s long dresses were made of thick fabrics, purple, gold and navy blue and stitched brightly with fabulous, complicated embroidery” (p. 40). She also mentioned the kaffiyeh (a headdress, symbolizing Palestinian nationalism) worn by some of the men that make them look “more interesting”.

Celebrations and religion also come into play while reading Habibi. Holidays that the Abboud family participated in while living in America, have more significance, especially to Liyana’s mother, now that they were “standing in a place where important things really happened”(p.165). There are also rules Liyana must learn to abide by as a woman now that she is living in conservative Jerusalem, such as not brushing her hair in public or wearing shorts and no public displays of affection.

The characters in Habibi are well defined, especially Liyana, Rafik, Poppy and Sitti. As a reader, one could use more background and insight into the character Sitti, as she seems multifaceted and interesting. Author Shihab-Nye could have an interesting sequel in the making with Liyana’s Palestinian grandmother.

d. Reviews/Awards
• From Kirkus Review: “The sights, sounds, and smells of Jerusalem drift through the pages and readers glean a sense of current Palestinian-Israeli relations and the region's troubled history.”
• From SLJ: “Poetically imaged and leavened with humor, the story renders layered and complex history understandable through character and incident. Habibi succeeds in making the hope for peace compellingly personal and concrete...as long as individual citizens like Liyana's grandmother Sitti can say, "I never lost my peace inside.”

e. Connections
• Readers who enjoy the work of Naomi Shihab-Nye can read one of these other titles:
o Sitti’s Secrets
o 19 Varieties of Gazelle: Poems of the Middle East
o Baby Radar
o Different Ways to Pray: Poems