During this month, you may want to consider the books
reviewed here. They honor our mothers and honor our families and the
cultures that help to define us. So close are the associations that, as we
reflect, we realize the ancestors who tread the land before us, breathed the
air, and drank the water are near to us, are like our immediate families; sisters,
brothers, fathers, and especially mothers whom we celebrate as part of May’s
spring festivities. Enjoy these wonderful books as you remember!
Welcome to Country:
A
Traditional Aboriginal Ceremony
by Aunty Joy Murphy
illustrated by Lisa
Kennedy
Beginning
with the Aboriginal language of the welcoming ceremony, the author, Aunty Joy
Murphy, a senior Aboriginal elder of the Wurundjeri people shares her passion
for storytelling, to bring people together and increase understanding of
Aboriginal culture. Her formal tone is the distinctive voice of her people,
using a mesmerizing depth of feeling for the ancestors, whose “indelible
footprints” remain on the land; “for their courage, strength, integrity, and
values;” and for the land itself, with its natural creations including “the
birds, the animals, the mountains, the rivers.”
The rhythm,
and respect, the call to welcome, and the reminder that “you must take from
this land only what you can give back” nurture the spirits of those who have
gone before as well as the current inhabitants who “feel the roots of this land
beneath the soles of our bare feet.” It’s a poetic recognition of who they are
and “where we come from.” It is also an invitation to visitors to be welcomed
to the traditional lands.
The multilayered
acrylic illustrations are image rich and deeply colored, rooted in the history
and culture of the Wurundjeri people. Together text and paintings communicate
the wonder and traditions of an ancient Australian people whose descendants
honor the past by claiming and reclaiming the present. This is a unique and
beautifully crafted picture book.
Candlewick Press, $16.99
Interest Level:
Kindergarten – Grade 4
The Most Wonderful
Thing in the World
by Vivian French
illustrated by Angela Barrett
Told as a
fairy tale and set in a kingdom with a large lagoon at its center, in a city
among the islands connected by golden bridges, the king and queen discuss a
husband for their daughter, Lucia. They write a letter to Old Angelo, the
kingdom’s wise sage, asking for advice. He writes back that they must choose a
young man who can show them what the title describes. “He will be the right
husband for Princess Lucia.”
Meanwhile,
Lucia, with her parents’ permission, wants to see the city, discovers
Salvatore, Angelo’s grandson, and asks him to be her guide. He quickly agrees.
While their majesties are
interviewing potential sons-in-law, with their variety of wonders from
“acrobats and airships” to magical beasts, mammoth tusks, mermaids and wind
machines, to name just a few, Lucia and Salvatore explore together. After the
better-known sights, he takes her “to the hidden heart of the city.”
The subdued
watercolor illustrations are intricate and detailed, showing many marvels, and a
king and queen dressed as if they lived in Edwardian England. Both the wonders
and the city locations suggest European delights and sites. The double page
night scene of a saddened Salvatore, rowing his boat across the water, and the
forest scene with all the major characters, are lovely and deeply emotional.
And, while dark, not overpowering.
Perhaps unsurprisingly the king & queen despair, as does
Salvatore, who has fallen in love. When Old Angelo brings everyone together,
Salvatore demonstrates that the “most wonderful thing in the world” is Lucia.
Their majesties are delighted. Lucia takes his hand, thanks him, and kisses
him.
With the potential for heavy handed romanticism from both
illustration and text, this charming tale is remarkably lighthearted and
whimsically appealing.
Candlewick Press, $18.99
Interest Level: Grades
2-4
Mommy’s Khimar
by
Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow
illustrations by Ebony Glenn
A young
African American girl plays with her mother’s bright yellow head scarf,
becoming, in her imagination, a queen, a shooting star, a golden mama bird, a
superhero. At the heart of this story is the loving family and community – the
adults in her life enjoy her pleasure in wearing the sunny yellow khimar, which
smells of coconut oil and cocoa butter. And which the mosque’s Arabic teacher
calls a “hijab.”
Even the grandmother, visiting
after Sunday service, and who doesn’t wear a khimar, scoops her up for a hug,
calling her “Sunshine.” Apparently, a Christian, Mom-Mom doesn’t go to mosque,
but “We are a family and we love each other just the same.”
Brilliant light-filled illustrations
also showcase both pastels and brighter colors, strong lines suggesting
movement, and patterned backgrounds which also feature details that lend
cultural interest. The cheerful, sometimes lyrical language of the text, the
additional children and adults with a variety of skin tones, and the
familiarity of a loving family and supportive community will please readers who
already know this culture and acquaint those for whom this cultural experience
is new.
Simon & Schuster,
$17.99
Interest Level: Junior
Kindergarten – Grade 3
No comments:
Post a Comment