African American Literature-Module Two

Bibliography

Bryan, Ashley. 2003. Beautiful Blackbird. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers. ISBN 0689847319.

Plot Summary

Based upon an adaptation of a Zambian tale, the colorful birds of Africa are envious of the blackbird because his feathers reflect all of the colors when he is in the sun. No longer are the solid colored birds happy with their feathers. Although blackbird tells all the birds that “color on the outside is not what’s inside…” they still insist on receiving a stroke from his feather brush which has been freshly dipped in his gourd of black paint. After receiving their own distinguished black marks, they begin to circle around blackbird and sing, “Oh beautiful black, uh-huh, uh-huh/Black is beautiful, uh-huh!” as blackbird’s feathers reflect the colors of all of the birds.

Critical Analysis

Ashley Bryan, Coretta Scott King Award winning illustrator (Let It Shine) 2008, brings the feathered friends to life in his colorful collage pages of Beautiful Blackbird. The solid colored, scissor snipped birds seem to fly across the double-page spreads once they receive their special black marks from blackbird’s gourd of paint. A touch of black is all it took to make everyone feel beautiful. It seems that Bryan has taken a homogeneous approach toward linking this Zambian tale with African American cultural markers. By allowing blackbird to give all the birds black markings similar to his own, they each appear to be in harmony with themselves and each other because they feel there is a unifying bond between them; the color black. The story subtly conveys a message of tolerance and self-love.

Review Excerpts

“In this simple adaptation of a tale from the Ila-speaking people of Zambia, the message is clear: "Black is beautiful."Once upon a time, Blackbird was the only bird of Africa who wasn't brightly colored. When Ringdove asks who is the most beautiful bird, the other birds name Blackbird. At Ringdove's request, Blackbird brings blackening from his medicine gourd to decorate Ringdove's colored neck; the other birds also want trimming, so Blackbird paints dots and brushes lines and arcs until his gourd is empty. Using a more vivid palette than usual, Bryan employs boldly colored, cut-paper artwork to dramatize the action. The overlapping collage images fill the pages with energy as the songlike responses of the birds tap out a rhythm punctuated with "uh-huhs." Booklist

“Here's a life-enhancing folktale from Zambia--how birds got their black markings--and a simple, scissors-and-brush way of using collage. Silhouetted birds, in shades of violet, yellow, green, blue, are oddly drab without markings. Ringdove asks Blackbird, the most beautiful, to paint him a necklace of black; Blackbird complies, then promises the others touches of black, too. In sum, we can all partake of the beauty of black.” Horn Book starred

Connections

Readers might also consider other books showcasing diversity as in these titles below:
Adoff, Arnold. Black is brown is tan. Ill. Emily Arnold McCully. ISBN 9780064432696
Sims, Lesley. How Zebras Got Their Stripes: A Tale from Africa. Ill. Laure Fournier. ISBN 9780794525255

African American Literature Reviews-Module Two

Bibliography

Pinkney, Gloria Jean. 1994. The Sunday Outing. Ill. by Jerry Pinkney. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers. ISBN 0803711999.

Plot Summary

Young Ernestine was born in North Carolina near her aunt and uncle’s farm. She now lives in Philadelphia with her parents but she longs to “go back home” to visit family members she vaguely remembers. Her hopes of returning to the family farm are relived each Sunday afternoon when she and her great Aunt Odessa ride the trolley to the North Philadelphia Station to watch the trains traveling south. As she and her aunt eat their lunch and watch the passengers come and go, Ernestine tries desperately to think of ways to save her parents money so they can afford her train ticket. After everyone in the family chooses to make sacrifices, a ticket for Ernestine is purchased and she is filled with excitement about her train ride. Her days of watching the trains pass by are now over, she will be a passenger going back home.

Critical Analysis

In this prequel to Back Home, the Pinkneys gather their talents to showcase African American cultural markers throughout the text and illustrations. The colored pencil and watercolor paintings depict an array of brown skin tones in the characters of the book. Attention to detail is given with regard to the hairstyles of the neighborhood children with their ponytails and braids as well as the hats worn by great Aunt Odessa. Ernestine is referred to as “youngun” by great Aunt Odessa, and Ernestine’s birth place is considered, “down home”. These are just a few forms of dialect represented in the book. Riding trolley cars, playing games of hopscotch, and listening to the Sunday Gospel Hour on the radio validate the authenticity of the time period. The Pinkneys portray a loving, supportive family in the text and illustrations as they all make sacrifices for Ernestine’s dream to come true. Together they take Ernestine to the station to catch the train to North Carolina. Her great Aunt Odessa even packs a boxed lunch for her journey. These are the family bonds that align with strong family bonds often seen in the African American culture.

Review Excerpts

“In Back Home (1992), Ernestine visited an aunt and uncle down South; this book explains how that journey came to happen. Ernestine loves to go to the North Philadelphia station with her great-aunt to see the North Carolina train. One Sunday, she and Aunt Odessa discuss Ernestine's wish to take the train to the farm. Tickets are expensive, and Mama and Daddy are saving to buy a house; but Aunt Odessa suggests bargaining with them by finding ways to save money….The author captures the family's warm solidarity in a likable narrative that has a good number of casually mentioned period details. Jerry Pinkney's splendid watercolors, too, richly evoke the early 1950s, with main characters springing to life in glowing color against more muted and impressionistic backgrounds painted with extraordinary delicacy and skill. A welcome companion to Back Home.” Kirkus Review starred

“When Ernestine confides to her great-aunt how much she wishes her parents could afford to send her by train to visit her North Carolina relatives, Aunt Odessa advises her to find a way to make up the fare by saving her parents some money. In this prequel to Back Home (Dial), Gloria Jean Pinkney's quiet story and Jerry Pinkney's illustrations provide a loving portrait of an African-American family working to make a dream come true.” Horn Book starred

Connections

Readers might also consider other books with characters experiencing travel, or strong connections to family ties and the sharing of family history as in these titles below:

Flournoy, Valerie. Tanya’s Reunion. Ill. Jerry Pinkney. ISBN 9780803716049
McKissack, Patricia C. Goin’ Someplace Special. Ill. Jerry Pinkney. ISBN 9781416927358
Pinkney, Gloria Jean. Back Home. Ill. Jerry Pinkney. ISBN 9780140565478

African American Literature Reviews - Module Two

Bibliography

Johnson, Angela. 2004. Bird. New York: Dial Books. ISBN 0803728476.

Plot Summary

Thirteen year old, Bird, from Cleveland takes a bus to the rural town of Acorn, Alabama in hopes of locating her step-father, Cecil, who left her family. She takes up residence in a shack, outside a family’s farmhouse and gets to know the members of the farm family as she watches them from afar. When she sneaks into the family’s farm house every Sunday morning, after they leave for church, to have some leftover breakfast and a bath, she notices a familiar smiling face in the family photos and begins to make connections between her step-father and the farm son’s Uncle C.L. After finally beginning to trust the farm son, she and Ethan become friends, although she is reluctant to share her history with him. Bird soon meets Jay, Ethan’s fourteen year old neighbor, who is trying to make sense of his older brother’s sudden death and the fact that someone is walking around with his brother’s heart in their chest. Bird enjoys the happiness she observes in the lives of the people in Acorn. It isn’t until she gets to know the people personally that she understands she is not the only one dealing with a broken heart and a feeling of loneliness. As the narrative voices of Bird, Ethan, and Jay interconnect, the stories of finding forgiveness, love, and contentment prevail.

Critical Analysis

Angela Johnson’s story, told in three voices, is subtly infused with a few cultural markers found in African American literature; however her book, Bird, could easily be filled with characters of any color or ethnicity. The few culture markers noted include those references to the hairstyles of Jay’s mother, “her beaded braids”, and the braids of Bird. Bird’s skin color is mildly referenced after a red-dust storm “turns my skin more brown than black”. Various foods prepared by the farm family’s mother are reminiscent of traditional African American flare and include pork chops, cabbage greens, butter beans, black-eyed peas, grits, stew and cornbread. The farm family spends 3 ½ hours at church each Sunday which often includes a picnic following church services. During this time, Bird takes advantage of the empty farm house where she soaks in the claw-footed bathtub full of bubbles, and then naps quietly while her clothes dry in the family’s dryer. Then, she quietly returns to the shack outside to wait patiently for her chance to speak to Ethan’s uncle, C.L.

It appears that Uncle C.L. has been a part of Bird’s past and she wants to know if he has any intention of reuniting with her and her family. She misses her step-father Cecil (Uncle C.L.) deeply and longs for his love and attention. After watching him for weeks, she finally realizes that he will continue to be a free spirit and live his own life, here and there, with no real strings attached. In her own broken heart, Bird realizes it is not her step-father she really wants, but her father that was taken from her by death that she misses the most.

Johnson’s approach to this book and its recurring theme of the need for love, forgiveness, and contentment from all three narrative voices seems to have been written in a manner to show that human emotion and interaction of this type can happen between characters of any color or ethnicity rather than one culture.


Review Excerpts

“Bird confronts friendship, family, and human limitations in this poignant tale. Thirteen-year-old Bird has run away from her Ohio home to search for her vanished stepfather. Hiding in a shed in Acorn, Alabama, Bird dances by moonlight and tries not to be too lonely. She can't help but get involved with the people she meets: Ethan, a boy whose life was saved by a heart transplant; Jay, whose brother died suddenly; and old Mrs. Pritchard, who used to bake peach cobbler before she lost her husband. Bird covetously observes the happy families of Acorn, but doesn't see that everyone has grief and tragedies to bear. Told through the alternating voices of Bird, Jay, and Ethan, this moving journey follows four lonely people as they touch each other's lives.” Kirkus Review starred

“Thirteen-year-old Bird has traveled from Ohio to Alabama in search of her stepfather; Ethan has had a heart transplant; Jay is mourning the death of his brother (who was Ethan's donor). The lives of each of these three teen narrators intersect, under unusual circumstances and with lasting effects. Johnson's prose is eloquent and poetic in this spare, powerful novel about matters of the heart.” Horn Book starred

Connections

Readers might also consider other books with main characters experiencing absent parents, broken families, or foster care situations as in these titles below:

Creech, Sharon. Walk Two Moons. ISBN 0060233370
Curtis, Christopher Paul. Bud, Not Buddy. ISBN 9780440413288
Grimes, Nikki. The Road to Paris. ISBN 0399245375

International Literature Reviews - Module One

Bibliography
Fox, Mem. 1989. Koala Lou. Ill. by Pamela Lofts. Orlando, FL: Harcourt Brace. ISBN 0152005021.

Plot Summary
As first-born child, Koala Lou enjoys a special love filled bond with her mother, she begins to doubt her mother’s love as her brothers and sisters are born and consume her mother’s time and attention. Seeking that once familiar phrase, “Koala Lou, I DO love you”, that she so often heard from her mother, Koala Lou sets out to win the gum climbing event in the Bush Olympics. Knowing that a win would ensure a hug and her favorite words, she is heart broken when she places second in the contest. In the end, Koala Lou learns that it doesn’t take a first place medal to win her mother’s love which is always there.

Critical Analysis
This children's picture book has a heart warming theme of a mother's love for her child. This theme is a universal theme found in many children's books either through the use of animals, or people as the main characters. The few cultural markers that are present include the native Austrialian animals, the gum trees, and the terminology for the "Bush Olymplics". The native language dialect expressed by Koala Lou's mother, "How're ya goin', blosom?" also indicates this book has a degree of cultural authenticity.

The colorful illustrations with highlighted hues of purple portray the Austrialian animals and their native surroundings with a hint of whimsy.

Review Excerpts
"Lofts' colored pencil drawings in Koala Lou are soft and realistic. . . . Koala Lou is most likely to appeal to younger children, who especially treasure physical expressions of affection." Booklist

"A loving, warm story. . . . Fox brings out the best in her characters, and also conveys an important message about competition without being strident or didactic. Lofts' illustrations are realistic, whimsical, and almost textured; she gives an additional depth to the animal characters by making their faces (especially the eyes) so expressive. Her colors are bright, vivid, and almost exotic; however, the vibrant tones contrast sharply against the soft and gentle story, and jar readers from Fox's semi-cocoon like setting. While it is unfortunate that the color tone doesn't match the mood of the story, the book as a whole is enjoyable." School Library Journal

Connections
Young readers and others selecting books for reading aloud might consider other books conveying the message of endearing love between parents and their children such as:
Emmett, Jonathan. I Love You Always and Forever. Ill. Daniel Howarth. ISBN 9780439916547
McBratney, Sam. Guess How Much I Love You. Ill. Anita Jeram. ISBN 9781890409302
Munsch, Robert N. Love You Forever. Ill. Sheila McGraw. ISBN 9780920668368

International Literature Reviews - Module One

Bibliography
Kochka, and Sarah Adams. 2006. The Boy Who Ate Stars. New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. ISBN 9781416900382.

Plot Summary
Twelve year old Lucy is eager to reach her goal of meeting every neighbor in her new apartment building at 11 Rue Merlin, as she is intrigued by all of the foreign-sounding names on the mailboxes. However, her goal is immediately changed when she meets 4 year old Matthew, a boy with autism that lives upstairs. She and her best friend Theo set out to learn more about autism as they try to understand Matthew and his mysterious actions. They enlist the help of Franҫois, a dog belonging to the neighbors, Mr. & Mrs. Marotte de Montigny, or the Maroettes for short.

Critical Analysis

The only book written by author, Kochka, who was born in Lebanon to a French father and Lebanese mother, has many cultural markers. She now resides in France and many of the French influences are depicted throughout this novel which approaches the topic of autism from the viewpoint of a young French girl named Lucy and her best friend Theo as they desperately try to understand the reason for 4 year old Matthew’s actions as he spins himself into his own world. The two girls make use of a neighbor’s house dog that is treated like a “fashion accessory” by his owners. The dog and Matthew form a bond and the bond allows Lucy and Theo to observe more of Matthew’s actions in hopes of him experiencing some interactions with people other than his unusual infatuation with women’s hair that he feels he must twist and twirl with his hands. The four go on adventures to notable places in France and visit sidewalk cafés, and bakeries to purchase their family’s daily baguette, which is reminiscent of the culture in France. Never far behind is Matthew’s nanny, Maugo who is from Russia and speaks no French.

Lucy is intrigued by Maugo and her innate ability to understand Matthew without being able to speak the language of Matthew’s mother, Marie. Lucy compares Maugo to her own Russian matryoshka doll that is made of many layers. Maugo also has many layers including her own cultural connection through the food she serves to Matthew and his mother, and the rugs that she displays in the family’s home.

The author looks at autism through an open lens. Matthew’s disabilities are real and their severity, at times, is intense. It leaves Lucy and Theo frightened and unsure about how to handle him although they quickly begin to explain to the customers in a bar they visit that he has autism, and they explain what autism is and why Matthew reacts in a certain manner. In this case, Lucy and Theo are fortunate that the French people are open minded and willing to overlook his behavior.

In the end, Matthew’s connection with Franҫois turns out to be a huge awakening. When Franҫois runs away, it is Matthew’s instinct to return to a familiar place they had each visited in the past. Once there, he began to tap his drum. The sound led Franҫois back to Matthew, Lucy, and Theo. After this common link was connected, Lucy decided that she wanted to grow up and teach children with autism. Her goal was to banish the world from preconceived ideas about the disorder and those affected by it.

Awards
Nominee - Rennes Prize, France


Review Excerpts
“In this French import, twelve-year-old Lucy's goal is to learn about every neighbor in her family's new apartment building. Lucy is particularly intrigued by four-year-old Matthew, who is autistic, and she makes friends with his mother, Marie, so she can be closer to him. Lucy and friend Theodora's new mission is to understand autism (the dictionary definition of "a pathological withdrawal into an interior world" doesn't cut it) by getting to know Matthew.” Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

“This stunning first novel is an eloquent meditation on autism, love, and courage. Having just moved to a Paris apartment, 12-year-old Lucy can't wait to meet her neighbors. She encounters Marie, the loving mother of autistic four-year-old Matthew, and Maougo, their silent Russian nanny. The description of autism is mysterious and elusive. Matthew is characterized as a small independent planet spinning inside of himself, and as an extraterrestrial who feels reality intensely. The celestial imagery continues as Lucy, seeing the boy's fascination with a jar of sparkling marbles, observes that he "eats stars as he goes to sleep." School Library Journal

Connections
Look for these books as resources for young readers to learn more about autism:
Coe, Julie L. The Friendship Puzzle: Helping Kids Learn about Accepting and Including Kids with Autism. ISBN 9780978918248
Ely, Lesley. Looking After Louis. ISBN 9780807547465
Band, Eva B. Autism Through a Sister's Eyes: A Book for Children about High-Functioning Autism and Related Disorders. ISBN 9781885477712

International Literature Reviews - Module One

Bibliography
Stolz, Joëlle., and Catherine Temerson. 2004. The Shadows of Ghadames. New York: Delacorte Press. ISBN 0385731043

Plot summary
In the late 19th century, Malika, the eleven year old daughter of a traditional Muslim mother and father, begins to wonder what life would be like beyond the rooftops of Ghadames where she will soon be confined. Once she reaches the age of twelve her life will change. These changes, which are steeped in deep Muslim tradition, begin to be questioned by Malika when a mysterious guest arrives at her home.

Critical Analysis
This book is written by an outsider from the culture depicts many of the Muslim traditions and customs. The physical attributes of the women, some having tattoos with secret meanings, and the skin color of the men in the book are described along with details of the men and women’s clothing and jewelry. Each of these details led to authentic representation of the culture.

As Malika learns more about navigating the city’s passageways in the dark, and the rituals that take place at the palm grove, she learns that she is being prepared for a new life. This new life will confine her to the rooftops of Ghadames where she will communicate with the women of the city, attend the market bazaars, and keep her ear tuned for the latest gossip, while the men of the city roam the street below and conduct business and lead a life very different than the women. Malika wishes for many more things like the ability to read and write like her brother, but this is something that is not permitted in her culture.

When the stranger is taken in to her house to be nursed back to health, she is given this opportunity. This small window of learning has opened a new level of hope for Malika. Unfortunately, we are left to wonder what becomes of her.


Awards
Winner 2005 – Mildred L. Batchelder Award Winner
Winner 2005 – ALA Notable Children’s Book

Review Excerpts

"In this novel translated from the French, the wealth of cultural detail is sometimes distracting, and the author is too obvious in her selection of a gift for Malika from her father: a telescope, to see beyond. But then Stolz's whole story, which is steeped in the syncretic Islam of Ghadames, revolves around changing visions of people and places." The Horn Book

“This quiet story is notable for the intimate picture of the traditional Muslim world that it conveys; unfortunately, not until the author's note at the end is the time period made evident. The imprecise use of language may make it difficult for readers to visualize this distant world and to understand the characters' motivations. Still, this novel would be useful in schools studying this part of the world.” School Library Journal

Connections
Readers interested in learning more about the Muslim world and its traditions might want to explore these books:
Budhos, Marina. Ask Me No Questions. ISBN 9781416903512
Ellis, Deborah. The Breadwinner. ISBN 0888994192