THE YEAR OF THE DOG by Grace Lin

Lin, Grace. The Year of the Dog. New York: Little Brown. 2006.  ISBN 0316060003.

Grace Lin is an established contributor of multicultural literature.  Preceding her Caldecott Honor book Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, she wrote The Year of the Dog, a charming autobiographical look at a young Taiwanese American girl navigating her place within two cultures. 

The title of the book references the Chinese New Year, and the cover of the book mimics the Hong Bao;  red envelopes filled with money that are exchanged during the Chinese New Year.  During the Year of the Dog, Pacy, also called Grace, is expecting to “find herself” and her talent and decide what she will be when she grows up.  The story takes us through the entire year and entertains us with humor and charm.   

The cultural markers of authenticity are prolific in Lin’s text and illustrations.  The Hong Bao, chop sticks, traditional Chinese clothing, and Chinese characters occur in the sweet and simple black and white sketches throughout the book.  The text also reminds us of the Chinese influence in Grace’s life by the short vignettes of the stories her mom tells her such as, “Mom’s First Day of School,” and “Mom’s First Friend.”  

A poignant moment in the story occurs when Grace’s world “goes silent” when one of her friends tells her she can’t be Dorothy in the school play, The Wizard of Oz, because Dorothy was not Chinese.  “Like a melting icicle, my dream of being Dorothy fell and shattered on the ground….I was SO dumb.  How could I have even thought about being Dorothy?” (page 70)  This event, as well as others, is a perfect stepping stone into the waters of awareness of students who claim more than one culture.  It helps us see their world as well as ours with more sensitive filters.  

The author’s motivation in writing this story was the fact that when she was growing up, she did not see herself on the pages of the literature available to her.  She has successfully remedied that for the future generation as Kirkus reviews it as “a treat for Asian-American girls looking to see themselves in their reading.”  Well done Ms. Lin.

TEA WITH MILK by Allen Say

Say, Allen. Tea With Milk. New York: Houghton Mifflin. 1999.  ISBN 0395904951.

Tea with Milk is a charming and beautifully illustrated story about author Allen Say’s mother, May. It notes her early upbringing in America and details her move back to Japan, her unhappiness there, and her independent move to the city of Osaka.  There she worked as an elevator girl in a large department store and later became a store guide for businessmen because of her superb English.  Her English attracted a businessman that joined the tour three days in a row.  When she questioned him in Japanese, he answered her in English.  His English was superb because of attending an English school in Shanghai.  He asked her to tea and they began a friendship based on how much they missed having English conversations.  They both drank their tea with milk and sugar.  This young businessman, as you would expect, became Allen Say’s father.

This book followed Say’s Caldecott winning Grandfather’s Journey and is no less exquisitely illustrated or endearing.  “The people come to life as authentic and sympathetic characters” (School Library Journal review).  His “detailed drawings featuring Japanese architecture and clothing” (School Library Journal review) establish the markers that assure its cultural authenticity.  Say’s artistic skill allows the reader to see and feel May’s misery at having to wear a kimono, sit on the floor, and endure a date orchestrated by her parents and a hired matchmaker.   The text also fine tunes her misery when she thinks, “I’m a foreigner in my parent’s country”  as villagers stare at her in her scandalous western clothing and call her “gaijin,” (Japanese for foreigner).  When working as an English translator, she muses at the irony that she has to look like a Japanese lady (wear a kimono) to speak English, and bow “as a proper Japanese lady should.”

This story is a great one to share with students to raise awareness that we cannot assume that all Asian Americans feel connected to the land of their heritage. Say establishes in the last line of the book that this all happened “a long time ago,” but I think it would have been helpful to reveal the specific time in history when this took place.  Regardless of the setting, however, Say tells this story with the universal theme that home is where the heart is, and the heart is at home where there is love.

A SINGLE SHARD by Linda Sue Park

Park, Linda Sue. A Single Shard. New York:  Clarion Books. 2001.  ISBN 0395978270.

Audio Book:

Park, Linda Sue. A Single Shard. Performed by Graeme Malcolm. New York:  Listening Library.  2002.  ISBN 0807216070.

Tree-ear, Crane-man, and Min take center stage in this story set in the 12^th century in the small coastal town of Ch’ulp’o, Korea.  Tree-ear, a young orphan boy is cared for by a disabled and disadvantaged Crane-man who provides sound fatherly guidance and labors of love for Tree-ear.  Tree-ear is fascinated by the ceramic trade in his town and watches the great artist-potter, Min, in shadow whenever possible.  Accidentally damaging one of Min’s pieces results in an opportunity for Tree-ear to come out of the shadows to work for Min to pay off the debt of the damaged piece.  After the debt is paid, Tree-ear continues to work for Min for the simple wage of a daily meal.

As Tree-ear's care-giver, Crane-man provides Tree-ear with a strong moral compass, and Tree-ear is gifted with a tender heart and a tender conscience.  Though at times he seems too good to be true, it is his ability to maintain a pure heart in the face of hardship and disappointment that I find so endearing. I found myself really caring about Tree-ear.  Min proves to be a hard and cold task-master, but Tree-ear’s work ethic remains undaunted, content with hope that someday he will earn Min’s trust and be allowed to actually create his own pots and vases.  The sacrifices that Tree-ear makes for Min yields equal measures of heartbreak and immeasurable joy.  

Linda Sue Park was awarded the 2002 Newbery Medal, and an honorable mention from the Asian/Pacific American Awards for Literature for this historical fiction and multicultural novel targeted at grades seven-twelve.  Park is an Asian-American of Korean descent.  Her research into her own Korean heritage is evident in her rich setting descriptions and character development.  From the very beginning of the story we know we are not in Kansas anymore by the names of the characters and the description of the backpack Tree-ear bears called a jiggeh made of branches and woven straw.  The jiggeh bag was filled with rice, which Crane-man calls “a fortune.”   Another cultural marker and pivotal to the story is the creation of celadon pottery which has been famous in Korea, Japan and China for centuries.

Park weaves authentic and historically accurate information throughout her story and explains her choices and research in the “Author’s Note” at the back of the book.  One such note explains the omission of the mention of Seoul, Korea because it was not established until 1392 which is more than 200 years after this story takes place.  She also mentions that every piece of pottery she details in the story is based on pieces that exist today in museums or private collections.

Though one could argue that Tree-ear fits the subservient Asian stereotype because of his station and status as a destitute orphan, his inner strength and moral character make him heroic.  Additionally,  Park balances good and evil between Tree-ear and Min without making Tree-ear saintly or Min a villain. 

   

A Single Shard is an excellent choice for inclusion in a middle school and high school reading list in association with world history or multicultural collections.  Its appeal to both genders make it a good choice for book clubs.  Kirkus reviews names it “a timeless jewel” which I am proud to have ornamenting my own personal book shelf.