the name jar written and illustrated by yangsook choi

Choi, Yangsook. The Name Jar. New York: Random House Children's Books, 2010. ISBN: 9780440417996.

Plot Summary:
     Unhei is a Korean girl who just moved from Korea a week ago to begin school in another country where she has no friends. Like any new student, Unhei is apprehensive about her first day of school and whether or not the kids will like her. Her biggest concerns stems from the pronunciation of her name, and her biggest fears come to life when she is introduced on her first day and no one can pronounce her name -- not even the teacher. However, her classmates are incredibly in awe with the new girl who introduces herself with no name and are eager to help her choose one.

Critical Analysis:
     The Name Jar is the story of a Korean girl who moves from Korea to America with her family who faces cultural boundaries concerning her name. The author and illustrator, Yangsook Choi, uses the story of the protagonist to bring attention to assimilation and social identity. The protagonist, Unhei, starts a new school, but struggles in defining herself in comparison to the American children -- more specifically, through her name and the pronunciation. On her first day of school she introduces herself as not having a name and telling her classmates she will have one within the next week. She peaks their interest and on the next day, she is welcomed by a jar that is sitting on her desk with various name choices to assist her in choice. Through this story line, the author depicts how Unhei struggles to try to fit in. For instance, after she comes home from her first day of school, Unhei tells her mother that she needs an American name so the kids in her classroom can pronounce her name. Her mother responds saying, "Why? Unhei is a beautiful name. You grandmother and I went to a name master for it." This response demonstrates the significance and importance of Korean naming practices. However, Unhei feels the need to assimilate to American culture to fit in.
     For the most part, this story does a good job of accurately depicting the issues and concerns that Asians face while living in America or even growing up in America. However, the author does provide one obvious "positive stereotype" when Unhei's mother says, "You must study hard, behave nicely, and get good grades to show that you're a good Korean." This is an example of a "positive stereotype" which does the complete opposite of transcending stereotypes among Asian culture.
     The author also provides illustrations for this title which aides in a positive reflection of Asian culture. For instance, there is a part in the story when Unhei and her family are at the airport saying their goodbyes to her grandmother. Choi illustrates the skin tone of the four of them with varying shades of  tan. This depiction of skin tone variation accurately portrays that Asian skin tone varies from white to black. Aside from this one example of a negative depiction, the author does provide her audience with accurate portrayals of Asian culture through her context and illustrations of this title.

Review Excerpts:

"Unhee is the new girl in school. She and her family have just arrived and she feels scared and alone. Unhee can speak English very well, but she is worried her classmates will not be able to pronounce her name. Unhee decides she must choose a new American name for herself, much to her parents' dismay. Unhee's Korean grandma has given Unhee her name stamp. Her classmates think this is a wonderful possession and they envy her. Unhee discovers that the symbol on her stamp means grace. Unhee also discovers what her new name will be. Her classmates and neighbors know Unhee is looking for a new name and make many suggestions, placing their ideas in a name jar. Unhee faces her classmates and tells them she loves the names they have selected for her, but her decision has been made. Choi's beautiful art enhances her depth of the characters and adds warmness to this problem faced by so many children¾that of fitting in and being accepted." - Children's Literature

"On the way to her first day of school, Unhei is teased by the children on the bus for her Korean name. When she reaches her classroom and is asked her name, she tells her classmates that she has not yet decided on one. To be helpful the children put their suggestions into a "name jar." Eventually the girl decides to keep her own name as one of her classmates takes pride in the new Korean nickname he has chosen, Chinku, meaning "friend." The round, red imprint of the Korean character for Unhei's name provides the graphic manifestation of the story's theme. Attractive golden endpapers feature random repetitions of the stamp imprint interspersed with her classmates' handwritten suggestions on scraps of torn paper. The bold, bright paintings that illustrate the story are realistic, warm, and appealing." - School Library Journal 

Connections:
Customers who purchased this title also bought the following books: Recess Queen, Those Shoes, and A Chair for my Mother.

Interactivity:

• Ask children have they ever been embarrassed of their name and if they have, was it based on the response to other people.
• Facilitate a discussion on the  importance of accepting everyone, especially their differences vs. trying to make someone feel ashamed of who they are.
• Allow children to go home and ask their parents why they chose their names and research the meaning of their name.

dumpling days written by grace lin

Lin, Grace. Dumpling Days. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2012. ISBN: 9780316125901

Plot Summary:
     Pacy is a school aged girl whose home is in New York and always has been. Because she is Taiwanese-American, she doesn't look like all of the other kids in her schools, but she surely acts just like them. However, during this particular summer Pacy's parents decide to send her to Taiwan, as well as participate in a couple of art classes. She is apprehensive of this trip, but she gradually begins to learn the culture of her family.

Critical Analysis:
     Dumpling Days is the story of the struggles that Pacy faces with her cultural identity. The author, Grace Lin, allows Pacy to tell her own story providing her audience with a first point of view. Through the usage of this first person point of view, the audience is experiencing the impact and education of Taiwanese culture just as Pacy does. Lin incorporates some of the negative stereotypes that Taiwanese-American children encounter. For example, Pacy states that some of her peers refer to her as a twinkie - yellow on the outside and white on the inside. Along with the negative depictions that are presented, the author does a great job of providing accurate cultural representations by comparison. She finds ways to describe the differences between American culture and Taiwanese culture by comparing everyday items with each other such as how the toilets in Taiwan are incredibly high-tech versus the ones in America, and how the garbage trucks in Taiwan play the same tune as the ice cream trucks in New York. Throughout this novel, the author does a great job accurately depicting cultural identity for a Taiwanese-American girl as well as incorporating an accurate culturally representative novel that children can either relate to or learn from.

Review Excerpts:

"Pacy and her family travel to Taiwan for one month to celebrate her grandmother's 60th birthday, giving this Chinese-American girl another lens through which she can examine her identity. When Pacy's dad calls Taiwan an island of treasure, or bao dao, which sounds similar to the Chinese word for dumplings, she wonders--could Taiwan's treasure be food? In a companion novel to The Year of the Dog (2006) and The Year of the Rat (2008), gentle Pacy is back, brimming with questions of identity and self-discovery. At home in New York, Pacy is one of the few Asians in her class. She tries hard to fit in. In Taiwan, she looks similar to everyone else, but she doesn't speak Chinese or Taiwanese. So she doesn't fit in there either. Pacy's mom signs her up for a painting class, and Pacy is excited. She's a good artist; surely she'll make some friends. But painting with a bamboo brush on rice paper is difficult! The one talent that made her feel safe is suddenly gone; Pacy doesn't know who she is anymore or where she belongs. Luckily, there is a lot of loving family to surround her, and a lot of incredible food to eat (especially dumplings). This third outing is as warmhearted as the first two. Deftly weaving together historical anecdotes and simple line illustrations, Lin once again touches the heart of growing up in a multicultural family." - Kirkus Reviews

"Dumpling Days is a charming book about family and searching for identity. It is best suited for children nine to thirteen years old, but readers who grew up with a multicultural background will relate to the story. Ten-year-old Pacy struggles to find the balance between her two cultures, and the lessons she learns are relevant for everyone. Dumpling Days is sweet, fun, and honest; its vivid descriptions and amusing anecdotes will whet readers' appetites for dumplings." - VOYA

Connections:
More titles written by Grace Lin include: Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, The Year of the Dog, and The Year of the Rat.

Interactivity:

• Ask children to research their family history and their heritage. 
• Ask children have they ever visited the area where their family is from; be it, a particular state from America or a different country.

drawing from memory written by allen say

Say, Allen. Drawing From Memory. New York: Scholastic Press, 2011. ISBN: 9780545176866

Plot Summary:

     Born in Japan, Allen Say is an imaginative young boy whose mother taught him how to read before he began school with her own motive for her son to become popular among his peers. From this motive grows an intelligent boy who becomes fascinated with comic books and their illustrations. Allen's love for comic books turned into a fascination with their illustrations resulting in his determination to become a cartoonist. Throughout Allen's life, he faces many difficulties and much disapproval from his father regarding his aspirations; however, these difficulties paired with his passion allows Allen to grow into who he is now. 

Critical Analysis:

     Allen Say recounts his story and memories of his life through an autobiographical nonfiction piece titled Drawing from Memory. Allen is a renowned writer and illustrator whose work has been featured in the Japanese American National Museum. Who else could recount the life of Allen Say more accurately than himself? Say captivates readers' interest through his usage of cartoon-like drawings and sketches created using watercolors, ink, and pencils. Paired with a vast integration of pictures is the textual story of Allen Say's life. As the author details his story, he follows a chronological timeline spanning from childhood to adulthood that allows readers to easily follow his story while appreciating his unique style of illustrations. Such depictions include just enough information of how Say recounts how his life was changed during WWII as he states, "Then a war began in 1941. When bombs started to fall on our city, Mother took us and fled to a village named Tabuse between Hiroshima and Iwakuni." This example displays an accurate display of Japanese history. Not only does Say's story unfold before the reader, but he displays his growth and progression as an artist through the details of his illustrations. 

Review Excerpts:

"Retooling some of the material in his autobiographical middle-grade novel The Ink-Keeper's Apprentice (1994), Say tells the story of his decidedly nontraditional Japanese upbringing, supplying watercolors, photographs, and humorous sketches to create a vivid record of life in postwar Tokyo. Say's family rented him his own apartment when he was 12 so he could attend a better school. "The one-room apartment was for me to study in," he writes, beneath a b&w sketch of his desk, "but studying was far from my mind... this was going to be my art studio!" (A second drawing, in color, shows his conception of the perfect desk, covered with paints and brushes.) Japan's most famous cartoonist, Noro Shinpei, accepted Say as an apprentice until Say immigrated to the United States in 1953. Say's account of his relationship with Noro (who later called Say "the treasure of my life") is the centerpiece of the narrative. As the story of a young artist's coming of age, Say's account is complex, poignant, and unfailingly honest. Say's fans—and those who also feel the pull of the artist's life—will be captivated." - Publishers Weekly

"Say's picture book memoir shows his passion for drawing and determination in pursuing his dream of becoming an artist. It is about the goals and accomplishments of a middle school-aged boy who wanted to work with a famous cartoonist. He actually knocked on the artist's door and asked! This "Sensei," or teacher, became the key to his development as an artist and a young man. "Let your dear child journey," is a Japanese saying that allowed Say to be on his own, achieve his goals, and become one of the best known children's authors and illustrators today. Although the cover illustration may not entice students, this memoir would be a good choice for those who need to be encouraged in their own passion, particularly if it is art. The illustrations inside the book are a rich mixture of Say's artwork from this training period, the work of his teacher, photographs, and graphic novel-like depictions of his memories. It would be a good companion to The Ink-Keeper's Apprentice, Say's earlier novel based on these same experiences. It would be a good source for an author study as well, as the memoir provides insights into many of the portraits of Japanese culture Say presents in his other work." - Children's Literature

"Say tells the story of how he became an artist through a vibrant blend of words and images. Beginning with his boyhood in World War II-era Japan, he traces his life-changing relationship with Noro Shinpei, an illustrious cartoonist who became his surrogate father figure and art mentor. Illustrations are richly detailed and infused with warmth. Exquisite use of light makes night scenes glow, and the mid-20th-century Tokyo setting is captured with vivid authenticity. A variety of media and artistic styles, including full-color paintings, black-and-white sketches, photographs, and comic-book panels, adds texture and depth to the narrative. Fans of the artist's work will take particular delight in seeing sketches from his student days. Simple, straightforward sentences and a conversational narration in combination with a wealth of images will appeal to aspiring artists and reluctant readers alike. This book covers much of the same material as Say's autobiographical novel, The Ink-Keeper's Apprentice (Harper & Row, 1979), but the lively mix of art and text will draw in a new generation and a slightly younger audience. The somewhat abrupt ending, with Say moving to the United States, may leave readers wishing for a more extended epilogue or sequel, but that is simply because his story is so engaging. Readers of all ages will be inspired by the young Say's drive and determination that set him on a successful career path." - School Library Journal

"Say, an award-winning author and illustrator of juvenile literature, has created in this memoir a beautiful tribute to his sensei, Japanese for "teacher" or "master." Taught to read at an early age, Say loved comic books, which inspired a passion for drawing: "When I was drawing, I was happy. I didn't need toys or friends or parents." His father, however, had a low regard for artists. At age twelve, Say was sent to live with his maternal grandmother in Tokyo. Used to living alone, his grandmother had little patience for her artistic grandson. He studied and gained admittance into a prestigious middle school, and with his grandmother's blessing, he moved into his own apartment. That night, he read a newspaper article about a boy, an apprentice to the famous Japanese cartoonist Noro Shinpei. Say writes of Shinpei, "His books were my secret treasures I hid from my parents." The article set Say on the path to realizing his dream of becoming an artist and into a relationship of mutual respect and admiration. Say's autobiographical story introduces readers to Japanese culture of the 1940s and 50s. Teens will envy the extreme independence accorded to Say at such an early age. The mixture of text, sketches, and photographs illustrates Say's development as an artist and provides a glimpse into his youth and the lives of those closest to him. This book is sure to appeal to reluctant readers. Its brief text and plentiful graphics make it a quick but fulfilling read, and leave the reader wanting more." - VOYA 

Connections:

Customers who purchased this book also bought the following titles: The House Baba Built: An Artist's Childhood in China, Wheels of Change: How Women Rode the Bicycle to Freedom, and The Extraordinary Mark Twain.

Interactivity:

• Have children draw their lives within five frames.
• Ask children if they have any of their artwork displayed in their homes i.e. hanging on the refrigerator, framed on the walls, or drawings on the wall. 
• Ask children what they want to be when they grow up and who they look up to for that choice.