September 30^th, 2005

CHILDREN’S BOOK REVIEWS

By Diane Walsh

An annotated bibliography which may be of interest to mothers looking for books which deal with sensitive issues of discrimination. These texts include messages of courage for growing, inquisitive kids.

Czernecki, Stephan. (1996). A Chinese Folktale: The Cricket’s Cage. Hong Kong: Hyperion Press Limited.

This is a story about a carpenter who faces death if he cannot make four Capital City towers that please the Emperor. Kuai is tormented because he has not been trained to build without any kind of plan. He does not know how to make the design independently. He seeks the support of his friend who consoles him by giving him a pet cricket, who brings good luck. Kuai makes a promise. When he dies he vows that he will leave his pet, in comfort, in a large cage. In the night the cricket draws up his own version of a cage design.

The next morning, Kuai is able to build a miniature tower-cage based on the splendid plan created by his cricket. When the Emperor sees the tower he is delighted and credits the design to the carpenter Kuai who protests selflessly that the credit should not be his but his cricket’s. Nevertheless his life is saved. When faced with near-death the carpenter is stoic – he thinks not of himself, but of the happiness of the cricket. His decision to honour the promise to his pet - to give ‘it’ beautiful home - demonstrates the qualities of true friendship that, in good turn, end up saving Kuai’s life.

This is a quaint tale with classic illustrations. It is a well-known Chinese legend because it underlines the value of little things in face of big things in times of duress. It’s a good tool-book for helping children deal with major conflict.

Demi. (1997). One Grain of Rice: A Mathematical Folktale. New York: Scholastic Press.

This story is about a “raja” (a leader) living many years ago in India who refused to give any rice to his people when the famine came even though he had plenty of it stored in Royal Store Houses. Watching the elephants and carriers transport the rice, Rani, a peasant girl is able to collect up a stream of rice in her open skirt which has fallen from one of the baskets. Although hungry, she thinks ahead and brings the rice to the raja to show him her good deed. Wishing to reward her for her honesty the raja lets her choose something. Cleverly, she asks for one grain of rice doubled every day for thirty days. The raja agrees, believing her request to be a rather humble one. Fortunately for Rani, the raja’s mathematical skills turn out to not as good as hers. In only a few weeks, the raja is frightfully surprised to see all of his rice disappearing. He holds true on his promise to her and delivers more than 500,000,000 grains of rice. He, now in fear of going hungry himself, is glad that Rani has a generous heart. She shares her rice and teaches him a thing about wisdom.

This book is one of a wonderful collection of books by Demi who likes to stage her stories in different countries. She does the illustrations herself which are, indeed, spectacular. A good pick - for cultural insight and life lessons.

Hoffman, Mary. (1991) Amazing Grace. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers.

This is a story of a talented black girl named Grace who wants to play Peter Pan in a school production; however her peers are not nearly as enthusiastic about her playing the role as she is. It is difficult for Grace to share her excitement because her classmates are doubtful which in turn affects her confidence. Grace has a strong emotional support network at home including a loving mother and grandmother who encourage her by telling her she can do anything she sets her mind on. Grace learns that even when she may face adversity, she must never let anyone say that she can’t do something because she is black.

This is an important book. It has a simple theme yet a powerful message about anti-racism.

McDermott, Gerald. (1994). Coyote: A Trickster Tale from the American Southwest. San Diego: Harcourt Brace and Company.

This book is a Native South West American trickster tale about a Coyote, a clever, inquisitive and mischievous animal who looks for trouble and gets into several messes. He might be considered as a bit too curious and adventurous since he gets to annoy other living things. For instance, he decides he wants to look and fly like a bird. The crows help him by giving him feathers and teaching him their step and their song. Coyote sings and flies poorly yet is boastful. His attention seeking behavior and lack of appreciation for what he is given annoy the crows, especially when he selfishly demands to be carried. The crows absolutely refuse and take back their feathers, leaving Coyote to shoot down to the ground and crash. He tries to catch up to the crows after the fall but he cannot. The experience wrecks his tail and leaves him the colour of dust. But Coyote learns nothing from the experience. Thinking that he is unscathed, he continues to look for trouble.

In a non-threatening manner, this story underlines in subtle and amusing ways some of the behaviours that might just push others away. It is a warning-story about not being rude to others. It has delightful classic Southwest art illustrations, attractive to children and adults.

Molliel, Tololwa M. (1997). Kele’s Secret. Toronto: Stoddart Publishing Company Limited.

This story is about a Tanzanian boy named Yoanes who wants to get a precious coin from his grandmother but, first, he must gather enough eggs to take to the market. The problem is that the hens lay their eggs all over the coffee farm where the family lives and works. Kele, in particular, poses the greatest challenge to the egg finder since she has secret hideaways where to like to lie. Yoanes must wrestle with wanting his reward from his grandmother and facing his terrible fear of going into a dark shed where he imagines Nenauner, a half-rock monster will attack him. He remembers his bedtime story about the monster and lets his imagination get the better on him. Using all of his courage he faces his fears, enters the shed and collects the rest of the eggs.

This book is helpful to children who may be living with a fear of something that they heard about in a story because it helps them to separate between reality and fantasy.

Prose, Francine. (1998). You Never Know: A Legend of the Lamed-vavniks. New York: Greenwillow Books.

This book is based on an ancient tale from Jewish folklore that there are in every generation, in time, thirty-six righteous individuals are living secretly in the world (“Lamed-vav” means thirty six in Hebrew). These “saints” or “angels” appear only when there is grave danger to the community. Once the danger has passed, they remove themselves completely. A cobbler named Schmuel is secretly one of these humble people. But no one in the city of Plotchnik ever takes any notice of him because the community believes him to be poor and stupid.

When it does not rain for a long time the city is stricken with drought. Plotchnik is in crisis and famine. Schmuel quietly prays for rain as he knows he had “God’s” ear. The town people think his pleas are futile -– why he couldn’t even read the prayers, they say. Suddenly, rain comes at Schmuel’s request. Too much rain came, in fact. The Rabbi prays to make it stop. He cannot. Schmuel asks, and it became sunny. This baffles the town people. Their Rabbi then has a dream of menorahs with thirty-six candles. (It is believed in Jewish tradition that the number of candles lit in the menorah during Hanukkah is thirty-six because this is supposed to rekindle faith in the “Lamed-vavniks”). The Rabbi recounts the ancient legend to the people who learn to be more careful in how they judge someone like Schmuel.

This story is an accessible text which can introduce children to the ritual on the Jewish Holiday (if such an independent school celebrates).

Read MacDonald, Margaret. (1992) “The Argument Sticks: an Iroquois Tale”. Peace Tales: World Folktales to Talk About. Hamden, CT: Linnet Books.

This is a poem about a peacemaking technique believed to be used by the Iroquois people. Two boys are arguing fiercely and they were in danger of coming to blows over it. Their mother gave them three sticks and told them these were special argument stick. If the sticks fall to the north, the one who set up the northern stick and vice versa. In completing the task, the boys stopped arguing believing, as they were told, the result in a month’s time would settle the issue. The time passed and when the boys went to look the sticks had fallen in a heap and it was not possible to see the result, so there was no winner. The boys, funnily enough, forgot what the argument was about in the first place as they looked at the rotting sticks on the ground.

This piece of poetry is simple, yet powerful. It is useful tool that can still be used today to solve arguments. It also brings children closer to nature as they search for the sticks to complete the peacemaking process.

Williams, Arlene. (1998). Dragon Soup. Singapore: Starseed Press.

Tonlu faces having to marry a nasty merchant to whom her family owes a debt. She thinks to repay the debt by climbing the Cloud Dragon steps to steal a pearl from the dragon’s treasure necklace. She awakens the Dragons and she is captured. Dragons Breen and Krall are in the middle of making soup but cannot decide whose soup to eat – the spicy one or the sweet one. They challenge Tonlu to pick one and offer to spare her life if she chooses the better soup. One offers the pearl and other, a ride on his back.

Tonlu gets the Dragons to agree that to make an informed choice; she needs to taste both soups before her. She does and thinks carefully on what to do. She realizes that there must be a solution which would please everyone. She suggests that the two soups are mixed together, and so it is agreed. The dragons find the soup delicious – they both feel satisfied because they each contributed to a delightful meal. Tonlu intervened cleverly between two Dragons who could never decide on sweet or spicy and made a cooperative suggestion. Both soups mixed together tasted delicious. Since each dragon’s soup was used Tonlu was able to not only get the pearl but also a ride on the back of a dragon.

This book teaches children how to resolve a conflict which involves competing people or needs.

Wiliams, Marcia. (1993). Miquel de Cervantes’s Don Quixote. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press.

This book is a children’s comic style version of the famous story of Don Quixote (written by Cervantes in the early 1600’s) about a man who sees himself as a fearless knight called to right all the world’s wrongs. Don Quixote’s romantic notions to do battle with everything and everyone (including a group of windmills he deludes himself are giant monsters, flocks of sheep he perceive as “armies”) land him in a heap of trouble. Much of the chaos brought about around him is self-generated; however, he does not see this reality at all since he believes so sincerely and obsessively that he is destined to live a life of warring hero.

Unfortunately the “squire” Sancho Panza, assigned to Don’s side, is also trapped in loosing battles, sometimes furious ones at that, which involve opponents of far greater might. Don is not lucky at love either. Failing at love and war, Don is wounded but not dead. He sets out on yet another adventure with his ideas, unchanged, looking ridiculous with a gold barber bowl on his head he thinks is a knight’s helmet, and, faithful Sancho, still, at his side.

This child-suitable version of famous literature is useful for introducing children to amusing literary characters. This book teaches a message about conflict and calamity being something that people can themselves cause and perpetuate. It makes the point that the lack of forethought and caution in pursuing one’s fantasy and obsession can have chaotic and troublesome consequences.

Young, Ed. (2001). The Monkey King. Hong Kong: Harper Collins Publishers.

This is an engaging Buddhist story requiring a good summary to give it true justice (albeit it is a quasi-religious/spiritual text which may or may not be allowed in certain schools). It is about a daring and mischievous Monkey who was born from an exploding mountain rock. Equipped with magical skills, Monkey is able to leap across waterfalls and woo the other monkeys into making their king. Restless, Monkey finds a Master Puti to teach him the art of turning cloud somersaults, changing shapes, and disappearing. He begins to see himself as a hero and looks for a weapon. He shrinks a gold pillar he finds in Dragon King’s underwater palace into a small needle and puts it behind his ear. Complaints are made about him and he is landed with a lowly job in heaven. He is angry. He steals fruit and disappears to escape punishment. Armies are sent after him but he cannot be captured because he simply divides himself into infinite parts.

Finally, Buddha’s help is sought by Jade Emperor to deal with Monkey, finding no successful means to deal with him. Knowing Monkey is competitive, Buddha himself challenges him to a contest – if he can jump out of his hand he is ruler over heaven. If he does not succeed he is to give up his magic. Monkey somersaults across, what he believes is, the whole of the universe and settles on five columns. Disastrously for him, it is Buddha’s enormous five fingers and he is now trapped. He is imprisoned until such a time as he decides to become of disciple of a monk in search of Buddha’s scriptures. But it is found out that he is insincere. He then finds himself in dire straits, to the point that even he realizes that if he does not ask for help he would be no longer. Once he admits he has many character weaknesses and is able to ask for help, politely; only then is he open to transformation.

Learning the lesson of humility is the purpose of the story. A perfect tale for the stubborn and overly combative – a must read. [To preserve knowledge of the Chinese contributing illustrator, please note the name, Yongheng Xuan]