grace lin is a wonderful author and illustrator - her use of colors and asian themes is gorgeous and educational. i got on a grace lin kick lately and got out 8 of her picture books from the library. here's a summary of them:
the ugly vegetables - one asian family's gardening interests clash with the neighbors. the daughter is so embarrassed, yet during harvest time, every neighbor comes for some of her mom's soup, made with the ugly vegetables she grew.
dim sum for everyone! - a great and colorful introduction to dim sum. when we read this, lillie picked out her favorites that she already knew. not bad for a 3-yr old, living in a town of 800....
kite flying - three sisters and their mom and dad make a chinese kite and fly it. gorgeous colors, simple words.
olvina flies - olvina the chicken gets invited to the bird convention in hawaii. she is nervous because she can't fly. her friend books her an airplane ticket so she can indeed go. great book for first-time travelers, as well as kids learning that there are multiple ways of doing things.
okie-dokie artichokie! - marklee the monkey is glad to see his new neighbor, artichoke the giraffe. misunderstandings cause a lot of hard feelings in the apartment building, until things are made clear by talking and sharing. great book on dealing with others!
fortune cookies fortunes - a family gets fortune cookies after a dinner at a restaurant. they come true! and the narrator (the oldest girl of three) sees fortunes everywhere. really cute, and a great way to look at the world.
robert's snow - robert the mouse gets lost in a snowstorm, and gets rescued and brought home to the shoe his family lives in. this is a wonderful tale about getting lost, finding your way home (with help), and being grateful for what you have.
where on earth is my bagel? by frances park and ginger park, illustrated by grace lin - a boy in korea wants a new york bagel. he sends off a messenger pigeon to NYC to see if he can get one. a baker writes back that it is impossible, as they are only good fresh, but gives a recipe. yum yung recruits his friends and they all create a wonderful bagel.
i truly think these books have made a difference in lillie's reading life - seeing difference, comparing people and food, and learning about others. hope you enjoy them, too!
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Comments: 19
i have a childrens' book by amy tan,about a chinese girl, with gorgeous chinese illustrations, i think Dr. Seus somehow sends a message about diversity ..and overall my all time favorite..especially "the places you go",
i love margarent wise brown although no diversity ..lots of beutiful ideas..
i will look for those books ...thanks!
My son is bi-racial as well.
My book is based upon the true life story about one of my friends.
jen - how cool is that? i'll look him up! thanks!
carol - can't wait to read it. yahoo!!
thanks, everyone!
And we need to remind ourselves of the first steps too
lovely
Well, what are you waiting for?????
Fred and I have started gathering books for our soon to arrive grandson, Logan Seth. I have made note of these titles, and will have to start culling the internet for some good bargains.
As an aside, my mother-in-law was born on the Blackfoot Indian reservation. Although she was adopted off shortly after birth, we've made an effort to teach Danielle and Alex as much as we can about thier Native American heritage. And you know how I feel about teaching children tolerance.
Thanks for the tip about this great author. Give that Lillie love a kiss from her Auntie G!