Multi-cultural
Children’s Books
American
Library Association "Notables"
San
Souci, Robert D.
Cendrillon: A Caribbean Cinderella.
Illustrated by Brian Pinkney.
Simon & Schuster. 068980668X.
A downtrodden girl is befriended by a kindly washerwoman who works happily-ever-after
magic in this lush variant of the Cinderella story.
Stuve-Bodeen,
Stephanie.
Elizabeti's Doll.
Illustrated by Christy Hale.
Lee & Low Books. 1880000709.
A young Tanzanian girl imagines that an ordinary rock is her own special
baby in a tender tale about maternal love.
Hush!
A Thai Lullaby illustrated by Holly Meade, Text: Minfong Ho (Melanie
Kroupa/Orchard Books)
A mother warns a crying mosquito, a leaping frog, and a swinging monkey
not to wake her sleeping child in this gentle, cumulative bedtime story.
"Changing perspectives and a strong visual narrative move the action
forward as the mother quiets each noisy animal in turn. A strong sense
of composition and a soft earthy palette help support a vibrant visual
text."
The
Faithful Friend, Illustrated by Brian Pinkney Text: Robert D. San
Souci (Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers)
"Brian Pinkney's distinctive illustrations evoke the mystery, magic,
and romance in Robert San Souci's retelling of this West Indian folktale.
Pinkney's unique scratchboard style, enhanced by vivid oil colors, is
a superb match for this atmospheric story. Changes in perspective underline
the solidarity of the friendship between the main characters as they
confront and ultimately overcome the dark forces of evil."
John
Henry, illustrated by Jerry Pinkney, Text: Julius Lester (Dial)
Pinkney's earthy, craggy pencil and watercolor illustrations capture
both the power and the humanity of the African-American folk hero. Masterful
use of light and shadow portray the strength and mass of the Allegheny
Mountains, which match the magnitude of John Henry, while delicate shading
and mottled color suggest the detail of a realistic natural setting
enlivened with touches of whimsy.
Raven:
a Trickster Tale from the Pacific Northwest, by Gerald McDermott
(Harcourt)
McDermott reshapes the familiar trickster tale from the Pacific Northwest
in which Raven steals light from the Sky Chief and brings it to people.
Raven's spirit world is boldly colored and hard-edged, a strong graphic
contrast to the soft background of the real Northwest landscape.
The
Pura Belprª Award, established in 1996, is presented to a Latino/Latina
writer and illustrator whose work best portrays, affirms, and celebrates
the Latino cultural experience in an outstanding work of literature
for children and youth. It is co-sponsored by the Association for Library
Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association
(ALA) and the National Association to Promote Library Services to the
Spanish Speaking (REFORMA), an ALA Affiliate.
The
award is named after Pura Belprª, the first Latina librarian from the
New York Public Library. As a children's librarian, storyteller, and
author, she enriched the lives of Puerto Rican children in the U.S.A.
through her pioneering work of preserving and disseminating Puerto Rican
folklore.
1998
Medal Winners
Martinez,
Victor. Parrot in the Oven: mi vida. (Joanna Cotler/HarperCollins,
1996).
Poetic, moving and harrowing - these vignettes paint a realistic portrait
of a Chicano boy's coming of age in Fresno, California. The graphic
realism and lyrical imagery highlight not only familial and societal
tensions, but also unexpected moments of humor, insight, and tenderness.
Snapshots
from the Wedding, illustrated by Stephanie Garcia. Text: Gary Soto
(Putnam, 1997).
Maya, the flower girl, is busy snapping pictures at this lively Mexican
American wedding. She captures the groom with his arm in a cast due
to a softball accident, the bride with gifts of money pinned to her
dress, the mariachis with their instruments, and the younger guests
playing in their dress-up clothes. Ingenious in her execution, Stephanie
Garcia has created a series of three-dimensional tableaux created with
sculpy clay and found objects, such as olives, potato chips, and ribbons,
placed against a delicate background of pink and white lace.
Laughing
Tomatoes and Other Spring Poems /Jitomates risueìos y otros poemas de
primavera, illustrated by Maya Christina Gonzalez (Children's Book
Press, 1997).
This exuberant, bilingual collection of poetry joyfully celebrates the
richness of life as it captures scenes of a child's spring and rejoices
in the colors, smells, and sensations of nature and family life. A gifted
poet, Alarcón provides fresh images, as new as the first fruits
of spring in words that flow magically between languages and cultures.
Lomas
Garza, Carmen. In My Family / En mi familia (Children's Book
Press, 1996).
Lomas Garza's vibrantly colored folk-art style paintings are the focal
point of this collection of bilingual childhood memories. Each full-color
painting is suffused with personal and cultural details of everyday
life in a Texas border town. Religious practices, traditional forms
of healing, holiday celebrations, and ordinary chores and pastimes are
all to be found in this intimate scrapbook of life several decades ago.
The artist speaks through the paintings, each canvas its own storyteller,
and she renders the essence of each occasion in such a way that we can
smell the barbecue, feel the prickly cacti, taste the empanadas, and
listen to the music of the conjunto band.
Silva,
Simon. Gathering the Sun: an Alphabet in Spanish and English,
text by Alma Flor Ada; English translation by Rosa Zubizarreta (Lothrop,
1997).
From the fruits of the earth to the people that provide the labor that
cultivates and harvests nature's bounty, this poetry book features the
letters of the Spanish alphabet. Each poem is accompanied by an English
translation. The poetry and the pulsing illustrations honor the dignity
of the Mexican American migrant workers and their heritage. Bold red
and yellow sun-tones dramatically depict the powerful sense of strength
of these farmworker families.
1996
Medal Winners
Cofer,
Judith Ortiz. An Island Like You: Stories of the Barrio (Melanie
Kroupa / Orchard Books, 1995).
Guevara,
Susan. Chato's Kitchen written by Gary Soto (Putnam, 1995).
Coretta
Scott King Award
i
see the rhythm, ill. By Michele Wood; text by Toyomi Igus (Children's
Book Press)
"i see the rhythm" is a multi-layered history of African-American
music that celebrates the far-reaching impact of this art form. The
rich text includes words from songs of the various eras, definitions
of musical styles and valuable chronological time lines. "Vibrant,
expressionistic paintings blended innovative fonts and creative page
design to enrich this visual chronicle of African-American music from
the drum beats of Africa to stirring gospel to the contemporary rhythms
of fun, rap and hip hop," Taylor said.
The
Bat Boy and His Violin, ill. by E.B. Lewis; text by Gavin Curtis
(Simon & Schuster)
A beautifully told story of family ties and team spirit. E.B. Lewis
brings warmth to his story with his lush and vibrant watercolor paintings.
In
Daddy's Arms I am Tall: African Americans Celebrating Fathers, ill.
by Javaka Steptoe; text by Alan Schroeder (Lee & Low)
American
Library Association notable international books
Bannerman,
Helen. The Story of Little Babaji. Illus. by Fred Marcellino.
HarperCollins/Michael di Capua. 0-062-05064-8.
Delicately comic art shows how a small boy in India outsmarts four tigers,
each more vain than hungry, in this handsomely designed book.
Sisulu,
Elinor Batezat. The Day Gogo Went to Vote: South Africa, April
1994. Illus. by Sharon Wilson. Little Brown. 0-316-70267-6.
A 100-year-old great-grandmother proudly exercises her right to vote
in South Africa's first free election. Powerful, fullpage pastels capture
the essence of this poignant story.
