This third post concludes our series about teaching kids about the history and impact of US immigration. The first post introduced nonfiction resources for studying immigration, and the second post covered historical fiction and memoirs, including novels and picture books. (Even more posts: Picture Books by René Colato Laínez, New Immigration Books, part 1: Syrian and Central American immigrants, and part 2: picture books and anthologies.)
My Name is Sangoel (2009) by Karen Lynn Williams and Khadra Mohammed and illustrated by Catherine Stock. Sangoel and his mother and little sister are refugees from Sudan who are resettled in the United States. Sangoel tries hard to adjust to many differences, including a frustration that no one can pronounce his name properly.
The Name Jar (2001) by Yangsook Choi. Unhei has just moved to the US from Korea and has decided that she should trade in her name for a new, American, name. After her classmates help out by offering suggestions, an interaction with a new friend helps her change her mind and keep her name.
One Green Apple (2006) by Eve Bunting and illustrated by Ted Lewin. This 'second day of school' book is one that I always share during the first week of school. Farah's story of being in a new school and a new country is one that resonates as we begin to establish our own class community. Students immediately grab onto the symbolism of her "different" apple becoming a part of the blended cider. This is a book we return to again and again as we learn about new people and new cultures and as well think about how to be a welcoming and inclusive community ourselves.
Four Feet, Two Sandals by Karen Lynn Williams and Khadra Mohammed, illustrated by Doug Chayka. This book gently introduces children to the existence of refugees and refugee camps through the touching friendship of Lina and Feroza, two girls from Afghanistan who have made their way to a refugee camp in Pakistan. Both the text and illustrations offer insights into life at camp (including the detail that the girls are excluded from the camp-run school), as well as provides a bit of the tragic back story that led them both to flee their homes and lose members of their families. An important book for introducing a difficult topic.
Lights on the River (1994) by Jane Resh Thomas and illustrated by Michael Dooling. This picture book focuses on the difficult life of some migrant workers in the US. Teresa and her family who moved to the US from Mexico are told to live in a chicken coop with an outhouse.
My Name is Bilal (2005) by Asma Mobin-Uddin and illustrated by Barbara Kiwak. This picture book tells the story of a boy's inner struggle when he and his sister (who wears a headscarf) start at a new school. Bilal learns facts about the historical Bilal and soon makes new friends. This book is geared towards older elementary or middle school-aged students.
Playing War (2005) by Kathy Beckwith and illustrated by Lea Lyon. A group of kids decide to play a game of war only to discover that Sameer, who has recently moved to the neighborhood, lost his family to real war in his home country (unidentified by implied Middle East or Central Asia). I have shared this book in the past with fourth grade students to help them understand the implications of some of the games of pretend that they play and that how they treat each other matters.
The Lotus Seed (1993) by Sherry Garland and illustrated by Tatsuro Kiuchi. This sparse picture book tells the story of the narrator's grandmother and her flight from Vietnam and her resettlement in America (implied). When the narrator's little brother steals grandmother's special lotus seed and tries to plant it, the family learns a lesson about history and perseverance.
Auntie Yang's Great Soybean Picnic (2012) by Ginnie Lo and illustrated by Beth Lo. Chinese-American sisters Ginnie and Beth based this picture book on their own experiences growing up as the child of Chinese immigrants. Homesick for China, Auntie Yang was delighted to find soybeans growing in a nearby field, though the farmer intended to sell them to feed livestock, not people. Thus began the first Great Soybean Picnic, which became an annual event for Chinese-American families in the Chicago area. This is a great story for showing how to find the familiar in a new country and new situation.
Dia's Story Cloth (1996) by Dia Cha and stitched by Chue Cha and Nhia Thoa Cha. This powerful picture book "translates" the Hmong story cloth stitched by the author's aunt and uncle that tells the family's history and migration from Laos to Thailand to resettlement in the United States. The author's note at the beginning gives the context for the cloth, and the lengthy afterwards includes a four-page history of the Hmong or Free People plus a bibliography.
Molly's Pilgrim (1983) by Barbara Cohen. Molly is Jewish and a recent immigrant to the United States. After being mocked by her classmates, Molly's mother helps her make a Russian doll for their Thanksgiving pilgrim display and Molly teaches her classmates a lesson about tolerance and the long history of immigration in the US.
Grandfather's Journey (1993) by Allen Say. Allen Say's grandfather left Japan for America as a young man, but when he is older, he become homesick. He moves his family back to Japan, but his nearly-grown daughter prefers the big city. After the war destroys their city, they all move back to grandfather's ancestral home. As a young man himself, the author leaves Japan and moves to California himself. A really interesting and poignant take on immigration, homesickness, and belonging.
Erika-San (2009) by Allen Say. Erika falls in love with Japan and chooses to study Japanese and then leaves to teach in Japan after college graduation. She wants to learn more about the traditional tea ceremony, but when her friend cannot help her, she finds her own way. This book provides an interesting to contrast to many immigration stories, because in this case, Erika chooses to marry and stay in Japan.
My Mom is a Foreigner, But Not to Me (2013) by Julianne Moore and illustrated by Meilo So. I really wanted to like this book, and I was excited about the concept - a celebration of children whose moms immigrated to the US from another country. However, the rhyme is absolutely abysmal and the constantly changing font is odd and interrupts the flow. (I spent time attempting to analyze it, and the differences in font do not appear to correlate to a specific mom/child, which would be the only reason I can see for using them.) I also found it odd how many of the mom/child pairs do not actually look genetically related, but this is supposed to be a book about family histories. Kids of immigrant parents may be able to see themselves in this book, but I really was hoping for more.
Finally, author Rene Colato Laínez has written many picture books which feature immigrants to the US. Or read more in the immigration series: nonfiction resources for studying immigration and historical fiction and memoirs.
Modern Immigration: immigrants and the children of immigrants
My Name is Sangoel (2009) by Karen Lynn Williams and Khadra Mohammed and illustrated by Catherine Stock. Sangoel and his mother and little sister are refugees from Sudan who are resettled in the United States. Sangoel tries hard to adjust to many differences, including a frustration that no one can pronounce his name properly.
The Name Jar (2001) by Yangsook Choi. Unhei has just moved to the US from Korea and has decided that she should trade in her name for a new, American, name. After her classmates help out by offering suggestions, an interaction with a new friend helps her change her mind and keep her name.
One Green Apple (2006) by Eve Bunting and illustrated by Ted Lewin. This 'second day of school' book is one that I always share during the first week of school. Farah's story of being in a new school and a new country is one that resonates as we begin to establish our own class community. Students immediately grab onto the symbolism of her "different" apple becoming a part of the blended cider. This is a book we return to again and again as we learn about new people and new cultures and as well think about how to be a welcoming and inclusive community ourselves.
Lights on the River (1994) by Jane Resh Thomas and illustrated by Michael Dooling. This picture book focuses on the difficult life of some migrant workers in the US. Teresa and her family who moved to the US from Mexico are told to live in a chicken coop with an outhouse.
My Name is Bilal (2005) by Asma Mobin-Uddin and illustrated by Barbara Kiwak. This picture book tells the story of a boy's inner struggle when he and his sister (who wears a headscarf) start at a new school. Bilal learns facts about the historical Bilal and soon makes new friends. This book is geared towards older elementary or middle school-aged students.
Playing War (2005) by Kathy Beckwith and illustrated by Lea Lyon. A group of kids decide to play a game of war only to discover that Sameer, who has recently moved to the neighborhood, lost his family to real war in his home country (unidentified by implied Middle East or Central Asia). I have shared this book in the past with fourth grade students to help them understand the implications of some of the games of pretend that they play and that how they treat each other matters.
The Lotus Seed (1993) by Sherry Garland and illustrated by Tatsuro Kiuchi. This sparse picture book tells the story of the narrator's grandmother and her flight from Vietnam and her resettlement in America (implied). When the narrator's little brother steals grandmother's special lotus seed and tries to plant it, the family learns a lesson about history and perseverance.
Auntie Yang's Great Soybean Picnic (2012) by Ginnie Lo and illustrated by Beth Lo. Chinese-American sisters Ginnie and Beth based this picture book on their own experiences growing up as the child of Chinese immigrants. Homesick for China, Auntie Yang was delighted to find soybeans growing in a nearby field, though the farmer intended to sell them to feed livestock, not people. Thus began the first Great Soybean Picnic, which became an annual event for Chinese-American families in the Chicago area. This is a great story for showing how to find the familiar in a new country and new situation.
Dia's Story Cloth (1996) by Dia Cha and stitched by Chue Cha and Nhia Thoa Cha. This powerful picture book "translates" the Hmong story cloth stitched by the author's aunt and uncle that tells the family's history and migration from Laos to Thailand to resettlement in the United States. The author's note at the beginning gives the context for the cloth, and the lengthy afterwards includes a four-page history of the Hmong or Free People plus a bibliography.
Molly's Pilgrim (1983) by Barbara Cohen. Molly is Jewish and a recent immigrant to the United States. After being mocked by her classmates, Molly's mother helps her make a Russian doll for their Thanksgiving pilgrim display and Molly teaches her classmates a lesson about tolerance and the long history of immigration in the US.
Grandfather's Journey (1993) by Allen Say. Allen Say's grandfather left Japan for America as a young man, but when he is older, he become homesick. He moves his family back to Japan, but his nearly-grown daughter prefers the big city. After the war destroys their city, they all move back to grandfather's ancestral home. As a young man himself, the author leaves Japan and moves to California himself. A really interesting and poignant take on immigration, homesickness, and belonging.
Erika-San (2009) by Allen Say. Erika falls in love with Japan and chooses to study Japanese and then leaves to teach in Japan after college graduation. She wants to learn more about the traditional tea ceremony, but when her friend cannot help her, she finds her own way. This book provides an interesting to contrast to many immigration stories, because in this case, Erika chooses to marry and stay in Japan.
My Mom is a Foreigner, But Not to Me (2013) by Julianne Moore and illustrated by Meilo So. I really wanted to like this book, and I was excited about the concept - a celebration of children whose moms immigrated to the US from another country. However, the rhyme is absolutely abysmal and the constantly changing font is odd and interrupts the flow. (I spent time attempting to analyze it, and the differences in font do not appear to correlate to a specific mom/child, which would be the only reason I can see for using them.) I also found it odd how many of the mom/child pairs do not actually look genetically related, but this is supposed to be a book about family histories. Kids of immigrant parents may be able to see themselves in this book, but I really was hoping for more.
Finally, author Rene Colato Laínez has written many picture books which feature immigrants to the US. Or read more in the immigration series: nonfiction resources for studying immigration and historical fiction and memoirs.
