multi-cultured

I have several posts in my head right now. This is one that requires the least introspection. We've read some good books lately that I like because they are "multicultural" without getting out any sledgehammers. Here's a list:

1. Jamela's Dress by Niki Daly. Jamela is a little girl in South Africa who gets carried away while playing with some beautiful new fabric her mom has bought to make a special wedding dress.

2. The Friday Nights of Nana by Amy Hest, ill. by Claire A. Nivola. Jennie and her grandmother spend a delightful day together preparing for a Sabbath meal.

3. The Journey by Sarah Stewart, ill. David Small. A young Amish girl writes in her diary about her first trip to the city. This one makes me cry every time--the author beautifully juxtaposes Hannah's simple life on the farm with all of the new experiences she is having: "Then we walked into a great cathedral, and the voices of the practicing choir almost lifted me off my feet. When we've finished singing on Sundays, and the music is still hanging in the air during prayers, sometimes I feel as if I'm going to fly!" Isn't that lovely??

4. Just Plain Fancy by Patricia Polacco. Another Amish tale, this one about a girl who longs for something fancy, and is surprised and dismayed when an egg she finds hatches into a peacock. I skip a page that talks about the adults gossiping about a woman who was shunned for being too fancy. Because gossip and shunning are two concepts I'm not ready to introduce. Yes, I continue to edit the books I read to my children. Yes, you can call Ray Bradbury if you need to. He is still alive, I just looked on wiki.

5. Thy Friend Obadiah by Brinton Turkle. Obadiah wishes the seagull who follows him all over Nantucket island would go away. Then he changes his mind. Beautiful illustrations.

6. Elizabeti's Doll by Stephanie Stuve-Bodeen, ill. Christy Hale. I love this book. Elizabeti is a little Tanzanian girl who has a new baby brother and a rock she names Eva, which she lovingly tends to as her mother tends to the new baby. She is like a Tanzanian Laura Ingalls with a rock in lieu of a corncob.

We invited ourselves to the Scholastic book fair at the little private school across from the park on Monday. The selections wasn't great, but we've enjoyed the few we ended up with:

7. Pig's Egg by Katherine Sully, ill. Sam Chaffey. Pig is the only one of his friends who can't fly or lay an egg, then, to his delight, he discovers an "egg" in his sty! It's really a turnip with a caterpillar inside. Very adorable animal illustrations.

8. Katie Loves the Kittens by John Himmelman. Katie is a dog who can't restrain her joy when some new kittens arrive at her house. The problem is, her unfettered enthusiasm manifests in a loud howl which scares the kitties. I think we so enjoy this one because Katie is rather like a certain dog who lives in our house.

9. Ready for Anything by Keiko Kasza. Raccoon, who is Mr. Worst-Case-Scenario, can't possibly join Duck on a picnic because of all the horrible things that just might happen (killer bee attack, a dragon in a cave..). Duck finally convinces Raccoon that the "what-ifs" don't have to be so dire. The Raccoon may or may not be loosely based on a certain Daddy who lives in our house.

10. What Sisters Do Best/What Brothers Do Best by Laura Numeroff, ill. Lynn Munsinger. Two books in one. Not much substance, but sweet all the same.

11. Lonesome George Finds His Friends by Tori Kosara. (non-fiction) George is a Galapagos tortoise who introduces us to a few of the many animals found in the Galapagos islands.


Well, then. It is cold here again and raining, so maybe there is more blogging in my near future. Not right now, though. Harper found this felt octopus in a craft book (FIE on you, craft book!!) that she wants to try to make before we head to ballet this afternoon. I'll be sure an post a picture of the final product.