CULTURE 5: ASIAN AMERICAN LITERATURE

TREE OF CRANES

A. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Say, Allen. 1991. Tree of Cranes. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Company. ISBN 9780395520246

B. PLOT SUMMARY
One cold day a playful Japanese boy comes home with a bad chill. After a hot bath and rice gruel for dinner, he notices his mother digging in the garden. His mother comes into the house with a bonsai tree and introduces him to a special day of peace and quiet.

C. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Allen Say has written a sweet story about a traditional Japanese family. The mother in this story grew up in the United States and decides this winter season to introduce her son to a different cultural tradition, Christmas. I especially loved the way she commenced it by saying: “It is a day of love and peace. Stranger’s smile at one another. Enemies stop fighting. We need more days like it.” She chose to take a piece of this holiday tradition and tie it into her Japanese family’s life. She used the part that had impressed upon her the most, the beauty of love and peace. To mark the significance of this tradition she digs up the tree planted in honor of her son’s birth. The tree is put in a pot and will be replanted the next day. Mother decorates the tree by folding paper cranes. According to ancient Japanese tradition, one thousand origami paper cranes are believed to make a wish come true. When the little boy walks in and discovers his mother folding the cranes he states: “You’re going to fold a thousand cranes to make your wish come true?” By the end of the story the little boy promises to make his mothers wish come true and never go back to the pond. In turn his wish comes true as well. He receives a gift he has been longing for, a kite. Unbeknownst to him he also receives more than that, a lasting memory, “Many years have melted away now. But I will always remember that day of peace and quiet.”

Cultural Markers and Illustrations:
Allen Say illustrated this book with beautiful water color pictures that set the tone for cultural markers. First the family lives in a traditional Japanese home with architecture that represents natural aesthetics. The home has screen partitions or shoji screens. The family sits and sleeps with cushions on the floor. The bathroom has natural wood. The outdoors is illustrated with a pathway and low shrubbery. The tree the mother digs up is a Bonsai tree.
The clothes the family is dressed in are illustrated in traditional Japanese style. The little boy wears shorts because he is, “not yet old enough to wear long pants.” The mother wore a traditional but casual kimono. I noticed Say illustrated her outside wearing geta sandals but inside she and the father have no shoes on or were illustrated wearing slippers. When the little boy is put to sleep on the floor he is wearing a traditional robe.
The food Say describes the little boy eating is sour plums, yellow radishes, and rice gruel. The rice gruel is served in a traditional Japanese bowl with chopsticks as the utensil. When the little boy hears what his mother will be serving him he states, “Rice gruel. Only sick people ate rice gruel.”
There are very few objects in the book but one in particular stands out. The little boy receives a gift. The gift he receives is a kite that was decorated as a fierce Japanese warrior.
The illustrations are beautiful and depict the traditional Japanese family with honor and reverence. I loved the Christmas tree. It was a traditional Japanese Bonsai tree with paper origami cranes and candles. It was beautiful and reflected the feeling of peace and quite. Say was able to blend the tradition of Christmas into his own culture, highlighting his customs, into the celebration of another. I highly recommend this simple but beautiful story of love and peace.

D. REVIEW EXCEPTS
Bluebonnet Award Nominee 1993-1994
Horn Book: Serving as a bridge between American and Japanese cultures . . . understated and pristine, Tree of Cranes is the achievement of a master in his prime, one of the best picture books of this or any other year.
Booklist: …with simple grace, the rich and complex bond between mother and child underlies the story.
Publishers Weekly: The story is a poignant one… Say exhibits a laudable sensitivity to Eastern and Western cultures--and to both the differences and the similarities between them.

E. CONNECTIONS
*Study various cultural holiday traditions.
*Study the Japanese culture, their clothes, food, and traditions.
*Make an origami crane and attach a wish.

Other books by Allen Say:
Emma’s Rug. ISBN: 9780618335237
Grandfather’s Journey. ISBN: 9780547076805
Tea with Milk. ISBN: 9780547237473
Learn more about Allen Say at: http://www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com/authors/allensay/






THE EARTH DRAGON AWAKES

A. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Yep, Laurence. 2006. The Earth Dragon Awakes. New York, NY: Harper Collins Publishers. ISBN 9780060275242

B. PLOT SUMMARY
Nine year old Chin and eight year old Henry are best of friends who love to read about their book hero Marshal Earp. One early morning their world is tossed upside down by the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. It is then that the boys will learn the true meaning of a hero.

C. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Laurence Yep has written a remarkable novel based on actual events. The book is set up similar to journal entries with a timeline that provides the exact time, day and setting the chapter will be explaining. Yep is an amazing writer who uses his inside knowledge of Chinese traditions to enhance his story. I especially loved how his writing personifies inanimate objects and uses similes which help the reader make connections visually. For example, to describe the cable car he writes, “Like a long metal snake, it wiggles along its track.” When explaining earthquakes he pens, “The two plates shove each other like two wrestlers.” Each entry within the story brings the earthquake to life. Here is a list of text examples:
“The floor rolls under them like a wooden sea.”
“The soil becomes like quicksand and sucks entire houses down…buildings collapse like houses of cards.”
“Dust rises in ribbons like tiny ghosts.”
Children and adults will enjoy reading this historical fictional novel about the San Francisco Earthquake of 1906.

Cultural Markers:
Laurence Yep wrote a story that will captivate your attention. He was careful to detail the events of this quake by using facts that he researched, adding Chinese cultural references, as well as personalizing the story with connections he has had with earthquakes. Apparently animals become very nervous before a quake. In the story he writes, “Suddenly Henry’s pet dog, Sawyer, begins to howl. Sawyer crouches in a corner of Henry’s bedroom. He is terrified. Sawyer whimpers. He can feel his dog shivering. What’s spooked you, boy?”
The family friend and Chinese butcher states: “At home, animals know when there’s going to be an earthquake. The animals at the shop are frightened. Tonight, though, I have been asking heaven to keep the Earth Dragon quiet.” Yep lightens the coincidence by having Ah Sing declare, “If I were a chicken and I saw your knife, I’d be scared too.”

As Yep moves on to describe the earthquake he uses his cultural knowledge and beliefs to describe what was happening in the story. The father dismisses the initial quakes by saying, “The Earth Dragon must be scratching,” he laughs. Chin replies, “He must really have an itch.” "The Earth Dragon is restless…It is as if more than 18 million sticks of dynamite explode.” Laurence Yep describes the events by personifying the fire,
“Higher and higher the Ham and Egg fire grows. It rears up like a giant monster. A tongue of flame licks its fiery mouth. It picks out its next meals. Then it sees the two other major fires. It will join its brothers.” Yep depicts through this story the respect and honor he has for nature.

Yep does not elaborate on religion except to say that Ah Quon prayed that the Earth Dragon would quiet and Chins prays for Henry’s safety.

In this story Chinese cultural and social struggles are noted. Such as “Americans object to living next to Chinese. So Chinese survivors have to live in special camps.” Also Chin states, “My father is kind, and he works hard. But he is no hero. No one wants to read about peeling potatoes and washing dishes.” As Yep closes the story we see a change in Chin. He thinks to himself, “My father isn’t dull at all. He should have his own book, like Marshal Earp.” Henry feels the same and whispers to Chin, “We don’t have to look far for heroes. They were right under our noses all this time.”

To demonstrate reverence for nature Yep pens, “Even when the Earth Dragon lies still, Chin cannot forget he is angry.”

The book offers an afterward that has more informational facts about the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. It also provides other suggested reading, websites, and pictures about the quake.
This is an exceptional book that begs to be read.

D. REVIEW EXCEPTS
Bluebonnet Award Nominee 2007-2008
Booklist: Told in the present tense, the narration provides a "you are there" sense of immediacy and will appeal to readers who enjoy action-packed survival stories.
School Library Journal: Yep's research is exhaustive. He covers all the most significant repercussions of the event, its aftershocks, and days of devastating fires, and peppers the story with interesting true-to-life anecdotes.
Library Media Connection: Young readers will find the story engaging and the disaster fascinating, and they will breathe a sigh of relief when the two friends are reunited.
Kirkus Review: Notable especially for the attention paid to the experience of San Francisco's Chinese immigrants, and a good choice for reluctant readers.

E. CONNECTIONS
*Study Earthquakes.
*Research the significance of the Chinese Dragon.
* Discuss, “Can animals really predict an earthquake?”

*Other novels by Laurence Yep:
Dragonwings. ISBN: 9780064400855Dragon’s Gate. ISBN: 9780064404891
The Tiger’s Apprentice. ISBN: 9780060010157

Listen to a “Video Interview with Laurence Yep” at: http://www.readingrockets.org/books/interviews/yep

THE UGLY VEGETABLES

A. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Lin, Grace. 1999. The Ugly Vegetables. Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge Publishing. ISBN: 9780881063363

B. PLOT SUMMARY
One day a mother and her daughter plant a vegetable garden. The little girl begins to notice that their garden is different. It is not as sweet smelling or as pretty as the neighbor’s gardens. The little girl feels sad and dislikes her garden until…the aroma of their labor fills the air and the neighbors come to savor the flavor of their garden.

C. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Grace Lin has written a beautiful and touching story that focuses around a mother and her daughter. The little girl in the story desires to be just like everyone else in the neighborhood. She wishes to have a beautiful flower garden that fills the air with a sweet sent. She and her mother had planted an ugly vegetable garden. Each time the little girl asks her mother a question about why they couldn’t grow flowers her mother would say, “Because these are better than flowers.” Children will connect to the premise of this story. It relates the hardships children feel about being different. Yet the ending exemplifies that being different is special. Lin ends the story by writing, “Soon the whole neighborhood was growing Chinese vegetables in their gardens.” This story demonstrates the diversity of a community while also signifying the unity that can be shared between neighbors. It is a touching story that is sure to please.

Cultural Markers and Illustrations:
Grace Lin is both the writer and illustrator of this book. The images reflect a childlike quality with brilliant colors and patterns throughout the book. The facial features are not exaggerated and the pictures do not denote the ethnicity. A child might not realize the characters are Chinese until the little girl notices her mother, “drew funny pictures on pieces of paper.” When you take note of the funny pictures they are actually illustrations of Chinese print on cards to be used for markers in the garden. There are a few Chinese words in the book and each word represents a vegetable. Each vegetable has a pronunciation key in the back of the book along with the recipe on how to prepare the soup. This book is sure to delight children of all ages.

D. REVIEW EXCEPTS
Nominated for the California Young Reader Children’s Choice Award
Winner of the 2002 Austin Young Engineers Book Award for Fiction Gr. K-2
Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People for 2000.
Horn Book: Grace Lin's debut picture book serves up the savory delights of the harvest in a satisfying story.
Kirkus Review: Lin tells her charming story simply, and the pictures reflect its many joys.
School Library Journal: A lovely, well-formatted book with an enjoyable multicultural story.

E. CONNECTIONS
*After reading the book make the soup listed in the back of the book.
* Discuss vegetables. List as many vegetables possible: what are student’s favorite or least favorite?
*Start a vegetable or flower garden.

Other books by Grace Lin:

Fortune Cookie Fortunes. ISBN: 9780440421924
The Year of the Dog. ISBN: 9780316060028
Kite Flying. ISBN: 9780553112542
Visit Grace Lin at: http://www.gracelin.com/