Experiencing the World in Book Form

How would you describe what color the wind is to someone who can’t see?

How do you illustrate a trick poem from 17^th century?

How do you say and illustrate, “I am different! Can you find me?” in 16 different languages?

With the help of some translated picture books, of course!

I’m back today with three more titles for our “Outside the Box” category.  In these books, I was most struck by certain illustrative aspects of the book and how it “plays” with the text.  Each of these books took unique approaches to answering the questions I noted above through the use of texture, cut-outs and seek-and-find elements.  These unconventional means make them memorable, but these elements are so much more than gimmick to sell a book.  Each serves a unique purpose and cultural connotation.  They make reading an experience for multiple senses.  Let’s jump into these three titles right away and I’ll elaborate as we go.

 What Color Is The Wind?

By: Anne Herbauts

Translated by: Claudia Zoe Bedrick

If you were reading closely above, you may have noted that I ended the first question about the color of the wind to someone who can’t see. I didn’t specifically say blind because nowhere in the text of this book by French author Anne Herbauts is the term used. (Kristi’s note – the jacket flap states “one day a blind child asks a grown-up” and I did read an interview with Herbauts stating that she was working with a blind child who asked her the question, thus inspiring the book.  But the text of the story never states the “Little Giant” is blind.  He is illustrated with his eyes closed, though). In fact, Herbaut, who won the France’s 2012 Prix Sorcières, children’s literature award for the book, leaves many points of the book’s plot open to the reader’s interpretation. 

The story is of Herbauts’ “Little Giant” wondering what color the wind is. To answer his question, he goes on a walk, interviewing the animals and objects he encounters, asking them “What color is the wind?” Each has a different answer based on their own perspective. For example, the wolf replies “the wind is the dark smell of the forest” while to the bees it is “the color of sunshine.” (My personal favorite is the rain, who “knows nothing.” It stands out among all the other very specific answers.) At the end of his walk he comes upon someone “he senses is enormous” who tells him the wind is “everything at once. This whole book.” The enormous someone then takes the book and thumbs through its pages, allowing the Little Giant to feel the wind and its gentleness.

While all the simple text is beautiful and thought provoking, as the enormous someone suggests, it is the whole book that brings the story to another dimension. This isn’t just a readable book, it’s a touchable book. It begins on the cover, where the braille alphabet letters for the word WIND has been punched into the cover. The tactile reading experience continues through the entire book with cut-out shapes, embossed pages, raised textures, glossy smooth pages and rough textures to give an illusion of the feel of what or who the Little Giant is speaking to. 

  

Herbauts uses textual elements to include references senses beyond sight and touch; answers to the Little Giant’s questions aren’t said they’re murmured, sighed and rumbled, the wolf mentions the ‘dark smell’ of the forest, sugary is used to describe the apple the Little Giant bites into. By combining all of these sensory elements the book transcends the idea of color being directly tied to sight. Whether the Little Giant is blind or not doesn’t truly matter – Herbauts' story gives him other ways to answer his own question from a myriad of different sources. It is the combination of the text, the illustrations and the tactile elements of the book that make the book unique. All of them are special on their own, but together they create an experience for the reader.

 I Saw a Peacock witha Fiery Tail

Source: 17^th Century English poem (Anonymous)

Illustrated by: Ramsingh Urveti

Graphic Design by: Jonathan Yamakami

Before anyone calls me out, I will readily admit that this is not a translated text.  In fact, the actual text comes from an anonymous source, dating back to England in the 17^th century.  But this book was published by Tara Books in 2011 and the work of Gond tribal artist Ramsingh Urveti and Brazilian graphic designer Jonathan Yamakami certainly, at the very least solidifies, its status as an international picture book that deserves recognition here in the United States.

The text is a trick poem, or what Margaret Atwood refers to as a writer’s version of trompe l’oeil.  

Consider the opening lines of the poem:

I saw a peackock with a fiery tail

I saw a blazing comet drop down hail

I saw a cloud with ivy circled around

Here’s the “trick” of the poem, each descriptive clause (ex: with a fiery tail) is written for the subject of the line below (ex: I saw a blazing comet).  If you do the same thing for the next line, you end up with a “I saw a cloud drop down hail.”  The entire poem in this same fashion if the observant reader picks up the trick. 

Playing on this idea, Yamakami came up with a die-cutting technique to create a way to deceive the reader’s eye in relation to the illustrations as well.  Holes are cut into strategic places in the page allowing the reader to “peak” through to the next page.  The holes connect the two lines and break them at the same time.

Fortunately for you, I’ve tracked down a video so you can see this beautiful book in action.  Take a minute and check it out here.

Fun, right?  And unique!  What stood out to me (and why I wanted so much to include it in this post) is that it shows what a trick poem is.  Let’s be honest, even my English major self had to stop and really think about what was the descriptive clause and subject line.  Poetry often gets a bad rap, it feels distant and unapproachable when presented in such stark terminology.  If you described a trick poem that way to a sixth grader then asked them to write their own I have a feeling most of them would feel overwhelmed and lost, defeated before they even try.  But what if you read them the poem in this fashion?  What if you had the ability to show them as Urveti and Yamakami have so succinctly done?

Part of my hope with “outside the box” is that these books present a new way of looking at something.  When I first got my hands on a copy of this book that is exactly how it made me feel.  It made something from four hundred years ago new.  I also appreciated the English text being paired with Urveti’s Gond illustrations.  We’ve come across a few other Gond artists in other books I’ve mentioned.  What fascinated me even more was this interview with Yamakami, in which he explains how the process to create a book that presented both ways the poem could be read without actually printing the poem twice took over two years to create.  Further, and we’ll get back to this with author and illustrator relationships, he did not even work with Urveti during the book’s creation and has yet to hear the illustrator’s reaction to the finalized product.  There are so many things to explore in this book, and before I get too long-winded (another post, another day on this one) let’s take a look at one last book today.

I Am Different!  Can You Find Me?

By: Manjula Padmanabhan

This book as well, in full disclosure, was first published in India.  Technically then, it falls into the international picture book category and is not actually a translated text.  But, it contains translation!  And not just from one language, but from sixteen different languages!

As the first page of the book states “This book celebrates differences.”  Not a unique concept right now, especially with the cry for diversity and true representation of EVERY child in the children’s literature community, but it is the way that Padmanabhan blends text and illustration to represent differences in language makes this an ideal choice for my outside the box category. 

Padmanabhan, who was born in Dehli, and spent her childhood in Sweden, Pakistan and Thailand, has written children’s books, plays and a comic strip, Suki.  (Kristi’s note: the strip started life as Double Talk, was then published under the name Suki, and is now called Sukiyaki in case you are interested in checking it out further.)  The strip found new life in 2016 after a hiatus following its initial run in the 1980’s and 1990’s.  I point all this out because I often find it fascinating to consider all the different mediums authors and illustrators often work in.  Plus, I found her adult-geared comic strip enlightening and strikingly different than this book.  See, even Padmanbhan’s work celebrates differences!

As I mentioned, the book features sixteen languages; English, Hebrew, Hawaiian, Cree, Arabic, Filipino, Gullah, Mandarin, Hindi, Spanish, Nahuatl, Italian, Navajo, Swahili, French and American Sign Language.  Each two-page spread asks the question “Can you find me?” in each of the aforementioned languages with a pronunciation guide underneath.  One page of the spread is the name of the language and an illustration of objects, one of which is different than the others, whether it be in shape, size or color.  Answer the “can you find me?” question, the reader is tasked with finding the different object in each spread.  On the opposite page is an explanatory paragraph on the language itself, featuring facts such as its origins, where it is the official language, in which direction the script is read from and a few words an English speaker may know that actually originated in the featured language.  Some also have additional words the reader can learn in the language, such as the colors of the rainbow in Swahili or how to count to five in Cree.

This book fascinated me. I can honestly say that I was not familiar with a few of the language it highlights.  What I also appreciated was that the illustrated differences that go with each language are not stereotypical representations of those languages and the cultures they are associated with – they’re really just everyday objects.  In that way Padmanabhan celebrates the language itself while adding an interactive feature to the book.

I also want to point out that this book is a Global Fund for Children Book. According to their website, as of 2016, The Global Fund for Children has awarded over $34 million in grants to more than 600 grassroots organizations in 78 countries. Further, the Global Fund for Children Books has produced more than 30 award-winning titles for children from birth to age 12. Each book exposes children to diverse cultures around the world and in their own community. In this way, the books teach children to respect differences as well as appreciate the values and ties that bind us together as human beings. Global Fund for Children books integrate children’s perspectives, present positive images of children, and help to raise a new generation of productive, caring citizens of a global society. You can find more Global Fund for Children Books at their store here. Also, when I was perusing their website, I found their wonderful resource list to help teach children about diversity, tolerance and global citizenship.


Hopefully I’ve been able to show that these books are not just about their illustrative gimmicks. They are unique in the way they blend those illustrative tactics with textual elements to create an entire experience for the reader. Also, I found this information that was announced in Publisher’s Weekly a few weeks ago about Macmillan Children's Publishing Group new yet unnamed imprint extremely relevant to the type of books I’m including here. Macmillan stated the imprint would be "centered around imaginative and innovative books that inspire kids to explore, learn, and have fun while helping them develop the skills to do so." They went on further to say “our vision as an imprint is interactive books, playful books, substantive, useful, and informative books in formats kids have never seen before.” Seems to me like they may consider looking at some of these international and translated texts that are already doing that!

Here’s to hoping your day is filled with treats and not tricks, readers. We’re going to finish off the Outside the Box category with one “stinky” post I guarantee you won’t want to miss.

Seek these "Outside the box" texts!

As a kid, I would re-read Mercer Mayer’s Little Critter books just so I could find the hidden cricket, grasshopper, mouse or spider on each page. I loved Where’s Waldo. I probably read every Choose Your Own Adventure book our library had. Twice.

What do all those books have in common? They’re interactive! Like we discussed with Press Here there is something appealing in a book that takes the reader to “make it work.” There is something more to the story than the words and art on the page, it takes the reader by action, choice or imagination to bring it to life.

Today I’ve got three translated texts that are similarly interactive and engaging for a reader. Here’s the conundrum, though. If I had to make a guess, I’d say there’s a chance that most would be somewhat familiar with the series I mentioned above. But I’d be shocked if more than twenty percent of you were equally as familiar with any, let alone all, of the books I’m including in today’s post. Don’t worry, this time last year I would have been firmly in that “never heard of” camp for all of them.

The question then is why? I’ll be perfectly honest upfront and say that I don’t have a solid answer to that question but through my research, I’d be willing to hazard a few guesses. But first, let’s take a closer look at the three I’m including and see if I can convince you they’re just as worthy of readerly love as those others.

100 Hungry Monkeys

By: Masayuki Sebe

Translated by: Kids Can Press (Publisher)

This is the third in a “100” series from Japanese author Masayuki Sebe that combines a story with seek and find elements. It’s lunchtime for 100 monkeys and they’re all out of food. They all set out to find food and end up on a day-long adventure of food, play and escape from a monster! The story is simple, only a sentence or two per page to lead the reader on. But I think that simplicity is key because it offers an explanation of what is on the page but isn’t pushing the reader to flip to the next page in anticipation of what’s next. Instead the reader has plenty of time to examine everything else on the page without losing the storyline. And there is so much to look at!

Each two-page spread features all 100 monkeys. (Trust me, my kids have counted.) Most pages also have a few additional hidden objects the reader can find. Many monkeys also speak, asking the reader to find other monkeys or objects they describe on the page. If that’s not enough, there’s also a short list in the back of the book that notes additional characters that can be found on specified pages. There are even hidden objects made up of hidden objects – can you spot it?

The seek and find aspect is much more manageable for a younger reader than Where’s Waldo? or some other I Spy books. It’s bright, colorful and silly; some of the monkeys wear clothes, drive vehicles and behave in other un-monkeylike manners. Even right now as I have the book sitting out beside me I keep getting distracted, wanting to find some of the objects the monkeys are asking about. (And I’m definitely not the target audience for this book!) I haven’t had the opportunity to read either of Sebe’s two other 100 books, but from what I’ve seen they are similar in nature. If you have “seek and find” lovers in your house, this may be a series to consider checking out!

New York in Pyjamarama

By: Michael Leblond

Illustrated by: Frederique Bertrand

Translated by: Unknown (Published by Phoenix Yard Books in the UK)

I’m not sure I remember how I came across this specific book. I do know that there was no way that I was going to let little things like the fact that no library in my state contains a copy or the fact that it was never published in the United States keep me from getting my hands on it after I read the description that said “sliding a striped acetate rectangle over the images makes them move astonishingly - wheels spin, spirals whirl, and traffic, as seen from the air, moves through the streets.”

Um, what? A book where I can make the illustrations actually move?? Yes! Fortunately for you (and me because I couldn’t possibly do it justice in pictures and my own words) there is a great video that shows just how the book comes to life! Before I go any further, go watch it here.

Isn’t that so cool?!?!?! I did a little more research and the effect is created by Ombro-Cinema, a type of barrier grid animation. The lines embedded in the design create an illusion of movement when contrasted against the lines of the acetate making it appear that the illustrations are animated when you pass the acetate over the top. 

The use of primary colors with the black and white necessary to make the animation work pop off the pages. Early on in the book the reader changes the orientation from horizontal page flips to vertical, another interactive feature of the text that makes it feel different and unique. Many of the lines rhyme, where similar to 100 Hungry Monkeys then, the text seems to support the illustrations as opposed to being the driving force behind the story. If you like this one, there are other in the books in the series. Interestingly, I found multiple sources that stated this was the fastest-selling picture book in its source country of France in 2011. Did you know about it before now?

 Welcome to Mamoko

By: Aleksandra and Daniel Mizielinski

Translated by: Unknown (Published by Big Picture Press 2013)

In a few weeks we’ll be taking a closer look at wordless picture books (and yes, we can debate then if they can technically be considered translated) and I strongly considered holding off and sharing this title then. From the first moment I got my hands on it, though, there was no doubt that it was going to be one I had to include.

First published in Poland in 2010 by husband and wife team Aleksandra and Daniel Mizielinski, this is a story that can be “read” 100 different times in 100 different ways. You open the book to this:

It’s a full two-page spread, welcoming the reader to the world of Mamoko and introducing all the characters that appear in the story. Each character then has a question the reader is asked to consider (For example, Lionel Mane knows that one lion’s junk is another lion’s treasure. What does he make with his hidden gems?) The instructions on the page are to “use your eyes and follow the adventures of each of these characters in every scene.” There is also mention to search for some additional items, to note if any items seem out of place and think why.

I’ll admit I was a little overwhelmed the first time I looked at all the characters. How was I going to keep them straight? How was I going to remember what Lionel Mane was making with hidden gems as opposed to what fell out of Boris Greenshell’s bag? Fortunately, I quickly figured out that I didn’t have to! It was way more fun to pick just one character at a time and follow their story through the whole book and then start all over again at the beginning with another.

Additionally, it was up to me as the “reader” to determine what happened between the pages as well. What was the rest of their story? Could they perhaps have encountered another character between the pages? Did that change where they went from one scene to another? How did the characters that did interact in some way on the page change because of who they encountered?

The possibilities, as you can see, are endless! It was fun to not only find the characters from page to page but also to tell their story in whatever way I as a reader chose along the way. This was a book I could easily see an imaginative child interacting with for quite some time and I saw a lot of potential for its use in a classroom setting as well. In an ideal world where I had lots of time, I’d love to pick one character, give the book to a handful of kids and ask them to either tell me or write the story of that character and then compare the differences and similarities of each child’s story. One step further, if I could speak Polish (other than pierogi and paczki, which my dad and husband will now be begging to make soon after they read this post) I would love to hear a character’s story from a child in the country the book originated from and be able to compare it to an American child’s version of that same character. I wonder if there are any cultural contexts in the images that a “reader” in the source language would pick up that would not translate in other cultures. It’s a rabbit hole, I know. So another blog, another day…

If this book interests you, there are two other Mamoko titles to check out, The World of Mamoko in the Year 3000 and The World of Mamoko in the Time of Dragons . Both books feature the same set of characters off on new adventures for readers to imagine. Other similar offerings from the Mizielińska’s include Maps and H.O.U.S.E.

Hopefully I’ve at least piqued some interest in checking out any of these books. They are captivating and engaging and I’ve already noted they are similar to some beloved American books. So then we’re back to that question of why. Why are those books so popular and these fall under most reader’s radars, if they even show up at all? Why is it that a book that was the top-selling picture book in its source country not even available on the US market? Why, even when presented with them, do readers still tend to favor the American titles?

First, to be fair, the American books that I mentioned at the beginning of this post have been around longer than any of the ones I highlighted. Perhaps they are better established and these too, over time will earn the respect and admiration they deserve. While my optimistic self would love to hop on that bandwagon, I, unfortunately, don’t think that’s the case.

At the same “Where the Wild Books Are” conference I mentioned in Tuesday’s post, Betsy Bird, youth materials specialist at the New York Public Library (and one of my favorite children’s lit bloggers!), probably summed it up best; “We just don’t care.” That hurts my heart to write, but I think she’s onto something. There is at least a strong indifference related to actively seeking out international picture books. Bird went on to suggest that what is needed to overcome the indifference is two-part: “We need to overcome this gross distrust of illustrations and topics that are literally foreign to our picture bookshelves, and we all need to work on stamping out our own prejudices.” I also think it’s worth noting that she pointed out that a lot of the indifference stems not from child readers, but the adult gatekeepers, saying “On the picture book side, kids love [works] that don’t originate here—if we let them.”

That being the case, I’m going to make a plea to all you gatekeepers out there that are reading this. And it’s a plea I’ve been making since the beginning of this project and will continue to do so. If any of these books appeal to you in any way, or if there is a child in your life that you think may enjoy them – go buy it. Or go borrow it from a library. Remember, this is coming from the girl who a year ago had at best a small handful of translated titles on her own shelves. Consider this a challenge to step outside your own box.

The creativity continues here on Tuesday with my next set of “Outside the Box” books. I’m off to go make sure there really are 100 monkeys on every page, but I’ll see you then!

Outside the Box Where Languages 'Dual'

Speaking at the “Where the Wild Books Are” event in April of 2015, Giorgia Grilli, professor of children’s literature and founder of the Center of Research in Children’s Literature at Bologna University said “Often, the weird or off-putting make for truly great art. Mystery [and] strangeness lead to creativity.” The event was a celebration of international picture books, especially those that are usually deemed “unconventional” and sought to determine why they encounter resistance in the United States. It’s this type of books that we’ll be celebrating the next few days in my next category; “Outside the Box.”

(Kristi’s Note: There is a great write-up about the entire event, its participants, and findings from Publisher’s Weekly here if you’re interested.)

As a reminder, here were my original thoughts on the category:

“There was no end to the creativity I found in the books that I examined, but I felt that some deserved a category all their own for being “outside the box” of what you normally expect to find in picture books. These were the books that I came across that I wanted to share with others simply because they were different, the fact that they were translated and came from around the world was just a bonus! This category is my answer to the critics of translated literature saying that it is “weird” or that there’s really nothing special about it that we don’t already have here. The uniqueness of these books is what earned them a spot in this category.”

I know that in my introduction post for each category I tend to make an argument for why the category is unique, why we need it, things to be aware of, etc. But I’m going to go outside my own box here this time for three reasons: 1) I have no doubt that each of these books will speak for themselves in that capacity 2) I’ve come across a different style of book that I want to share here and this seems like an ideal place to do so and 3) because I am a creature of habit and throwing a wrench in my long-planned post list is a way for me to step outside my own box 😊

While not strictly translated, I wanted to take a closer look at some dual language books that I came across during my research. That isn’t what makes them “outside the box”; what does is that each is from an area of the world that isn’t one of the “big” producers of translated titles otherwise and each approach how they utilize both languages differently.

Minutka The Bilingual Dog

By: Anna Mycek-Wodecki

Minutka, (which means “Little Minute” in Polish) is a bilingual dog who speaks both English and Polish.  Minutka tells all about himself, his life, what he does, sees, how he acts, and even how he dreams (in both English and Polish!)  The top of each page is in English, there is an illustration of Minutka and then the Polish words underneath.  

The straightforward style of the book, featuring both languages on the same page is how I think most tend to think of dual language books.  The author, Anna Mycek-Wodecki, was born and educated in Poland and now spends her time between Warsaw and Chicago, so the authenticity of the language in the original book can be verified.

What stood out to me was that the language wasn’t overly simplistic and was done in everyday vernacular that seemed appropriate.  I specifically noted words such as “snatched, mohawk and sprinkler.”  The illustrations of Minutka are simplistic but effective at showing what Minutka is saying.  (And she’s just so cute!)  There is fun in the story, something to be appreciated as the style often tends to be didactic to “teach” another language.  In fact, Minutka has since been translated! Additional stories about Minutka now pair English with French, Chinese, Italian, and Turkish. 

Diphoofolo

Rhymes from South Africa with English adaptations by Early Learning Resource Unit

Illustrated by: Reviva Shermbrucker

I can’t remember exactly how I stumbled across this title the first time, but if you’ve been following along and noticed how few books from Africa have been translated you can imagine my excitement when I did.  There is only one library in the entire state of Michigan (a University) that even has a copy so I quickly ordered my own to add to my expanding collection.  The book is similar to Minutka in that it features English on one page and then the second language on another.  But this book has 6 other languages!  And instead of a sentence per page, these are traditional rhymes from South Africa, all featuring animals.  (From what I can find diphoofolo is from the sotho language and means animal in English!)

The book features verses in isiZulu, Afrikaans, isiXhosa, Sesotho, Sepedi, and Setswana which are identified on the final page of the book along with an English pronunciation guide for each verse.  

The illustrator, Reviva Shermbrucker, immigrated to South Africa in 1960 and has an extensive resume featuring African artwork for children’s books as well as writing her own work.  While her work wouldn’t be considered translated, as it originates in English, international picture books in any language are reflective of that particular culture and deserve more recognition than they are usually given in the United States.  This book so beautifully celebrates African language, literature, and art that I knew it needed some love via my blog.  I’m happy to lend my copy if you’re in my area and want to check it out or consider adding this one to your own library!

Migrant: The Journey of a Mexican Worker

By: Jose Manuel Mateo

Illustrated by: Javier Martinez Pedro

Translated by: Emmy Smith Ready

“Have you seen this?”  One of the best parts of this project is when someone shares a book with me that was completely off my radar.  My wonderful advisor greeted me with this book just a week or so ago that she had come across on a trip to the library. I fell hard for it in the quick five minutes I had to peruse it.  My own copy is on its way here as I type and I don’t want to do it a disservice so before you read any more from me, this review is full of insight, information, and pictures of the book.  Check it out for full details or I’ll do my best to give a quick synopsis below.

As I said, the reason that I wanted to showcase these books is because of the unique way they offer a dual language text.  The book is presented in the style of a pre-Columbian codex, forms of which originate to the Mayan and Aztec cultures.  There is no central binding in the book, rather it is one large image, folded up vertically accordion style.  

The words of the story appear to the right of the picture and correspond with just that piece of the picture that is visible while reading. But a reader could open the entire book and see the entire illustrated scene from beginning to end. 

In this particular book, the text appears on one side of the paper in Spanish. If you flip the entire book over the full-length illustration appears on the other side, can be flipped accordion style with the English text.

If I had found this book before, since it is technically a translation, I would have loved to include it in my controversy category under human rights.  There is a beautiful endnote from the author and illustrator that I’m going to leave right here, as some food for thought:

“We wish to tell and to question this collective story that makes children defenseless and almost nonexistent to their own country and to the new one where they hope to find work. When they migrate, the children cannot themselves prove their name, nor can they request documents to do so; many times they cannot even manage to find out what their real age is. For this reason we have created this book: to demand these children’s right to exist.”

Amber Alien’s Pet Pursuit

By: Rita Antoinette Borg

Illustrated by: Davida Flores

“Do you have any Maltese language books?”  So began what I consider to be the coolest thing to happen to me since starting this project.  I had posted a link to my new blog on the Facebook page for the group KidLit411 and received this question.  I was quick to respond “No, but if you have any suggestions I’d love to have them.”  Not only did I know I didn’t have any books translated from Maltese, my very unworldly self had to first verify that I was sure I knew where Malta was.  You can imagine my delight when I then learned that I had been contacted by Rita Antoinette Borg, an author from Malta who has written and had published a number of dual language English and Maltese books.

Rita and I began corresponding, and I learned that Rita herself introduced the bilingual format on the island for the picture book market in 2000.  In Rita’s books, one half of the book is the English version while the other is in Maltese. There are two front covers and you turn it upside down depending upon which language version you wish to read.  (Check out a full list of Rita’s books here!)

Rita kindly offered to send me a copy of her book Amber Alien’s Pet Pursuit and I am honored and overjoyed to share it here on my blog.  Amber Alien, from the planet of Zweega desperately wants a pet, but it must be the “most special, exotic, perfect, unusual, colorful, and funny pet ever.”  Amber travels to Earth in search of the perfect pet that meets those qualifications but is disappointed when those pets (ranging from a polar bear to a whale!) don’t seem to flourish in Zweega.  Not wanting them to be sad, she returns them each to Earth but continues her search.  She eventually returns home to finds a tiny Zweegan lizard outside her rocket that she names Maxi, who with lots of love and care, eventually grows into the perfect pet for Amber.  The book is separated in the middle by a two-page spread inviting readers to number the animals Amber found on Earth in the correct order she found them.

The story is colorfully illustrated, mixing the exotic nature of Amber’s planet with the familiar animals of Earth.  Young readers will recognize that a number of the animals Amber longs for wouldn’t make the best pets even here on Earth but have probably imagined themselves longing for them as Amber does.  I had barely gotten a chance to read and be excited about its arrival when it zoomed off my shelf to be shared in my second grader’s class.  Not only did they enjoy the book (and let my Bean brag about her mom owning something so unique) but now they too know where Malta is!  The dual language style of the book inspired questions and the class spent time learning about the book’s origins.  This is another one I’m happy to share with anyone interest, or if you too want to be able to brag about having something so unique, copies of any of Rita’s books can be ordered through her website.  My heartfelt thanks to Rita for reaching out and sharing her books with me!

Four books, nine languages, four very different styles – is that “outside the box” enough?  If any of those interested, you won’t want to miss what I’ve got coming on Friday.  If you’re a parent you will be singing my praises because I’m going to be sharing some books that have the potential to keep your kids occupied for hours.  (I know because they did mine!)  For more “outside the box” I’ll see you then!

Getting Emotional

Okay, deep breath faithful readers of mine. Over the past few weeks we’ve defeated death, waged war and hungered for human rights. We’ve finally come to the end of the controversy category. But before it’s completely safe to let out that breath we’ve got a highly emotional post today.

Because we’re taking a closer look at some books that tackle how to deal with some pretty big emotions, that is. Sadness. Separation Anxiety. Loneliness. Self-Love. Those are enormous feelings for any person to tackle, let alone a child.

One of the things I keep bringing up that I’ve most noticed about these translated titles is that they are conversation starters. For the books on death and war it was because of how the topics were presented; much more straightforward and direct. They didn’t rely heavily on emotional or wordy text, instead tackling a subject straight on, not skirting around an issue. Specifically regarding death, we noted that the books actually talked about death, not mourning. And while the war books did make emotional appeals, they each spoke to a different type of reader. The human rights books we looked at provoked conversation because they filled gaps on topics that it seemed the US was one step behind.

This last set of books start conversations because they contain another characteristic I’ve noticed in many translated texts; they don’t provide the answer. They present the story, even name the emotion but they don’t give a quick fix on how to make it “all better.” That’s where the “opacity of other cultures” keeps coming back to me for all the books in this category. These aren’t stories with the “happily ever afters” we often think children’s literature must be full of (specifically picture books as they are geared at the youngest readers). These books wrestle with topics that adults find hard to comprehend and make sense of, but present them to a young reader as not an “all better” but a “you’re not alone.”

Leo The Lion

By: Gerda Wagener

Illustrated by: Reinhard Michl

Translated by: Nina Ignatowicz

This is another find from my adventure at Kerrytown Bookfest just a few weeks ago. It wasn’t on my radar before (Most likely because it was originally published in 1991. I struggled to find much information on it even after I did find it, suggesting to me it didn’t fair too well on the American market.) but as I first flipped through it I knew it was the perfect book to include in this post. The story is about Leo, the loneliest lion in the world. He stands night after night outside a window, watching the owner pet his cat and wishing someone would pet him too.

He finally gets up enough courage to ask if he can be petted too, but the man tells him he is much too big, though Leo insists that “Inside I am small and huggable.” Rejected Leo continues his search through the city for someone to pet him, but continues to face people who are frightened of him. When he spies a locomotive, he hops a ride and eventually finds himself in a desert where he befriends a lioness named Lea. The two become friends, and Leo finally finds someone not afraid to pet him.

I will admit, the talking lion that roamed the city and then stows away on a locomotive, which ends up (with no engineer or other passengers) in the middle of the desert, was a little difficult for my adult brain to fully come to grips with at first. I can see the potential for this book to be fall into the “strange” translated abyss. But I strongly believe that a kid isn’t going to have those same reservations unless it is suggested to them. If they can easily get into principal’s that turn into an underwear-wearing superhero and word-filled webs spun by a wise spider to save the life of some pig, Leo really isn’t that much of a stretch.

Looking past that I found an allegory most of us can relate to at some point; feeling lonely because we just don’t quite fit in. Leo’s outside appearance to others doesn’t match how he feels on the inside. Others respond to him with rejection and fear when he just wants to be loved and accepted. A reader of any age can empathize with that feeling, even if Leo is a talking lion. And as I said, these books don’t offer answers for how the reader can avoid feeling similarly, (hopping a train and befriending a lioness are probably not the best solution) but the thought that even lions are lonely sometimes is oddly comforting.

Celia

By: Christelle Vallat

Illustrated by: Stephanie Augusseau

Translated by: Peter Pauper Press, Inc (The Publisher)

Under any other circumstances, Celia, first published in Belgium in 2012 would find itself on my favorites list. But the thoughtful story about being unable to let go of sadness sometimes was a no-brainer for inclusion in this post. Celia is the town’s listener. Every week she hears the troubles of the townspeople, no matter how big or small. 

 By telling their troubles, they give her their seeds of sadness which she magically transforms them into vibrant balloons, flowers and stars that transform the stark black and white illustrations into a world full of color. Julian, standing in line to talk to Celia misplaces his seed so he can’t share his sadness with Celia and then let it go. Celia finds the seed and the two plant it together in hopes that it will bloom so Julian can be free of his sadness. As they patiently wait, the two develop a friendship that blossoms into joy for them both.

What stood out to me most about this story was that Celia is a listener. She’s not a problem solver. She’s not a fixer. She’s not a knight in shining armor. She simply listens and allows people to unburden their hearts. And then one step further, she transforms those burdens and problems into images full of color, wonder and beauty. I found her a stark contrast to how I tend to react, especially when faced with a child that is hurting. I think it’s natural to want to fix that hurt, to make it go away. The fact that this story does not offer up an adult figure who does that to Julian is why I think it is so unique and special.

We’ve all been sad and often, like Julian, we have a hard time letting it go. Even when we see the potential for good and beauty in our sadness, as Augusseau beautifully illustrates in bright vibrant colors against black, white and shades of grey, it can be difficult to completely let them go. 

I think this is a very poignant way to share with a reader that it’s OK! It takes time and patience sometimes. Julian’s seeds, unlike the others who were able to easily let them go, take time to bloom. He and Celia care for them – together. As I noted before, what really stood out to me in these titles was the theme of “you are not alone” because I am sure many readers could see themselves in Julian.

My Very Own Lighthouse

By: Francisco Cunha

Translated by: Joao Leal

“Separation is always difficult but it is made even worse when it has fear as its companion.” So begins the note by author Francisco Cunha in his debut book, My Very Own Lighthouse. Written in Portugal in 2003, the story draws on Cunha’s childhood memories from his life in the fishing community of Bairro das Caxinas. It tells the story of a young girl whose father is a fisherman and the fears that she has about him not coming home. After a nightmare, her mother tells her how lighthouses help guide fishermen back to their families. Inspired, the girl decides to build her own lighthouse out of the toys in her room to guide her father’s boat back to them. 

This is another book that could have easily wound up on my favorites list in the way it beautifully allows the little girl to acknowledge her fear and then do something to alleviate it in her own way. As with Celia, it struck me as a story that was incredibly empowering for a young reader because the girl’s mother didn’t dismiss or try to “fix” the problem for her daughter. Perhaps because the mother felt that fear as well, she recognized the need for the girl to take action herself. Fear so often paralyzes and overwhelms, leaving us powerless. Instead of succumbing to her fear, the little girl uses everything she owns, every tangible item she treasures to help guide her father back to her.

There are also a number of subtle details in the illustration that made me go back to this book repeatedly. There is a star on one of the fishing boats on a two-page spread of the seashore and town in the opening pages of the book. The same location but at night appears at the end of the book. In the nighttime illustration the boat is missing, insinuating this must be her father’s boat. A few pages later there is a replica of the boat, with star, on the shelf in the girl’s living room. On the wall of the family’s house is a collage of different fishing knots. Cunha took great care in constructing the setting and lifestyle of the family to make it believable to the reader that the sea is both a thing of beauty, security and livelihood for the family as much as it is a thing of anxiety and fear. There is no escaping it for the girl, so she must come to a way herself to accept it. Her fear doesn’t disappear, it becomes less consuming, though.

What I love most about the book is that the last page is an illustration of the girl, sleeping in her bed as her tower of blocks lighthouse, lit by a candle, burns in the window. There is no triumphant return of her father, there is simply an acceptance that she has done all she can in the moment to help him find his way home. Comforted by this she is able to sleep. I think far too often, when trying to work through emotional struggles with a child, we desperately want to give them the “happily ever after.” It’s that instinct to protect that I mentioned in my first post for this category. I’ll repeat – that’s not a bad thing. But in the end it’s not the best solution for a child. We have to let them deal with the tough stuff – that’s how they learn. I love that all of these books show that given the opportunity they are capable of doing so.

*Looks over her shoulder. Looks over other shoulder. No one there. HUGE SIGH OF RELIEF.*

I’m not gonna lie - this category has been extremely difficult for me to tackle. And I’m an adult! But after weeks of reading books, researching and writing about death, war, human rights and all kinds of emotional upheaval, I’m spent! These books are all beautiful and part of my own struggle has been making sure that I present them in a way that highlights that. I do have additional titles on any of the topics that I’ve covered under controversy the last couple of weeks, so speak up if interested! Or if you have some other suggestions to share, I’d love to hear them.

If I haven’t completely scared you away with all this controversy in picture book style, thank you! I don’t want to say it gets better because there was so much need to discuss these books, but it does get more whimsical for a few days as Tuesday launches our next category – “Outside the Box!” See you then!

Do We Have It "Right"?

As I mentioned the other day, the idea of covering a myriad of topics that fall under the category of “Human Rights” in one post is absurd. Even with my only covering translated picture books - still daunting beyond imagination. Additionally, I think that within the last few years we have been seeing an increased awareness and even publication of books that address these topics in the United States as well. I point this out because the most recent of the books that I’m including in this post was originally published in its source language in 2011 and the oldest in 2000. So while the world may be one step ahead of their decision to share with children books on xenophobia, the rights of children and LBGTQ+ themes based on those publication dates, I think the number of US titles that take on these topics, controversial or not, will continue to increase. (At least I hope it will!)

All that in mind, my offerings for today’s post are really some of my favorites or the ones that I felt were noteworthy for a particular reason. While I wish I could include so many of the other books I found, I keep reminding myself that the purpose of a blog is just to present some of the titles out there in hopes of increasing awareness of the benefits of reading the world. I’ve mentioned it before, but if you’re interested in other titles, leave me a comment or contact me via email. As an extra bonus, I’ll suggest two Australian titles which I know aren’t “technically” translated that feature characters that are refugees at the end of this post. But before that, let’s take a closer look at some books that really stood out to me for their unique approaches.

The Chickens Build A Wall

By: Jean-Francois Dumont

Translated by: © Eerdmans Books for Young Readers

I first read The Chickens Build A Wall by French author Jean-Francois Dumont shortly after last year’s Presidential election. Remember how a few paragraphs ago I said that perhaps the world was one step ahead of us? This book, originally published in France in 2011, in my hands right then seemed like solid proof. The chickens in Dumont’s work, under the urgings of the rooster who ‘decided that this was the perfect occasion to take control of a barnyard full of hens’ determine the only way to protect themselves from a mysterious visitor (a hedgehog) that shows up one day, is to build a wall around the henhouse. Hmmm, sounds strangely familiar, right?

Dumont’s choice to personify animals who make decisions on how to treat each other based on ignorance and fear is a means of discussing xenophobia with young readers. While none of the barnyard animals know exactly what a hedgehog is, only the chickens react so extremely, turning to gossip, suspicions and outright accusations (which are proven false) to justify their reaction. The irony then becomes once the wall is built, with all the chickens safely inside, they learn that the hedgehog had been wintering in a pile of hay within the wall with them all along.

As with all the books in this category, the one thing I find it necessary to keep coming back to is the potential for them to be conversation starters. The fact that the political connotation or the term xenophobia may be beyond the age range the book is geared at doesn’t really matter. Even young readers are going to recognize that the chickens excluded the hedgehog because he was different than them. There’s obviously more to it than that, but it’s a start! It’s also very engaging, using humor and illustration to balance a complex topic.

Dumont’s other titles are similarly allegorical in nature. The chickens and other barnyard animals take center stage in two more social justice based books by Dumont, The Sheep Go On Strike and The Geese March In Step. Personally, I thought the text in Sheep was a little more advanced and the message a bit more didactic (the sheep strike due to unfair working conditions!), potentially failing to engage younger readers on the same level as Chickens, but I enjoyed the two-page spread illustrations more. I haven’t had a chance to read Geese, but the “be yourself no matter what” message at the heart of the story seems to match with the underlying theme of “treat others how you would want to be treated” that underlies Dumont’s work. The rat from the barnyard, Edgar also has his own story which I haven’t had the chance to read. I’m also anxious to eventually get my hands on Dumont’s most recent translated title, I Am A Bear, which tells the story from the point of view of a homeless teddy bear who lives on the street and shows how people react to him. If you want to know more about any of Dumont’s stories, I found this really great podcast from the publisher of most of his translated titles, Eerdman’s Books. Since how we treat people is really at the heart of human rights (duh!) I wanted to spotlight Dumont’s work because I think he tackles it at a child’s level with the use of animals and humor, but at the same time with a nod to the more perceptive reader who understands the underlying satire and irony.

King & King

By: Linda de Haan and Stern Nijland

Translated by: Unknown (The book does not give any indication as to the translator and the original US publisher, Tricycle Press, ceased publishing in 2011)

A full five years before the American picture book And Tango Makes Three by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson found itself at the center of censorship debates on same-sex marriage, adoption and homosexuality in animals, King & King by Linda de Haan and Stern Nijland was published in The Netherlands. The book, tells the story of Prince Bertie, who must find a princess to marry, according to his mother the Queen who is ready to hand over the realm. Though he’s “never cared much for princess” 

Prince Bertie agrees and a peck of potential princesses are paraded past the pondering prince (It’s a fairy tale, forgive my whimsy). With the arrival of Princess Madeline, Bertie realizes he has found “the one” – Madeline’s escort and brother, Prince Lee, as they both instantly fall in love with the exclamation “What a wonderful prince!” The two marry, becoming King & King, allowing the Queen to retire. Their happily ever after ends in a kiss, the first ever illustration of a gay kiss in a children’s picture book.

It’s not surprising that the book came from The Netherlands, as it is considered one of the most progressive nations in the world regarding LBGTQ+ rights. It became the first country to legalize same-sex marriage in 2001 and a 2015 European Union member poll found that 91% of residents of The Netherlands supported same-sex marriage. Not so in the US when it was first published here in 2003. The book soon found itself on many challenged and banned lists. It was the catalyst behind the Parental Empowerment Act which called for national boards composed of parents to review books purchased by elementary schools and would have prohibited states that did not do so from receiving federal education funding (it thankfully died in committee). It was also the book that led to the creation of an anti-gay lit resolution in Oklahoma and was the source of a number of major federal lawsuits. As recently as 2015, a teacher in North Carolina resigned over the backlash that ensued over his choice to read the story to his class of third graders after he perceived negative gay stereotyping among his students.

The amount of controversy surrounding the book is not why I chose to share it, though. I mean, this is the controversy category, a lot of the books in this category make at least some people uncomfortable about sharing them with children. And maybe not even because they don’t agree with what it is about, but perhaps because they’re not ready to answer questions they might spark in young readers. No, I chose it because of the medium it chose to tell the story.

If you think back a couple weeks, my first category was full of fairy tales, folklore and mythology and I repeatedly mentioned that it seemed like the logical place to start because of how universal such stories are. Variations of a singular tale that share similar motifs exist across the world. I noted that this was a way for a reader to connect what they already knew as familiar. That is part of what makes King & King unique, by drawing upon classic elements familiar in the canon of children’s literature, it celebrates and identifies with a marginalized culture. This idea was further explored by Amy T.Y. Lai in her 2010 essay “Waiving the Magic Wand: Forging greater open-mindedness by subverting the conventions of fairy tales” in which she notes King & King “subvert the conventional fairy tale by including many unconventional elements” and works to “ try to influence their readers and help bring about changes in existing laws that oppress gay people.”

So my purpose behind sharing this title is because I think that King & King is a pioneer. It certainly is no longer the only (or even the best) choice out there to represent the need to give each individual respect and equal treatment, regardless of their sexual orientation. Also, as a slight rabbit hole, it is also worth noting that there was a follow-up title, King & King & Family. 

What I found incredibly interesting is that the book was written at the request of the American publisher, Tricycle Press, and was first published in the United States. There are many positives to the story; King & King adopt a little girl, the family is multi-racial, the illustrations are even more colorful than the first book. But for me personally, it felt more forced than the first book, as if it had an agenda. After I learned about why it was written, I wonder if that may have something to do with it. Just a thought, and again, just my personal opinion. The second book too could be considered a pioneer, I’m just not sure if it is as impactful as King & King.

I Have the Right to Be a Child

By: Alain Serres

Illustrated by: Aurelia Fronty

Translated By: Helen Mixter

As with the previous two books, my third selection looks at a topic where it seems the US is behind the rest of the world in their stance on a certain area of human rights. French author Alain Serres, who is known for books dealing with human rights, especially those of the child, pairs with illustrator Aurelia Fronty, to present the concept of human rights (specifically those of children) as set forth in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. The vibrant illustrations accompany a text told from the point of view of a child describing what it means to have rights that range from the right to have food, water and shelter, to the right to be free from violence. 

The children in the illustrations are each unique, different skin tones, sizes, styles of dress – it is truly a global image of childhood and that the rights described are for each of those children no matter where they come from.

The book, as noted, is based on the 54 articles that the Convention laid out, which are based on “non-discrimination (the rights apply to all children), what is best for the child, the right to live and grown in good health, and the right for children to express their opinions in matters that concern them” (afterward of text). In the afterward that follows, it is noted that 193 states are party to the Convention, having agreed to make changes or new laws that will support it. This does not include the United States who signed to show their support but has not ratified it.  If I were to hazard a guess, it is probably not the content of the articles that is the source of the disagreement but rather the monitoring and compliance that is the reason it has yet to be ratified.  But all of that is definitely another blog for another day.  Whatever the case may be, it makes me sad to admit that before I came across this book I was unaware of that we as a nation had not joined with the rest of the world to fight for such an important cause, thus why I thought it was an important one to include in this post.

(Kristi’s extra thought: Though not translated, We Are All Born Free and Dreams of Freedom are two other phenomenal choices that look at human rights and feature the works of international artists and illustrators. Both are based on the 30 rights set down in 1948 by the United Nations.)

Like I said from the outset – this is a huge topic to cover. What I found most important to highlight where some of the areas that I think the US is still behind the rest of the world and offer up some worldly titles that we can then use to fill those gaps. I did promise two more bonus titles. Both are from Australia and are stories of children that are refugees. If this is a topic that is of interest, I highly suggest checking out My Two Blankets (and pay close attention to the use of color!) and Ziba Came On A Boat. I can vouch for the fact that there are even more recent US titles on this topic as I’ve been collecting them for my amazing group that I am so proud to be a part of, Literary Activists @ EMU.  (You can find us on Facebook and Instagram!)  We are going to be doing helping at an event hosted by the Ypsilanti library on November 4th featuring some of these stories as well as a reading of Lost and Found Cat by author Amy Shrodes.  If you're in the area and interested in attending, check out the information here. 

In the meantime, we’re almost finished dealing with controversy! I’ll be back on Friday with one more post looking at some books that deal with emotions. Then next Tuesday we’ll be going “outside the box” with some dual language books.