Jamela's Dress by Niki Daly

Jamela's Dress 

(Farrar, Straus and Giroux-2004)

By: Niki Daly

Grade: K-2

Jamela's Dress is the first of a series of picture books about a young African girl, Jamela. In this story, Jamela volunteers to watch her mother's dress material dry, but instead lets her imagination take over. She took the material, wrapped it around her like a dress and went to town singing "Kwela, Jamela African Queen". The material got so ruined and her mother was not very happy. But this story does have a happy ending. I loved how Jamela wasn't afraid to use her imagination, I just wouldn't want my students thinking it was okay to be that irresponsible.

Theme/Skills Taught: Imagination & Adventure/Foreshadowing, geography & problem solving

About the Author: Niki Daly is a South African author-illustrator whose picture books celebrate the imaginative powers of children and their magnificent everyday lives. He is able to view the world from a child's perspective, mostly reflective of multicultural modern South Africa. Indeed, many of Daly's solo efforts, as well as his illustrations for other authors, represent strongly African themes. Daly first became involved in drawing by using pencil stubs handed down from an uncle who painted watercolor pictures. Born in South Africa, Daly traveled to London at the age of twenty-four in order to pursue a career in singing and songwriting. However, economic difficulties ended his music career after two years, and Daly found work as a commercial artist, which eventually led to illustration for children's books. Daly's themes and motifs continue to surprise. His picture books range from the sublime to the silly, and in between they subtly challenge social prejudices without being didactic. Niki Daly's Bio

Pre-Reading Activities: As you are reading, teach foreshadowing skills. This is done by pausing as you read to ask questions such as: What do you think is going to happen when she goes to town? How do you think her mother will react? This teaches kids to use what they already know to predict the next scene.

Post Reading Activities: The story has a happy ending. What if the photographer did not get paid for the picture and Jamela wasn't able to buy more fabric? Discussing this with the students may help with their problem solving skills. Describe a time when you "messed up" and what did you do to fix the problem? This can be done aloud or in a notebook.

-You could tie this into a Social Studies lesson to show them where South Africa is and "research" location, dress, foods, etc.

Soul Looks Back in Wonder by Tom Feelings

Soul Looks Back in Wonder

(Puffin -1999)

By: Tom Feelings

Grade: 4-6

Soul Looks Back in Wonder is a collection of poems by 13 different poets that celebrates the African heritage of strength and endurance, beauty and love, knowledge and creativity. The art really helps paint a picture in our minds and really helps us to feel true emotions for these people. It is a great book to use to talk about diversity and embracing differences.

Theme/Skills Taught: Strength and endurance, beauty and love, knowledge and creativity/

About the Author: A native of Brooklyn, New York, Feelings attended the school of Visual Arts for two years and then joined the Air Force in 1953, working in London as a staff artist for the Graphics Division of the Third Air Force. From 1959 until 1964 he worked as a freelance artist, his primary subjects drawn from the Black people of his community. In 1961, he went south to draw the people of Black rural communities: some of these drawings were published in Look magazine as part of a feature entitled "The Negro in the U.S." In 1964, Feelings traveled to Ghana, where he spent two years. In 1966, he returned to the United States to concentrate on illustrating books with African and African-American themes. Feelings lived in Guyana, South America, working as a teacher and consultant for the Ministry of Education, and training young artists in textbook illustration. Feelings received numerous awards for his illustrations. His life experiences and people he has met helped him to become the successful writer and illustrator that he was. About TomFeelings

Pre-Reading Activities: Read the Intro and pose a discussion: What do you think are some rites of passage in this culture? What does it mean to be hostile? How can someone be creative? By discussing the different culture, it will get students ready to read about groups of people who may or may not be similar to them.

Post Reading Activities: This book can be coupled with lessons on slavery and what it took for these individuals to stand up for themselves. Have the students create their own poem that shows their stance on a topic. Give them ideas or themes to start from.

One Leaf Rides the Wind by Celeste Davidson Mannis

One Leaf Rides the Wind

(Puffin-2005)

By: Celeste Davidson Mannis

Pictures by: Susan Kathleen Hartung

Grade: 1-3

One Leaf Rides the Wind is a counting book about the Japanese garden, which also introduces haikus. It is a simple but fun adventure of a small Japanese girl who is traveling through the Japanese garden. This book leaves an educator with many possible ways to tie it into their curriculum (counting, poetry, etc.). The best part for me was the small captions under the haiku that give historical background of the Japanese culture. I love this book because it is different from a lot of books I have read and I assume different from books my students have read. It provides background into a different culture as well as a different style of writing.

Theme/Skills Taught: Adventure/Haikus & Counting

About the Author: Celeste Davidson Mannis, the award winning author of several books for children, is convinced she has the best job in the world. "Writing for children is one of my greatest joys. Children are wonderfully open to new ideas. My goal is to explore aspects of our world - its people, cultures, history, and natural wonders - in a way that fuels their amazing intelligence and curiosity. Knowledge is power, and it's my fondest wish that through my books I can help provide children with a sense of their own potential and unique place in the greater world community." This book was great because it didn't just teach one thing. It had a lot of "teachable moments". Celeste Davidson Mannis' Bio

About the Illustrator: Susan started drawing as soon as she could hold a crayon. She said she drew all the time on anything. Practice makes perfect I guess because after she started focusing her ideas on paper she was ready for a career in the arts. She attended the School of Visual Arts in NYC and decided she wanted to draw for children's books since there was more room for creativity. After college she worked at numerous part time jobs in advertising, design, and photography – at the same time doing various illustration jobs and trying to break into children's books. Eight years after graduating from SVA, Susan was finally able to make illustration a full time career. Susan has done a great deal of work for the educational market, as well as for advertising, design, and magazines. Susan's Bio

Pre-Reading Activities: What is a Haiku? What is the significance of the Japanese Garden? (both can be found in the back of a book for an introduction to this book.

Post Reading Activities: Have students write their own haiku. Give them the rules of a haiku and give plenty of examples. For students who may struggle, give them a theme to write about to get them started. Or, another possible differentiation is to have children copy a poem and create their own illustration.

Maples in the Mist by Minfong Ho

Maples in the Mist

(Lothrop, Lee and Shepard Books -1996)

Translated by: Minfong Ho

Illustrated by: Jean & Mou-sien Tseng

Grade: 2-5



Maples in the Mist is a group of children's poems written during the Tang Dynasty, when the people were prosperous. During this time, some of the best poetry was written. The poems in this book represent poems of that time that were traditionally taught to children. All the poems are written by different poets and have been translated to English. I loved seeing the different styles of different artists. This book is a great multicultural book to use in the class because you can teach poetry along with background from a different culture.

Theme/Skills taught: Life in China/Embracing different cultures and different languages (written)

About the Translator: Minfong Ho explains that these were some of the poems she learned growing up that stirred her curiosity and increased her pride for her culture. She was hoping through translating them into English, other children would grow to love them as well. This is really the goal of using multicultural literature in the classroom: to share the benefits of different cultures. About Minfong

About the Illustrators: These siblings now live in Glen Cove, NY but grew up with similar poems as small children. They have illustrated these poems in hopes that readers of all cultures will find the beauty that they feel each time they read them (back of book)

Pre-Reading Activities: Give history of the Tang Dyntasy and show the students China on a map.This can be integrated into Social Studies/Geography using world maps and showing students how to locate different areas on a map.

Post Reading Activities: Have the students take the title of a poem and write it based on their life experiences. For example, one is titled "Mountain Road". Have them write a poem about a mountain road they drove on. Also, since every page has Chinese symbols, you can try to have them write their name in Chinese. It would be a great way to embrace different cultures.

Listen to the Wind: The Story of Dr. Greg and Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson & Susan L. Roth

Listen to the Wind: The Story of Dr. Greg and Three Cups of Tea

(Dial-2009)

By: Greg Mortenson & Susan L. Roth

Collages by: Susan L. Roth

Grade: 2-4

Listen to the Wind: The Story of Dr. Greg and Three Cups of Tea is a wonderful true story about the children of Korphe. Greg Mortenson is a real person who helped change the lives of these children forever. The children of Korphe didn't have a school until Dr. Greg Mortenson came to their village and returned later to help the villagers build their own school. Dr. Greg has now built over 130 schools in rural regions of Pakistan and Afghanistan. He is a true example of a global citizen, someone who believes education is right for all children. This is a truly inspirational story and can help to promote cultural awareness and appreciation for the things we take for granted, like school. Although some of the events told in the story may not be true, it is a great story and displays great moral values.

Theme/Skills Taught: Helping others/Teamwork & Appreciation (social skills)

About the Author: After High School, Mortenson joined the US Army as a medic and attended college with a football scholarship. He traveled to Pakistan in order to climb the world's second highest mountain, K2 , took a wrong turn and ended up in the village of Korphe. He was exhausted after the hiking (and rescue of the fifth climber) and they cared for him. After noticing the children attending school outside, he took it as his mission to build them a school. His story is amazing and those children were lucky this man was the man that "stumbled" upon their village. About Greg Mortenson

About the Artist: Susan L. Roth does not pain, she collages. The illustrations in this book are very unique and very captivating. She only cuts or rips. She refusing to use pens, pencils or oils. She is very talented and unique in her style. She agrees that the process can be a mess, but she hardly ever throws away the "scraps". She finds ways to use them in her next works. About Susan L. Roth

Pre-Reading Activities: Show the students a map of where this book takes place. Heroes come from ordinary people who want to make a difference. Talk about heroes you know. Talk about other countries and how some countries don't have school buildings and they learn outside. Discuss "free education" with your students. Most children don't know how lucky they are to be able to go to school for free. Explain that in other countries, children only dream about going to a real school.

Post Reading Activities:
-Make a list of things you need to start a school
-Write a letter to Dr. Greg explaining what you think about what he did
-Use glossary in the back of the book to discuss new vocabulary
-Explain the importance of helping other countries and people. This is a great multicultural book to discuss language barriers and the differences between different cultures.

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry

(Puffin-1996)

By: Mildred D. Taylor

Grade: 6-9

*1977 Newbery Award Winner*

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry is set in Mississippi during the Great Depression. It is the story of one family's struggle to maintain independence and pride. It is told in first-person narrative of a girl, Cassie Logan who is in a constant struggle for physical survival. The story is both inspiring and terrifying. The story is told in the span of a year-with ups and downs. I don't want to give away too much because you should definitely read it!

Theme/Skills Taught: Fear, Distrust, Values, Not understanding one's culture/Problem & Soltions, Making Inferences, Drawing Conclusions

About the Author: Mildred D. Taylor was born in Jackson, Mississippi where life was difficult for their family due to racial segregation. Their family moved to the North to hopefully gain more opportunities. They continued to visit family in the South and through her father's love for the South and all the storytelling, Mildred became the writer she was. From these stories, Taylor learned about her great-grandfather, the son of a white plantation owner in Alabama and a slave woman. In the late 1800s, this young man ran away from Alabama to buy land and settle in Mississippi; the land he purchased more than 100 years ago is still owned by the Taylor family. All of these stories and her experiences influenced her writing. About Mildred Taylor

Pre-Reading Activities: Think about what it's like to be part of a large family, what it's like to start school, and how people who are different are treated. This story involves a number of characters in a dramatic novel in which the conflict between black and white Americans is described. Look at the front cover of the book. Read the title and ask: Who do you think these characters are? What can you tell about them just from their clothes and the way they are behaving? What questions do you have about the story from looking at the cover? See more activities

Post Reading Activities: Discuss problem/solution. In the middle of the book the author uses flashbacks: use flowcharts to keep track of the major events in the story so students don't get confused.

Chibi: A True Story from Japan by Barbara Brenner and Julia Takaya

Chibi: A True Story from Japan

(Sandpiper-1999)

By: Barbara Brenner & Julia Takaya

Illustrated by: June Otani

Grade: Primary & Intermediate

Chibi: A True Story from Japan  is set in modern day Japan. It is about a duck family who lives in downtown Tokyo. The people in the city grow a liking for the smallest duck (who hatched one day after his brothers and sisters). Mr. Sato is a news reporter who comes every day to take picture and report on the adventures of the duck, specifically Chibi. It is such a cute story because children can relate and the setting in Tokyo is very similar to a city setting here so they can compare/contrast. This is a great book for multicultural literature because you can teach students that similar things happen in other parts of the world.

Theme/Skills Taught: Acceptance/Similarities & Differences between different areas

About the Authors: Barbara Brenner is an author of both fiction and nature books and is an active member of Bank Street College of Education. She went to Seton Hall College while she worked as a copy editor. Working as an artist's editor helped to prepare her for her literary life. She has written a lot of other books including On the Frontier with Mr. Audubon which won a "Best of the Best" award. As her two sons grew older, a lot of her books were based on their interests and careers. She is still writing and lives in Hawley, PA. More about Barbara Brenner

Julia Takaya is a teacher and a writer. This book is actually based on an experience Julia had when she saw the brave mama duck attempting to raise her brood in the hubbub of the city.

About the Illustrator: June Otani has illustrated several books for children including Oh Snow! by Monica Mayper. She is also a printmaker whose work has been exhibited at galleries throughout the New York area. She lives in Hastings-on-Hudson, NY (from book)

Pre-Reading Activities: What do you think Tokyo, Japan is like? Based on the front cover, what do you think the book is about? Give your students a background of the authors, especially Julia Takaya and explain that this is a true story.

Post Reading Activities: Compare and contrast Tokyo with a city nearby. Is it really that different? Look at the pictures and see if you notice anything familiar?