Grandmas can make everything better. So can Grandpas, and Mamas, too.
Three recent picture books explore special family relationships with stories populated by diverse and distinct characters, cultures, and situations. They all landed in my library bag as I am getting a head start at reading potential nominees for CYBILS FICTION PICTURE books worth noticing. They are wonderful stories told with skill and sensitivity, they are entertaining and engaging, and filled with heart and happiness.
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| PAGE STREET KIDS, 2020 |
SATURDAYS ARE FOR STELLA is written by Candy Wellins and illustrated by Charlie Eve Ryan. As the cover suggests, George and Stella have spent a lifetime of Saturdays "making memories". Stella gives George her undivided attention, from ninja tournaments to fighting off aliens, and even baking cinnamon rolls "without popping open a tube".
Stella never tires of giving George her undivided attention on Saturdays, and George keeps a running list of the best things about Stella, including hugs, doing everything, and doing nothing. But always TOGETHER.
Suddenly, shockingly, Stella is gone, and so are George's special Saturdays. Even when he tried remembering her by doing the things they shared, the fun, the taste, the effort always falls short and leaves him in tears.
Time passes, despite the Saturdays he crossed off his calendar. With that passing time, baby Stella joins their family. George begins introducing her to the things he always loved on Saturdays, and eventually lists his favorite things about sister Stella. Those turn out to be warmly and lovingly similar to his earlier list. The author masters the most serious of challenges for picture books: the death of a loved one, the passage of time over several years, and complexity of events and emotions made accessible and appealing with pure and simple text. The illustrator does the same, resulting in a magnificent, huggable book.
Annick Press, 2020
An equally delightful new offering with an entirely different premise is MY DAY WITH GONG GONG, written by Sennah Yee and illustrated by Elaine Chen.In this case, first-person-narrating grandchild is spending the day with grandpa (Gong Gong), but reluctantly. The child does not speak Cantonese, and Gong Gong does not speak English!
Early in the day the child switches channels from hockey to cartoons when Gong Gong dozes. He wakes, gets up, and they go for a walk to Chinatown. Cantonese greetings and comments are exchanged, appealing toys and foods are craved. Gong Gong appears unaware of those wishes and of the child's growing hunger.
Hopes rise when they stop for a snack, but only tea is ordered, followed by supermarket shopping and more walking... SLOW walking! A stop in the park sets up another frustrating time when Gong Gong and friends are speaking Cantonese and laughing. At what? Hungry and tired, frustrated and stained with pigeon poop, tears flow. Gong Gong cleans things up, rescuing the situation with surprises. They agree on the word 'HOME", with more surprises and smiles along the way as they take their time getting there. A back page provides a glossary with Cantonese characters, English spelling of Cantonese words, and translation for the six phrases that occur throughout the book.
The empathetic situation, escalating story/tension, and appealing illustrations combine to capture universal emotions and situations within a very particular time, place, and people. The simply drawn but expressive faces, body language, and perspectives between and surrounding the central pair elevate the stakes and the emotional connection that evolves. Reading this as an adult will be a very different experience from reading it to very young kids. Gong Gong's cluelessness could be stressful and worrisome, but his smiling gentleness offers comfort and optimism even when the going gets a bit tough.
A similar challenge is met quite differently in award-winning DRAWN TOGETHER, written my Minh Le and illustrated by Dan Santat. If that has somehow missed your reading list, be sure to add it to this grouping.
A DINENE MILNER BOOK, 2020
ME & MAMA is the creation of author/illustrator Cozbi A. Cabrera. it, too, features a young character, first person narrator, who "want(s) to be everywhere Mama is". The illustrations are lush and colorful, nuanced and detailed. That visual story provides a rich landscape for text that conveys depth of detail in simple narration. Examples:
"Mama's cup goes clink, clink, clink...
My cup goes duh, duh, duh...
Sometimes things break, Mama says."
From brushing teeth to combing hair, from rainy day walks to nap time, this portrays a delightful day as the background tapestry for a loving, sensory, secure, and happy relationship. The language and images and heart will have even the littlest ones chiming in and acting along with the story.
All three are circle stories, of a sort, and even bedtime stories. Each is heartwarming but not overly sentimentalized, and all three convey lives, settings, families, and cultures that are both warmly familiar and revealing of new worlds. Even if your intended readers are not among the very young, these are all worth a close read and look. For anyone attempting to write or illustrate picture books, these are even more important.
Anchor in time for Covid, Black Lives Matter, and politics:
We (USA) have passed 200,000 deaths with no sign of slowing. Reasonable projections indicate we could reach 350,000 deaths by the end of the year. Wisconsin, where I live, has become one of the national hot spots. I stay close to home and wear a mask everywhere I go, observing physical distance and crowded spaces. I urge you to do the same.
Charges have been filed in Breonna Taylor's death in her bed by police gunfire. one officer of the three involved was charged for the bullets that strayed into a nearby apartment. In other words, the only charges in her death are for the bullets that missed her. Protests continue in Louisville, KY and across other cities. Scholar Ibram X. Kendi has said the only conclusion is that she is responsible for her own death- a story that has been told in such cases for centuries.
I voted on Monday, turning my ballot in directly to the clerk, who signed as my witness. The next day I confirmed on line that my ballot has been received and will be counted. Our president has said that there may not be a peaceful transition of power. Ruth Bader Ginsberg is lying in state on the steps of the Supreme Court. A nominee for her replacement will be named on Saturday, and it appears that the vote will be pushed through before the election.
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