Cultural Diversity Saturday: Rifka Takes a Bow by Betty Rosenberg Perlov and Illustrated by Cosei Kawa

Ages: 5 to 9
Pages: 32
Publisher: Kar-Ben Publishing
*I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*

Summary:
Rifka’s parents are actors in the Yiddish Theater in New York, but one day Rifka finds herself center stage in a special role!  A slice of immigrant life on New York’s Second Avenue, this is a unique book about a vanished time and a place – the Yiddish theater in the early 20th century -- made real through the telling of the true life story of the 96-year-old author as a little girl.

Review:
Rifka's parents are stage actors in the Yiddish theater.  They bring Rifka along and she explores backstage, talks with the other actors, and even gets to walk out on stage at the end and deliver a line!  The book talks about how ketchup is used for blood and how her Papa makes a fake beard and mustache for his makeup.  It explores parts of the set and the parts of making a production, including the actors, the stagehands, the orchestra, and the audience.

It's a cute book and I enjoyed learning about the Yiddish Theater because they even put an explanation of how the author grew up much like Rifka!

First Line: "Papa pastes on a brown, curly mustache and picks up a cane."
Penelope's Favorite Line: "There's a table with a beautiful birthday cake.  Papa says, "Don't try to taste it.  It's made out of plaster."
Best Words: Automat, Yiddish, rouge, plaster

Ben's Book Briefs:
ACM = Arts, Crafts, & Music
CD = Cultural Diversity

Kids! Penelope Panda wants to know:

• Have you ever been to see a play?
• Have you ever explored backstage like Rifka does?
• What would be exciting to find backstage?

Adults! Becca wants to know:

• How often do you read culturally diverse books to your kids/students?

Kiki's Pick of the Week: The Legend of Papa Balloon by C.R. McClure

Ages: 4 to 7
Pages: 40
Publisher: Schiffer Publishing
*I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*

Summary:
Papa Balloon is the story of a unique, mysterious figure who magically appears in a land where the people have become divided and are in need of greater understanding and empathy for each other. Traveling through each of the four villages in this land and accompanied by the children who discover him, Papa Balloon teaches the villages a profound lesson in a simple way. Colorfully and brightly illustrated, and a page-turner of a tale, it is the perfect book for any parent who wants their children to learn about treating the traditions and viewpoints of others with respect, while putting forth the belief that we, as a group, are more united than we realize.

Review:
This is a story about diversity and respecting viewpoints that differ from ours under the guise of people living in four different villages loving and devoting their time to the Light in different ways.  The four villages are the Village of Red, the Village of Green, the Village of Blue, and the Village of Purple.  They learn from Papa Balloon that they actually have more in common than they thought and that the differences that they do have are beautiful, not something to fear.  What a wonderful lesson for kids!  (And adults, for that matter!)

I love that when the author talks about each village as Papa Balloon visits it, the words on the page match the color of the village.  


First Line: "There once was a beautiful land which was full of life, light, and lots and lots of colored balloons."
Best Line: "But the crowd wanted more, and they kept asking him in which village were the people living the best lives.  Papa turned to them and said that "it depends on how you act, feel, think, or just are."
Best Words: crystal, depends, concentrated, deflate

Ben's Book Briefs: 
CD = Cultural Diversity
E/S = Emotional & Social Development
I = Insightful
O = Open-Ended

Kids! Kiki Koala wants to know:

• Have you ever disagreed with someone before?  Maybe a brother or sister?  A friend?
• How did you solve your disagreement?
• Try looking at something from someone else's point of view- a sibling, a parent, a teacher, a friend, a neighbor, someone at school.  

Adults! Becca wants to know:

• Do you like this style of review?
• Do you think you will buy or borrow The Legend of Papa Balloon to read to your kids or students?

Cultural Diversity Saturday: In Lucia's Neighborhood by Pat Shewchuk and Marek Colek

This is Lucia and this is Lucia's neighborhood.  There are people playing in the park and kids on the way home from school. Mothers are shopping and Grandmas are soaking up the sun.  There are lots of things about the neighborhood that are like Portugal, such as the Senhar Da Pedra Festival every summer.

The book is written for an early grade audience for readers or as a picture book for preschoolers.  I really like how Shewchuk and Colek describe all aspects of a neighborhood.  The illustrations reflect ethnic diversity as well as all age groups, gender roles, and style of dress.  I am very impressed.

I also like how there are a good sprinkling of vocabulary words thrown in but they are not overdone (see short list below).  Good questions to ask during a reading with your child might include: Do you see/do this in your neighborhood? What do you like about Lucia's neighborhood?  What do you like about your own community?  Can you help me locate Portugal on a map?  Why do you think the neighborhood celebrate Portuguese festivals?  


Vocabulary words include: sculpture, Tai Chi, trimmed, olive trees, decorations, daydreaming, teenagers, average.

Read this book if:

• You would like to take a walk around Lucia's neighborhood with her.
• You enjoy stories about families and/or communities.
• You like learning something new.
• You respect differing cultures and want to celebrate them and learn about them.

BOOK BRIEFS:

Ages: 4 to 9

CD = Cultural Diversity
H = Holidays & Celebrations
I = Insightful
V = Vocabulary Enhancement

This book gets a 5 BOOKWORMS rating!!

Book Review: The Arab World Thought of It by Salma S. Hussain

Do you know who invented tents?  Or carpets?  Or bars of soap?  How about public libraries, where anyone could borrow a book?  Do you know who invented stained glass windows?  What about the first ever observatory so we could study the skies more accurately?  What about the scalpel, used in modern surgery?  

The Arab world actually invented all of these things and so much more.  Who are the Arab people, you ask?  A simple definition would be those people who can trace their ancestry back to the Middle East and North Africa (called Arabia then), and whose original language was Arabic.  This is not a definition everyone agrees on, as this book explains, but this is a good starting place.  This book even gives you a map so you can locate the countries.  It also shows you how the Arabs grew from small nomadic tribes into over 10 countries.  There are, of course, many Arabs who live all over the world now, too. 

I was very impressed with the amount of information included in this book that is also written for a middle grade audience to understand.  I was doubly impressed the author included a section specifically for contributions by Arabic women.  There are also several places in which pronunciations are included, for example, a caliph named al-Mamun (pronounced al-mamoon).  Al-Mamun is very important in the Arab world.  Find out why some historians call him the "master of Arab civilization."

Did you know that the stars in the Big Dipper constellation all have Arabic names because they were all discovered by the Arabs?

Arabs invented crystal drinking glasses like this one.

Did you know the Arabs were the first to drink coffee?  

Did you know the first attempt at constructing and flying a machine was by an Arab in 852 CE?

Did you know the idea of three-course meals was invented in the 9th century CE by an Arabic man named Ziryab, when he was asked by the court of Spain to teach them how to live a more elegant lifestyle?

So many interesting facts in this book!

I really loved seeing this building in the country of Saudi Arabia that was designed to look just like a book!  

This book is full of bright, vivid photographs of Arab people, mosques, landscapes, and the inventions described in the book.  


VOCABULARY TIDBITS: caliph and caliphate, planetarium, astrolabe, surgical needle, oud, catgut stitches, antiseptic, cataract, glaze, calligraphy, arabesque decorations, torpedo, midfa, tabboulah, sfiha, hajj, machicolations, minarets, sultan, skybridges

BOOK BRIEFS:
10 and up, 48 pages
ACM (Arts, Crafts, Music)
CD (Cultural Diversity)
HIS (Historical/History)
I (Insightful)
INFO (Informative)
T (Travel)
V (Vocabulary Enhancement)

I give this book 5 BOOKWORMS.  

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Review: When I Was Eight by Christy Jordan-Fenton and Margaret Pokiak-Fenton

When I Was Eight is the story of a little Inuit girl named Olemaun who wants to learn to read English so badly that her father relunctantly enrolls her into an Indian Residential School, where they change her name to Margaret.  She is treated horribly by the nun and the other girls because she cannot read.  She is stuck in a corner facing the wall, she is forced to scrub floors and pray for her soul and to wash laundry in scalding water.  She is forced to wear red stockings, meant to provoke the other students to make fun of her, which they do.  She is even locked in a cellar.

However nothing will deter Olemaun from her goal.  She uses every opportunity to learn the English alphabet and to sound out the words around her.  She carries a book she wants to learn how to read, Alice in Wonderland, that her sister used to read her, and determinedly figures out the words.  She finds within herself a courage she once lacked and her true Inuit spirit shines through.

Based on the true story of Margaret Pokiak-Fenton, When I Was Eight is an adaptation of the bestselling memoir Fatty Legs.  This children's version is a wonderful tale of strength, courage, determination, and perseverance in the face of strong adversity.  Recommended for children 6 and up.

RATING:

Vocabulary Building Words: Inuit, hesitation, victorious, slumbering, ulu knife, pinafore, and more.

BOOK BRIEFS:
CD = Cultural Diversity
E/S = Emotional & Social Development
HIS = Historical/History
I = Insightful
INFO= Informative
T = Travel & Geography
V = Vocabulary Enhancement

National Fairy Tale Day Activity

Did you know that today is National Fairy Tale Day?  Well I didn't either until a couple of days ago.  I think it is a day worth celebrating though, don't you?

So I thought a fun idea would be to give you some pictures of fairy tales.  Ask your child if he/she can name the fairy tale and tell you the story.  If they don't recognize it, ask them to make up a story about the people in the picture.  This is a great activity for helping children with recall and also fueling their imaginations.  

Let the fun begin!  

Which was your child's favorite story to tell?  Did he/she create any stories?  Tell all about it in the comments!

Ah, Music! Written and Illustrated by Aliki

Ahhhh, music! 

We all have our favorite types of music and our favorite songs. And who doesn't love a little I'm a Little Teapot now and then? 

But what is music when you really break it down for children?  

Well, it's rhythm and it's melody and, sometimes it's also harmony.  It's pitch and tone, tempo and volume. 

  It is cellos and harps, electric guitars and keyboards, trumpets and bassoons, kettledrums and bongos, bagpipes and sitars and bells and voices.  

It is jazz and opera, salsa and rock 'n' roll, calypso and spirituals.

  It is creativity and passion, and this book explains all of this and more to children in wonderful pictures and words and cartoons. 

The book is also filled with a wonderful diversity of people, instruments, and cultures inspiring a healthy dose of trying out new Spotify and Songza stations. (Hopefully even for us adults who read along.)

Not only do these instruments (especially ones never seen or heard of by the child yet) suffice as vocabulary enhancers, but the prose includes a variety of words to challenge young readers, such as composer, placement, notations, shadowy, vibration, generations, polyphonic, and primitive. 

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!

ACQUIRED AT: Local library
AGES:  4 and up for interest; 7 and up for reading solo
BOOK BRIEFS:
ACM
CD
HIS
INFO
L (Long Book for younger age range at 48 pgs.)
LC
R
V

Back to School: I Love School by Calliope Glass

I Love School is a book in Disney’s It’s a Small World series.  In this volume, readers learn how children go to school in four different countries.  We follow Andrew in the United States, Dario in Italy, Ling in China, and Zanele in South Africa. 

I love the way this book is written because it not only helps readers celebrate the differences in schools around the world, it also shows that we sometimes learn the same concepts in different ways.  

The illustrations by Caroline LaVelle Egan and Winnie Ho are cute and show cultural diversity without any stereotypes.  This book can be a good springboard for discussing different cultures and how even though people come from very diverse backgrounds, we are all humans and we all deserve respect, love, and equality. 

Activities:

Find the countries on a map or globe.  Find your own country on the map.  Spell the country names.  

Make paper dolls that have Ling, Dario, Zanele, and Andrew's names on them and put them in their countries.  Make another for your child (or children in a classroom) and place him in the correct country (and part of the country) as well.

A good segue can also be food- discuss Italian food (spaghetti, pizza, gelato), Chinese food (Peking duck, rice, Kung Pao chicken), and South African food (chutney, gatsby, tomato bredie).  Resolve to try some of the dishes from each country. 

Try some of the activities that are shown in the book, such as when Ling and her friends play the dragon game outside.

Discuss with your child his/her own feelings about going back to school.  What are they most excited about?  

What are some more activities you could do with your child that go along with this book?

AGES: 4-7

BOOK BRIEFS: (Explanation in side bar)

CD

DS

E/S

I

T

When Dads Don't Grow Up by Marjorie Blain Parker, Illustrated by R.W. Alley

"Some dads never grow up.  They're the ones who know that bubble wrap is for popping and that clothes don't have to match."

This is a cute, loving tribute to dads who love to play with their kids and who find that play is a great part of life!  I love that the dads and children illustrated are multi-cultural and I love the variety of activities.  This would make a fantastic gift for both kids and young-at-heart dads alike!


AGES: 3 and up

BOOK BRIEFS:
CD
E/S
F
U

Dream Big: Michael Jordan and the Pursuit of Olympic Gold

This book about Michael Jordan's childhood was written by his mother, Deloris Jordan, and is told in a very simple, straightforward manner, yet it is also very smoothly written with lovely prose that persuades you to read on.

In this story, Michael goes from a nine-year-old boy who dreams of Olympic gold to a pre-teen on his way to making that dream a reality.  The last page even has a note from Mrs. Jordan on how Michael soared, realizing his dream, and makes sure to mention it was through hard work.

I did not know until I read this story that Mrs. Jordan has also written other books, including Salt in His Shoes, Michael's Golden Rules, and Did I Tell You I Loved You Today?

AGES: 4 + for parent readings and 7 + for independent reading


BOOK BRIEFS:


CD
E/S
HIS
I
INFO
S

Olympics Book Review Series: What Athletes Are Made Of by Hanoch Piven

If you and your children will be watching the Olympics this year, then I have just the review collection for you.  Each day during the Olympics (so through Aug. 12th), I will be reviewing one children's book that has to do with the 2012 Summer Olympics in London!  These are books that you can read together or that they can read by themselves to enhance their knowledge and also their excitement about the Games! 

Today's book is What Athletes are Made Of by Hanoch Piven. 

Lots of people know scores and records about their favorite athletes.  But somtimes we don't know as much about what great athletes are like as people.

From Muhammad Ali taking a flight attendant's joke toward him to Lance Armstrong overcoming cancer and getting back on the bike, these stories inspire.

There are goofy illustrations of each athlete.  Some have buttons or footballs for eyes, seeds or licorice for noses (David Beckham's nose is a bottle of pink nail polish), and Andre Agassi has gold Christmas garland for when he had hair.  Cuteness squared.

This is a book worth sharing and reading with all ages, as neither the content nor the length is so difficult they cannot hold their attention.  However, I would say 2nd grade reading level up for independent reading.  It is a very informative, funny, inspiring book and I highly recommend it!

Olympic Review Series: A Walk in London by Salvatore Rubbino

If you and your children will be watching the Olympics this year, then I have just the review collection for you.  Each day during the Olympics (so through Aug. 12th), I will be reviewing one children's book that has to do with the 2012 Summer Olympics in London!  These are books that you can read together or that they can read by themselves to enhance their knowledge and also their excitement about the Games!

A Walk in London is a book with not only a cute story.  It is also a book full of fun facts which dot the illustrations. There are a great many vocabulary enhancements throughout the book, for example, scepters, emeralds, guided, occasionally, monument, and cathedral. There is also a foldout panoramic illustrated view of the Thames included.  The one downside I see is that the fonts change in the story, as the photo below shows.  This may be a challenge to young readers.

AGES: 8 to 11

BOOK BRIEFS: (Find explanation for Book Briefs in left sidebar!)

HIS

CD

T

V