Children's Literature that crosses borders
Her Right Foot
Her Right Foot by Dave Eggers with art by Shawn Harris, is a moving book that tells the story of one of the most famous statues in the world. I have personally visited the Statue of Liberty four times in my life and this book opened up a world of new knowledge to me. Who knew the Statue of Liberty was on the move? I love the language used by Eggers to tell factual information in a fun way. He addresses each new fact with the statement, "you may have known" or "you probably know". The syntax provides the reader with a sense of agency over the text and provides confidence.Kids of all ages could get engaged in reading this story and be excited to share the new information they learned! The author made it clear when he was switching between facts and possible explanations, all of the facts are supported by sources in the back of the book which would be another awesome feature to point out to young readers. When I began reading, I struggled to make connections between this story, Wishtree and, My Two Blankets, but as the story went on and I learned by Lady Liberty is on the move I understood. I loved the illustrations of diverse groups of people and the powerful illustration of our current political climate around immigrants. Seeing people behind a fence like dogs will never get easier for me.
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The themes that stood out to me in this story were inclusion, diversity, humanity, and courage. Our country was never meant to be exclusive. The Statue of Liberty serves as a reminder of where our country started and that we will never be finished welcoming the poor and marginalized. The author, Dave Eggers was born in Boston and began writing books at the age of of 21 after his parents passed away. He is the founder of many programs, such as 826michigan which inspire school-aged students to write with confidence.
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"It never ends. It cannot end. After all, the Statue of Liberty is an immigrant, too. And this is why she's moving. This is why she's striding. In welcoming the poor, the tired, the struggling to breathe free." -Dave Eggers
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My family visiting the Statue of Liberty!
Looking with a Critical Lens
This page from Her Right Foot is especially moving to me. Immigration is a major topic in our country today. I see disturbing photos on the news and social media of young children who have been ripped from their families and placed in cages awaiting the fate of their families. This book poses the simple question, without actually asking it, what are you going to do about it? The Statue of Liberty was not meant to stand still because freedom takes courage which is something that requires action. The moral values that are dominant in this text are immigration, poverty, and inclusion. This illustration alone speaks volumes, there are people standing at the fence longing to get out, a mother bathing her child in a baby pool, and tents set up for people to sleep. In this text, we as the readers have the power to make choices for a better world. This story reminds us that our country was founded on immigration, the mix of cultures is what makes our country beautiful. The cultural ideals are presented naturally through representation in the illustrations and listing of the different cultures that are represented in our country and always have been. While reading the story, it feels as if the author is talking to you specifically which makes for an engaging and impactful read.
My Two Blankets
My Two Blankets is a story by Irena Kobald and Freya Blackwood that shows the importance of a friend. This book tells the story of a little girl named Cartwheel who immigrates to a new land with her aunt, which seems to be America, in order to escape war in her country. The new place is unfamiliar, scary and she is not able to speak the same language of the people there. The author tells the story from a first person perspective, using metaphorical language to describe how Cartwheel feels while navigating this unknown place. The character is called Cartwheel in her homeland because she is a free and fun spirit, until the war comes and pushes them out of their home. The illustrations in the beginning of the book show the little girl doing cartwheels and as the story progresses her free spirit is replaced by fear and sadness. As her new home becomes a little more friendly and familiar the ending of the book parallels the beginning as Cartwheel is shown living up to her name once more.
Looking with a Critical Lens
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The author makes the character believable by using a first-person narrative that allows the reader into Cartwheel's head as she tries to adjust. Her blanket is used as a symbol for the comfort of her old home, memories, and language. It is a place where she feels safe to be herself. Some themes in My Two Blankets are immigration, kindness, the power of friendship, culture, and changes. Change is hard no matter what, but this story puts into perspective just how hard it would be to move to a new place where no one even speaks your language. Cartwheel describes it as, "like standing under a waterfall of strange sounds. The waterfall was cold. It made me feel alone. I felt like I wasn't me anymore." The elements of Cartwheels culture are integrated naturally into the story through illustration of her clothing, shoes, and blanket that made her feel at home. The idea of friendship is prevalent through the story, as the girl makes a friend who does not judge her for not knowing English, the world around Cartwheel becomes a little less cold. The illustration of the girls sitting under an umbrella together seems to represent the way the newfound friendship shields Cartwheel from the cold waterfall and she is able to weave a new blanket and adapt to her new life.
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This book was inspired by a friendship that the author's daughter developed with a Sudanese child. The author was an immigrant herself in Australia, which most definitely plays a part in the authenticity of the story and the way it portrays what it would be like to be an immigrant or refugee. This story could be used in a classroom to pair with current events of refugees who are fleeing to our country for safety. This book is written in a way that supports empathy and understanding of new and unfamiliar cultures.
The animals came together to save Red from being chopped down.
Wishtree
Wishtree is a story about Red, the neighborhood oak tree whom everyone places their wishes on once a year. She has become a place of solace for many animals, and a new member of the neighborhood whose family is not being so accepted by everyone. Samar's family recently moved into the neighborhood, they are muslim and the other neighbors seem to be afraid of them. Red has been around for a long time and is a wise tree, she knows the importance of being kind and accepting and that their neighborhood is built on it. This story combines information about animals and trees with important themes about racisms effect on communities. The neighborhood that Samar's family lives in was founded on immigration, Red would know she was around to see it. The neighborhood is known for this, but when someone carves "LEAVE" into Red, it leaves a bad vibe in the neighborhood. Samar and her family are left feeling scared and considering moving. The story felt so believable and Red was personified so well that I often had to remind myself that she was a tree. Her character as a tree is powerful because she has lived such a long life that she is able to use her centuries of life to give insight and advice. The author's style really drew me into the book, Red's character was captivating in the way that she was a symbol of hope for the community. People placed their wishes on her every year, and she was constantly wanting the best for the inhabitants of the neighborhood.
Looking with a Critical Lens
The themes that stood out in this story were friendship, diversity, racism, intolerance, and hope. As a diverse family moved into the neighborhood, some people felt fearful toward them and did not welcome them. The adults racism trickled down to their children and Samar was isolated at school. She spent her nights underneath Red with the baby animals who felt comfortable in her calming presence. Red and the other animals are determined to bring Samar and her neighbor together to be friends. The message on the tree jeopardized the feeling of safety in the community which pushed people apart. In this story, the people in the neighborhood had the opportunity to make choices that made it a better place. In the end they came together to make Samar's family feel included by all placing a wish that read, "STAY" on Red's tree. This book would be an amazing way to cultivate discussion among students about acceptance of new people into our communities that might not look like us. Applegate also incorporates the use of scientific terminology into this book in a natural way. This would be a great way to get students interested in learning about different trees and animals.
"Besides, the more you listen, the more you learn." -Red
​These books as a text set
#crossingborderschildrenslit
What could books about the Statue of Liberty, blankets, and a tree possibly have in common? As a teacher, if you laid these three books out for students to explore, they would immediately be engaged and wonder how these books could possibly connect. These books could be used as a text set to teach students about immigration and refugees and the way it relates to our world today. A unit could be taught to these students by first asking the students to take a picture walk through each book and predict the connections the three books may have. The books could then be used as a read aloud and begin the students journey into critical literacy. As Callow states in his article, "the beginning of students' critical literacy starts with the realization that a creative choice has been made, leading to more complex discussions about power and social justice (2017). By allowing students to examine the illustrations in both picture books and facilitating conversation that guides the students to understand that the illustrations are just as important as the text, students will begin to examine books critically. Both Wishtree and My Two Blankets feature a main character that is a child because of this students could relate and imagine themselves in the same situation. Callow writes, "some students will actually have had experiences similar to Cartwheel's, and others may not yet, we live in a culture where depictions of refugees and immigrants can sometimes be very politically charged, ignoring their humanity and perpetuating negative stereotypes" (2017). All of these books do an amazing job of creating an experience for the reader in which they can empathize and connect with the character who is marginalized. As suggested in Amy Edward's article, the students could do quick writes throughout the stories about what it might be like to be an immigrant. It would be interesting to see their perceptions change as they examined the texts from a critical lens. I loved all three of these books, but my favorite was the Wishtree because of the way that it captured my emotions through Red's character. In My Two Blankets, the reader is able to connect more with the actual person who is impacted by immigration because the story is told in her point of view. Her Right Foot would also serve a strong role in this text set because it provides history about America's role in immigration.