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jecoats's reviews
54 reviews
Watercress by Andrea Wang
5.0
I discovered this picturebook while searching for winners of the Caldecott Medal (which this book was awarded in 2022) on Goodreads. I checked out a physical copy from my local library.
Watercress begins with a family driving down a rural road in Ohio. Along the way, the parents spot a patch of watercress growing along the road, and pull over to harvest the plant. Their young daughter is disgusted by the endeavor, not wanting to wade into the muddy waters to pick the watercress. She is even more disgusted when later that day the family sits down to eat the freshly picked plant for dinner. However, the young girl refuses to eat. Her mother then tells her about when she was a young girl in China during the great famine, and how her family had to eat what they could forage just to survive. Ashamed, the young girl tries the watercress…
This is a touching, heartwarming story written by Andrea Wang and illustrated by Jason Chin. There is a lot visually to enjoy here - from the beautiful watercolors to the placement of the text. Chin employs a warm color palette, composed of many soft peach, mustard, orange and brown tones, to breathe life into this world. Every scene feels real and lived in, inviting the reader to experience the story beside the family. The text never feels invasive and instead exists in the negative space of the images, such as in the sky or along a dirt road. This composition allows the images to take center stage, with the text simply guiding us through the narrative.
The narrative is simple and direct, based on Wang’s own childhood memories. One of the best aspects about the story is that the themes of the narrative are never spelled out. Instead, Wang trusts that the reader will make inferences from the plot and the images, and come to their own conclusions about the tale. Although the word count varies greatly from page to page, Wang’s language is conservative, making this a pleasurable read for both younger and older readers.
Watercress certainly works as a mirror and sliding glass door. While not all our Asian and Asian American students will have had this exact experience, I think that the authentic nature of Wang’s story will help those students feel represented in the story. I also think the book invites the reader in, especially during the dinner scene. I felt so drawn into those moments, as if I was sitting right at the table with the family. And while Watercress doesn’t reveal a lot about Asian/Asian American culture, it does provide a glimpse into practices and cultures our students may not be familiar with.
Watercress begins with a family driving down a rural road in Ohio. Along the way, the parents spot a patch of watercress growing along the road, and pull over to harvest the plant. Their young daughter is disgusted by the endeavor, not wanting to wade into the muddy waters to pick the watercress. She is even more disgusted when later that day the family sits down to eat the freshly picked plant for dinner. However, the young girl refuses to eat. Her mother then tells her about when she was a young girl in China during the great famine, and how her family had to eat what they could forage just to survive. Ashamed, the young girl tries the watercress…
This is a touching, heartwarming story written by Andrea Wang and illustrated by Jason Chin. There is a lot visually to enjoy here - from the beautiful watercolors to the placement of the text. Chin employs a warm color palette, composed of many soft peach, mustard, orange and brown tones, to breathe life into this world. Every scene feels real and lived in, inviting the reader to experience the story beside the family. The text never feels invasive and instead exists in the negative space of the images, such as in the sky or along a dirt road. This composition allows the images to take center stage, with the text simply guiding us through the narrative.
The narrative is simple and direct, based on Wang’s own childhood memories. One of the best aspects about the story is that the themes of the narrative are never spelled out. Instead, Wang trusts that the reader will make inferences from the plot and the images, and come to their own conclusions about the tale. Although the word count varies greatly from page to page, Wang’s language is conservative, making this a pleasurable read for both younger and older readers.
Watercress certainly works as a mirror and sliding glass door. While not all our Asian and Asian American students will have had this exact experience, I think that the authentic nature of Wang’s story will help those students feel represented in the story. I also think the book invites the reader in, especially during the dinner scene. I felt so drawn into those moments, as if I was sitting right at the table with the family. And while Watercress doesn’t reveal a lot about Asian/Asian American culture, it does provide a glimpse into practices and cultures our students may not be familiar with.
Through the Woods by E.M. Carroll
5.0
My wife owns this graphic novel, and I started paging through it while I was looking for Little Red Riding Hood texts to read. This book has won several awards, including the Milwaukee County Teen Book Award (2015) and the British Fantasy Award for Best Comic/Graphic Novel (2015).
This graphic novel is comprised of five distinct tales of terror. While none of them are an exact retelling of Little Red Riding Hood, the first tale and the conclusion bear some similarity to the classic story.
The first story tells the tale of three girls abandoned in a cabin, holding out hope their father will return. At night, a mysterious figure visits each girl, and the following night the girl disappears. The final sister sets out in search of her missing siblings, only to finally encounter the creature that has kidnapped her sisters. While the remaining sibling is not taking a basket of goodies to her grandmother, she does wear a red cloak and go off in search of her family. And while there is no wolf awaiting her, when she finally meets the creature that kidnapped her siblings, she comments that "he is no man," which reminded me of the way the wolf disguises himself in human clothes.
The final story is more reminiscent of Little Red Riding Hood in that a young girl is going to stay with her mother and brings with her a basket (which I think is filled with books). Of course, the young girl is not only cloaked in red, but must traverse the woods at night to reach her mother. Once the girl arrives and is tucked in bed, a wolf appears at her window, reminding her it only takes one unlucky moment for the wolf to claim its prey. Again, this is only loosely connected to the classic tale, but the resemblance is undeniable.
I thought this graphic novel would be worth reviewing since two of the tales do have similarities (some stronger than others) to Little Red Riding Hood. I also thought it would be worth reviewing because this is a fantastic graphic novel. I think older students (7th to 12th grade) would probably appreciate these macabre and grotesque tales. The artwork is exquisite, and somehow, I found it more upsetting to behold than if it we're depicted using more realistic illustrations. I strongly recommend Through the Woods.
This graphic novel is comprised of five distinct tales of terror. While none of them are an exact retelling of Little Red Riding Hood, the first tale and the conclusion bear some similarity to the classic story.
The first story tells the tale of three girls abandoned in a cabin, holding out hope their father will return. At night, a mysterious figure visits each girl, and the following night the girl disappears. The final sister sets out in search of her missing siblings, only to finally encounter the creature that has kidnapped her sisters. While the remaining sibling is not taking a basket of goodies to her grandmother, she does wear a red cloak and go off in search of her family. And while there is no wolf awaiting her, when she finally meets the creature that kidnapped her siblings, she comments that "he is no man," which reminded me of the way the wolf disguises himself in human clothes.
The final story is more reminiscent of Little Red Riding Hood in that a young girl is going to stay with her mother and brings with her a basket (which I think is filled with books). Of course, the young girl is not only cloaked in red, but must traverse the woods at night to reach her mother. Once the girl arrives and is tucked in bed, a wolf appears at her window, reminding her it only takes one unlucky moment for the wolf to claim its prey. Again, this is only loosely connected to the classic tale, but the resemblance is undeniable.
I thought this graphic novel would be worth reviewing since two of the tales do have similarities (some stronger than others) to Little Red Riding Hood. I also thought it would be worth reviewing because this is a fantastic graphic novel. I think older students (7th to 12th grade) would probably appreciate these macabre and grotesque tales. The artwork is exquisite, and somehow, I found it more upsetting to behold than if it we're depicted using more realistic illustrations. I strongly recommend Through the Woods.
Endlessly Ever After: Pick YOUR Path to Countless Fairy Tale Endings! by Dan Santat, Laurel Snyder
4.0
Ninja Red Riding Hood by Corey Rosen Schwartz
3.0
I found this book while browsing the Chicago Public Library website. As far as I can find, this picturebook has won no awards. I checked out a digital copy to read.
First, I want to mention that this picturebook is silly. And not in the charming way that Frizzy (a graphic novel I reviewed for diverse perspective literature) or other stories can be silly. This is as cartoonish (if not more so) than a Looney Tunes cartoon or an episode of Tom and Jerry. Similar to those types of cartoons, this picture is on the violent side. There are nearly 7 pages that depict Little Red beating up the Wolf. Now, I'm not opposed to the depiction of violence, and I actually appreciate the depiction of Little Red Riding Hood as a strong female that can hold her own against a threat. But, I found that I kept asking myself "who is this book for?" It's too silly to be for adults, and I don't think young children would appreciate the subversion of expectations when Little Red leaps into action (although that could be bias speaking - maybe I'm not giving young readers enough credit). I think young girls might get a lot out of seeing a young girl become the action hero in a story. But overall, I'm unsure who the target audience is for this picturebook.
I do take some issue with what seems to be cultural appropriation of ninjitsu and tai chi. The writer, Corey Rosen Schwartz, is not of any Asian or Pacific Islander descent from what I could find. However, artist Dan Santat is the son of Thai immigrants. This at least gives the picturebook some authenticity, but only a tiny bit. The illustrations are free from stereotyped or racist exaggerations and are overall quite lovely. Santat makes great use of dark and light tones throughout, and the cartoonish nature of his illustrations fits the tone of the text story quite well. That said, I'm torn over how to feel about the picturebook. Is it cultural appropriation when the author seems to have no ties to the Asian/Pacific Islander community? Or does having a Thai artist mitigate the harm that such a book could potentially do to its audience?
First, I want to mention that this picturebook is silly. And not in the charming way that Frizzy (a graphic novel I reviewed for diverse perspective literature) or other stories can be silly. This is as cartoonish (if not more so) than a Looney Tunes cartoon or an episode of Tom and Jerry. Similar to those types of cartoons, this picture is on the violent side. There are nearly 7 pages that depict Little Red beating up the Wolf. Now, I'm not opposed to the depiction of violence, and I actually appreciate the depiction of Little Red Riding Hood as a strong female that can hold her own against a threat. But, I found that I kept asking myself "who is this book for?" It's too silly to be for adults, and I don't think young children would appreciate the subversion of expectations when Little Red leaps into action (although that could be bias speaking - maybe I'm not giving young readers enough credit). I think young girls might get a lot out of seeing a young girl become the action hero in a story. But overall, I'm unsure who the target audience is for this picturebook.
I do take some issue with what seems to be cultural appropriation of ninjitsu and tai chi. The writer, Corey Rosen Schwartz, is not of any Asian or Pacific Islander descent from what I could find. However, artist Dan Santat is the son of Thai immigrants. This at least gives the picturebook some authenticity, but only a tiny bit. The illustrations are free from stereotyped or racist exaggerations and are overall quite lovely. Santat makes great use of dark and light tones throughout, and the cartoonish nature of his illustrations fits the tone of the text story quite well. That said, I'm torn over how to feel about the picturebook. Is it cultural appropriation when the author seems to have no ties to the Asian/Pacific Islander community? Or does having a Thai artist mitigate the harm that such a book could potentially do to its audience?