The Heart of Mi Familia by Carrie Lara

The Heart of Mi Familia

Carrie Lara, Author

Christine Battuz, Illustrator

Magination Press, Fiction, Nov. 10, 2020

Suitable for ages: 4-8

Themes: Bicultural families, Intergenerational relationships, Identity, Culture, Traditions, Bilingual

Opening: “In my home, two worlds become one. My family is a mix of dos culturas, I am bicultural.”

Book Jacket Synopsis:

My mommy was born in the United States. My daddy was born in Central America. In, my home, two worlds become one.

Follow a young girl as she works with her abuela and her grandma to create a wonderful birthday present for her brother that celebrates her multicultural family and honors both sides and generations of her family. This follow up to the award winning Marvelous Maravilliso: Me and My Beautiful Family is a must-read for all families.

Why I like this book:

Carrie Lara has written a heartwarming story about a little girl who is proudly shares her bicultural family. Her mother was born in the United States and her family traveled on a ship from Europe. Her dad was born in Central America and came to the US by bus with his parents as a boy. She shares her culturally-rich visits to her abuela’s home near the ocean during the summer months. And she visits her grandparent’s vineyard home in the autumn, when the pumpkins are ripe for picking.

The story is laced with a lot of Spanish words that children will easily remember. The girl shares how lucky she is to visit and celebrate two different cultures because she can include all those traditions — foods, music, games, artwork and language — at home in her own blended family gatherings.

This story is based on the author’s own bicultural family life experiences. So she speaks from experience. It is a treasure for bicultural families to use as a discussion book with their children. Kids need to see themselves in stories. And, teachers will find creative ways to use it in their classrooms! Christine Battuz’s illustrations are beautiful! They are colorful and happy, and love of family shines through each illustration.

Resources: There is a Reader’s Note to parents to help them work with their children to acknowledge the differences, encourage them to explore their cultural histories, talk about cultural identity and help them deal with discrimination. A must read for teachers too!

Carrie Lara specializes in working with children and families on child and human development, including foster and adoptive youth, those with learning disabilities and special education, and children dealing with trauma, using attachment-based play therapy. She lives in Sonoma County, CA. Visit her at FB @authorcarrielara.

Every Friday, authors and KidLit bloggers post a favorite picture book. To see a complete listing of all the Perfect Picture Books (PPB) with resources, please visit author Susanna Leonard Hill’s website.

*Reviewed from a copy provided by the publisher in exchange for a review.

Freedom Soup by Tami Charles

Freedom Soup

Tami Charles, Author

Jacqueline Alcántara, Illustrator

Candlewick Press, Fiction, Dec. 10, 2019

Suitable for Ages: 4-8

Themes: Haitians, New Years Day, Family Recipe, Traditions, History, Freedom

Opening: “Today is New Years Day. This year, I get to help make Freedom Soup. Ti Gran says I’ve got a heart made for cooking, and its time I learn how.”

Book Synopsis:

Every year, Haitians all over the world ring in the New Year by eating Freedom Soup, a tration dating back to the Haitian Revolution. The year, Ti Gran is teaching Belle how to make the soup. Just as she was taught when she was a little girl. Together, the dance and clap as they prepare the holiday feast.

“Know why they call it Freedom Soup?” Ti Gran asks. She then tells Belle about the history of the soup, the history of Belle’s family, and the history of Haiti, where Belle’s family is from and the passing down of traditions from one generation to the next.

Why I like this book:

Tami Charles’ lively holiday Haitian tale is a celebration of family, culture, traditions, and community. Just look at that gorgeous cover! Dance your way across this joyful story with Ti Gran, whose feet tap-tap to the kompa beat as she shows her granddaughter how to mash herbs, peel the cooked pumpkin, chop the vegetables and brown the meat for their special soup.

Reader’s will learn about a Haiti, a faraway country where Ti Gran was born. Her descemdents were slaves working in sugarcane and coffee fields until they fought and won their freedom from the French in 1803.

Make sure you read the “Author’s Note” at the end. Tami Charles’ shares her family’s story with readers and more detailed history about abolishment of slavery in Haiti and Haitian Independence Day.

Jacqueline Alcántara’s bold and colorful illustrations make this vibrant story sing from Ti Gran’s soup kitchen to the revolutionary scenes. They also capture the spirit of the Haitian community. The beautiful collaboration between the author and illustrator, makes Freedom Soup a perfect multiculture choice for holiday collections.

Personal Note: I was thrilled to review this beautiful and upbeat Haitian story. Haiti is special to our family because our daughter went on two medical mission trips to Haiti and introduced us to this beautiful country that is filled with so much soul. We sponsored Haitian children for years so they could attend school. It is also a poor country that has suffered many natural disasters in recent years.

Resources: Make the recipe for Freedom Soup, which is printed at the end of the book along with an Author’s note. Make sure you read the “Author’s Note” at the end. Charles’ shares her family’s story with readers and more detailed history about abolishment of slavery in Haiti and Haitian Independence Day.

Tami Charles is the author of numerous books for children, including her fiction debut, Like Vanessa. During an appearance on Good Morning America, she featured a Thanksgiving version of Freedom Soup, which she first learned to make from her husband’s ti gran. Tami Charles lives in New Jersey.

*Review copy provided by the publisher.

Around the Table That Grandad Built by Melanie Heuiser Hill

Around the Table That Grandad Built

Melanie Heuiser Hill, Author

Jaime Kim, Illustrator

Candlewick Press, Fiction, Sep. 10, 2019

Suitable for Ages: 3-7

Themes: Holidays, Traditions, Multigenerational, Thanksgiving, Diversity

Opening: This is the table that Grandad built. These are the sunflowers picked by my cousins, set on the table that Grandad built.

Book Synopsis:

In a delightful take on the cumulative classic “This Is the House That Jack Built,” a family gathers with friends and neigbors to share a meal around a very special table. The table brims with memorable associations: napkins sewn by Mom, glasses from Mom and Dad’s wedding, silverware gifted to Dad by his grandmother long ago. And of course there is a delightful spread of food — the squash and potatoes from the garden, bread baked by Gran, and pies made by family and friends. All give thanks.

Why I like this book:

Melanie Heuiser Hill’s Around the Table That Grandad Built is a joyous celebration of family, friends and community. It is sure to become a favorite family treasure, perfect for Thanksgiving or any holiday feast.

It also is a multigenerational book that quietly emphasizes diversity through food, faces and culture. Grandad’s table is a gesture of openness and inclusivity. Coming to feast at the table is a time to build upon memories, show gratitude, recognize similarities and give thanks. The children are the new generation honoring the old but making new memories.

The cover showcases Jaime Kim’s bold and colorful Illustrations, as well as the joy and anticipation on the childrens’ faces. Who wouldn’t want to dine at this table!

Resources: As the holidays approach, include them in the special activities like setting the table, making the table decorations, helping with the food preparation and baking. Talk about inviting a veteran or someone who is alone to join you. Create some new traditions.

Melanie Heuiser Hill is the author of the middle-grade novel Giant Pumpkin Suite. She lives in Minneapolis with her husband and children. About Around the Table That Grandad Built, she says, “I have a fondness for long tables crowded with food food and loved ones — and homemade pie for dessert.” Visit Melanie’s website where she shares stories of her large family and photographs.

*Review copy provided by publisher.

The Queen and the First Christmas Tree by Nancy Churnin

The Queen and the First Christmas Tree: Queen Charlotte’s Gift to England

Nancy Churnin, Author

Luisa Uribe, Illustrator

Albert Whitman & Company, Nonfiction, Oct. 1, 2018

Suitable for Ages: 5-7

Themes: Christmas Tree, England, Queen Charlotte, History, Tradition

Opening: “Charlotte wasn’t like other princesses.”

Synopsis:

When Princess Charlotte left her home in Germany to marry King George III of England in 1761, she brought her family’s favorite Christmas tradition with her — decorating a yew bough with flowers and ribbons.

Years later, Charlotte became a queen devoted to charity and bettering the lives of families. She planned a Christmas Day celebration for more than one hundred children, rich and poor to mark the turn of the century. But she needed more than a yew branch to make the day special. She needed a tree decked with candles and paper baskets of treats. Though such a thing had never been seen before in England, Charlotte and her descendants would make the Christmas tree a cherished part of the holiday season.

Charlotte loved helping children so much she went on to build orphanages with cozy beds and loving caregivers. She also built hospitals for expectant mothers so more women would survive to care for their children. She had a love nature and spent long hours in the gardens of Windsor Castle.

What I like about this book:

The holidays are special time for gathering and sharing. This charming story will introduce children to the history of a cherished tradition — the Christmas tree — brought to England by a German princess. Nancy Churnin’s richly textured story is light-hearted and will remind children and parents of the magic and wonder of decorating the family tree. Luisa Uribe’s illustrations are lively and joyful, but capture the simplicity of the early 1800s.

Queen Charlotte loved her own 15 children, but had a big heart for all children. She planned a party for 100 children to celebrate the new century in 1800. The children at court helped her cut string, and wrap nuts, fruit and toys in colored papers and hung them on a tree. They added small wax candles to light the tree. Charlotte was a queen focused on serving.

Resources: Make sure you read the two-page spread about Queen Charlotte at the end of the book and how this tradition continued with her children, including Queen Victoria. And check out Nancy Churnin’s website for a Teacher’s Guide and activities for children to share about what they do for others. And talk about how early Christmas trees were decorated and how they are decorated today.

Every Friday, authors and KidLit bloggers post a favorite picture book. To see a complete listing of all the Perfect Picture Books (PPB) with resources, please visit author Susanna Leonard Hill’s website.

*Review copy provided by publisher.

America’s White Table — Veterans Day

I reviewed America’s White Table for Veteran’s Day four years ago. Every year many people search my website to read about this tradition. I decided I would share it again. Enjoy!

America’s White Table is written by Margot Theis Raven and illustrated by Mike Benny for children of all ages. I was delighted to find a book about this very simple, but deeply meaningful tradition observed by service members for over 40 years. Few civilians are familiar with the symbolism. It seemed the perfect book to share on Veterans Day. Raven tells a moving story, and at the end provides a detailed history of the origin of the White Table and how it became a symbol of caring for our MIA and POW service members after the Vietnam War. Benny’s subdued pastel paintings add to the mood of the solemn occasion that transcends generations.

It is Veterans Day and Katie’s mother has invited her Uncle John for dinner. She explains to Katie and her two sisters that they will be setting a separate little table, just like the ones that will be set in Air Force, Army, Marine Corps and Navy dining halls across America to honor the men and women who have served their country. Mama gets out a white tablecloth, a single empty chair, a white plate, silver ware, a black napkin, an overturned glass, a white candle and a red rose in a vase tied with a red ribbon. She explains the significance of each item on the table, and what it will mean to Uncle John.

Much to Katie and her sister’s surprise, they learn a special story about their favorite uncle from their mother. Uncle John was on a rescue mission in Vietnam when his helicopter was shot down over enemy territory. He was taken as a Prisoner of War (POW). Uncle John found an opportunity to escape and carried his wounded friend on his back to safety. He was a hero.

Katie and her sisters are in awe when they hear the story. Katie stares at the little white table and feels there is something missing. The girls come up with a special idea and surprise their uncle at dinner. Uncle John is moved beyond words by their loving gesture.

This is an outstanding book that will touch the hearts of young and old alike. It is a time to remember and honor those who are not with us.

America’s White Table — Veterans Day

America’s White Table is written by Margot Theis Raven and illustrated by Mike Benny for children of all ages. I was delighted to find a book about this very simple, but deeply meaningful tradition observed by service members for over 35 years. Few civilians are familiar with the symbolism. It seemed the perfect book to share on Veterans Day. Raven tells a moving story, and at the end provides a detailed history of the origin of the White Table and how it became a symbol of caring for our MIA and POW service members after the Vietnam War. Benny’s subdued pastel paintings add to the mood of the solemn occasion that transcends generations.

It is Veterans Day and Katie’s mother has invited her Uncle John for dinner. She explains to Katie and her two sisters that they will be setting a separate little table, just like the ones that will be set in Air Force, Army, Marine Corps and Navy dining halls across America to honor the men and women who have served their country. Mama gets out a white table-cloth, a single empty chair, a white plate, silver ware, a black napkin, an overturned glass, a white candle and a red rose in a vase tied with a red ribbon. She explains the significance of each item on the table, and what it will mean to Uncle John.

This is an outstanding book that will touch the hearts of young and old alike. It is a time to remember and honor those who are not with us.