Children’s Book Critique

Cayla Sandlin

Education 255InTASC Standards Description and Rationale

Cover Page  

Standard #2: Learner DifferencesThe teacher uses understanding of individual differences and diverse cultures and communities to ensure inclusive learning environments that enable each learner to meet high standards. 

Name of Artifact: Children’s Book Critique Date: February 25, 2015 Course: EDUC 255 Multicultural Teaching—Professor Coleman  Brief Description:

For the Children’s Book Critique assignment, I will investigate three different fictional children’s books that are multicultural. I will compare and contrast these texts to determine what qualifies them as a multicultural children’s book.  Rationale:

InTASC Standard #2, Learner Differences, plays an important role in this assignment as it requires me, as a future teacher, to have an understanding of each student and what makes them different. Critiquing children’s books will help me to realize that they are many children’s books in our society that reach out to diverse cultures. Teaching in a diverse classroom will require me to enforce different reading materials so all students are involved.  

I Love My Hair!

Author: Natasha Anastasia Tarpley Illustrator: E.B. LewisPublisher: Little Brown Books for Young ReadersCopyright: 1998

Where the Wild Things Are

Author and illustrator: Maurice SendakPublisher: HarperCollins PublishersCopyright: 1963

The Name Jar

Author and illustrator: Yangsook ChoiPublisher: Random House Children’s BooksCopyright: 2003

I Love My Hair!Summary

I Love My Hair is about a little African-American girl, Keyana, who is learning to love her natural hair. The story starts with Keyana’s mother brushing her hair and Keyana trying to deal with the pain. Throughout the story, she describes all the ways she can style her hair. However, when she decides to wear her hair in an afro, she gets teased at school. Keyana’s mother and her teacher remind her that her hair is beautiful and unique. Reading this book will help girls of different cultures to embrace their uniqueness.

Where the Wild Things AreSummary

Dressed as a “wild thing” and acting ferocious, Max was sent to bed one evening without his supper for telling his mother, “I will eat you up.” Max then uses his imagination and creates a forestry world of his own with Wild Things in existence. Max is the king in his world of Wild Things as he sails the sea. The Wild Things obey Max and his commands. They start a rumpus where they gnash their terrible teeth. In his world, Max can be who he wants without being sent to his room. He returns home from his voyage—actually, comes back to reality, to find his supper waiting for him on the nightstand.

The Name Jar Summary

Unhei just moved to America from Korea with her family. Not only is she nervous about starting a brand new school in a brand new country, but she is afraid that the students in her class will not be able to pronounce her name. In efforts to make the situation easier, she tells her classmates that she will have a name in a week. Astonished, her classmates want to help Unhei pick out a new name. In a jar, they fill to the brim names that Unhei can pick from. Some friends find out Unhei’s name and the Korean meaning behind it—they love it. Instead, Unhei decides to help her classmates learn to pronounce her name.

I Love My Hair!Positive Aspects

• The story portrays a positive side of African-American culture and diversity;

• Keyana’s mother teaches her about the beauty of her natural hair;

• The story shows a positive bond between mother and daughter;

• Keyana’s teacher and mother help her to remember that her hair and her beauty is unique;

• Motivates African-American girls to embrace their natural beauty and to accept their thick and curly, yet beautiful hair;

• The story promotes self-esteem in young girls;• Encourages girls to try new things with their hairstyle and

not to be afraid to try new things

I Love My Hair!Negative Aspects

• Students of all cultures laugh at Keyana’s centric-afro;• Because of being ridiculed by peers, Keyana second-

guesses her beauty

I Love My Hair!Main male characters: 1Main female characters: 3

Throughout the story, Keyana is determined to find a hairstyle in which she feels most beautiful in. Most of the story requires Keyana finding her own self-acceptance, however, her father reassures her that she and her hair is beautiful. Keyana’s father does not lead a dominant role, more of a supporter in Keyana’s life.

Stereotypically, the father character plays a supporting, loving role—just like Keyana’s father did in the story. Also, Keyana’s mother is introduced in the story as a caretaker as she tends to Keyana’s hair. As a stereotypical mother, Keyana’s mother suites the role. Keyana’s teacher plays a stereotypical role as she cares for Keyana’s feelings and provides as her backbone while other students make fun of her hair.

As far as illustrations go, all the characters are detailed the same; however Keyana’s hair has a little bit more attention since the focus is precisely on her luxurious African-American hair. The message in the story is the same for both male and female characters in the story as the support their daughter and student.

Where the Wild Things ArePositive Aspects

• Max’s mother sets his supper on the nightstand for him to eat after he comes back to reality;

• Max’s smile at the end of the story after he sees his supper his mother left him reassures the reader that he is happy to be home with his mother;

• Portrays parental love;• Could teach children better ways to express their anger;• Encourages children to use their imagination;• Story could conclude with parent and child or teacher

and children discussing what is right and wrong

Where the Wild Things AreNegative Aspects

• Max shouts at his mother;• Portrays anger• Max’s mother initially sends Max to bed without

supper (this could be a form of neglect);• While Max is engaging with the Wild Things, he

encourages some violence, i.e. gnashing their terrible teeth during the rumpus;

• The readers never see Max verbally apologize to his mother

Where the Wild Things AreMale characters: 1Female characters: 1Wild Things: 5

Max is the only male character in Where the Wild Things Are. Max’s mother plays the role as the only female character in the story. There are a number of Wild Things, but their gender is not specified. Max plays the role of a deceiving little boy, but once drifted off into his imagination, he plays the dominant role of a king where the Wild Things are.

Max’s mother plays a stereotypical role of a mother. When Max speaks rudely to her, she sends him off to his room without supper. As a good mother should, she eventually brings supper up to Max’s room so he can eat. The roles for each Max and his mother suite the stereotype for a mother-son relationship—the mother is scolds the child when he acts up.

The reader does not see Max’s mother, but Max and the Wild Things are detailed and illustrated equally throughout the story.

The Name JarPositive Aspects

• Encourages children to be themselves;• Teaches children about different cultures;• Teaches acceptance;• This book could be helpful to students who are moving

to a new school—they can be reminded that that are not the only one’s going through changes;

• Promotes students helping another out to build self-acceptance and self-confidence;

• Unhei realizes her name is special to her culture and that is has a very special meaning;

• Shows examples of how students can be accepting to the “new kid”

The Name JarNegative Aspects

• Students on Unhei’s bus make fun of her different name;

• Promotes bullying;• Although the students in Unhei’s class had good

intentions to team-up to help Unhei pick a name, what kind of teacher would allow students to do this? The teacher should have taught acceptance when Unhei was nervous about her peers pronouncing her name

The Name JarMale characters: 7Female characters: 4

The Name Jar stars several male characters—more than female. Of the seven male characters in the story, three were bullies. The other four male characters played a kind, chivalrous role. Of the four females in the story, only one was a bully.

Most stories cast a female character as a kind, consoling person, but in this story, we see three males playing a dominant role in Unhei’s new transition. Mr. Kim is the kind clerk at the neighborhood store Unhei frequents. He reminds her what a beautiful name Unhei is. Unhei’s school teacher also makes Unhei feel comfortable in class and he encourages all of his students to make her feel welcome. Finally, Joey is a classmate of Unhei’s. He discovers the meaning of her name and shares with the class how special Unhei’s name is. In most stories and movies, the audience sees the male characters as bullies. This story played against the stereotype in giving males a kinder role. We see three males trying to give Unhei a boost of self-confidence. In the scene when Unhei is on the bus, the reader does see two boys picking on Unhei, but the author reversed the stereotype. It was refreshing to see a male teacher, also. A lot of children are afraid to have male teachers—it is not as common anymore in our society’s schools. Having a male teacher in the book sends young readers a positive message about male teachers. Perhaps the author had intended on creating the male characters as such a positive influence in Unhei’s transition.

As far as the illustrations go in the story, all of the characters are illustrated equally. There is a scene where Unhei and her mother discuss Unhei’s first day of school in America. We see Unhei’s mother fixing Korean food. As I look at the details in Unhei’s house, it is accented in things from the Korean culture—Korean dishes, dim lighting, exotic plants, and chopsticks.

What Makes These Books Multicultural?I Love My Hair: I absolutely love the positive message that this story sends to young girls who are struggling with self-acceptance. Working in a primarily African-American school, I have learned a lot about hair care and treatments that black women endure. I have talked to African-American mothers who spend hundreds of dollars on just one hair style. This book promotes a healthy image for black girls who are not confident with their naturally curly and puffy hair. This book has a lot to teach those of other races as well. We learn that every culture struggles with beauty and self-confidence. Knowing what black women struggle with can help cultures to appreciate each other’s natural beauty.

Where the Wild Things Are: This book doesn’t cross me as a multicultural book in my society—to me, it is just a classic. However, if I were to travel overseas, I am sure that other cultures would find this story is a good source of diversity. Simply the way Max talks to his mother in a cruel way would be something that other cultures would not tolerate. Although the American culture does teach it, the American culture doesn’t teach respect to elders like other cultures do. Also, the way the Max’s mother places his food on the nightstand. Other cultures might find this disrespectful as they value family time and eating together.

The Name Jar: While reading this book, Unhei’s mother tells Unhei that she and her grandmother went to the Master to select a special name for her. I learned a lot about the Korean culture and their naming process simply by reading this literature. Unhei’s uneasiness coming to America with a foreign name is a hurdle that I am sure many diverse people have to cope with when moving to another culture.

References

Google.com (2015) Google image search. Retrieved on February 25, 2015 from www.google.com