Aki and the Fox by Akiko Hayashi is a delightful tale of travel and adventure set in Japan. Little Aki is about to visit her grandmother in the countryside. She will travel with Kon, her favorite stuffed fox. Kon has been with Aki ever since she was born and knows her well. Typical of much travel in Japan, the two board a train to get to their destination. When it is lunch time, Kon goes out to buy box-lunch bentos for the two of them and doesn’t come back. Poor Aki, what will she do? This is but one of a series of adventures the two have together before they arrive at Aki’s grandmother’s house in the evening.
One of the pleasures of reading this book to my daughter was re-living the experience of train travel in Japan. Hayashi’s colorful illustrations evoke well the experience of riding a train in the country, from the wobbling between the seats in the aisle while the train is moving, to watching the scenery go by, to buying and eating the bentos. My daughter was struck also by how little Aki resembled her second cousin; it is always such a delight to see children identify something from their own life with a situation and characters in a book.
Akiko Hayashi is a well known children’s book writer and illustrator in Japan. Aki and the Fox is the English translation of her Japanese book entitled Kon to Aki. She has a deft and delightful touch; her illustrations do much to enhance the story as well as give scope to her wide-ranging talent as an artist. The book has also been variously translated as Amy and Ken Visit Grandma and may also be searched under that title.
No, this post is not about recipes. You’ll not find “Alligator Pie” in any Canadian cookbook, that’s for sure, but you will find scores of Canadian kids familiar with the poem and book of the same title. Alligator Pie written by Dennis Lee in 1974 (original edition illustrated by Frank Newfeld) is a Canadian poetry classic. Children just love this zany poem’s rhymes.
Alligator pie, alligator pie,
If I don’t get some I think I’m gonna die.
Give away the green grass, give away the sky,
But don’t give away my alligator pie.
Many a child, including my own, has gone to a Lee reading to shout out with glee the end word rhymes to this famous poem. Indeed, Mr. Lee encourages it. “I never realized how soon a child can take part in “doing poems.” A two year old will join in, if you pause at the rhyme-word and let him complete it. Usually it will be the familiar rhyme, but if you’re making up new verses you’ll be surprised what he thinks of. Try starting a verse “Alligator juice … ”
Lee’s intent was to create a book of rhymes for children that departed from the old English nursery rhymes he grew up with. He wanted rhymes for children in the context they lived in as Canadians. But not without being playful, of course! My children love Lee’s wordplay with Canadian place names — for instance, this one on our home town.
Someday I’ll go to Winnipeg
To win a peg-leg pig.
But will a peg-leg winner win
The piglet’s ill got wig?
Is there poetry about your town or the place you live? Is there a way to make word play with its name that will make your kids laugh out loud and think about where they live in a new and lively word-conscious way? Do tell!
Mexico is currently in the midst of its Día de los Muertos celebrations and there are some wonderful pictures appearing on various blogs, which highlight the color and exuberance of the festival – such as this at Zocalo de Mexican Folk Art; while Sue at Cottage in the Cedars recalls a past visit to Mexico and gives lots of background information. There are some great children’s books around – I blogged about some last year (including author René Colato Laínez’ as yet unpublished Magic Night, Noche Mágica). My Readable Feast has a new post about the Global Wonders dvd, with an extract to view about The Day of the Dead –it’s also worth scrolling down through the tag to her previous posts too, both for suggestions for children’s books and to see some very impressive home-made sugar skulls…
A new book, Abuelos, by Pat Mora and illustrated by Amelia Lau Carling (Groundwood, 2008), explores a less well-known tradition which carries traits of both Spanish and Pueblo cultures, and which is celebrated further north, in the mountains of New Mexico, around the time of the Winter solstice.
“Los abuelos” are not only grandfathers, in this context they are scary, sooty old men who come down from the mountains once a year to make sure the children have been good. At the time of the abuelos’ visit, villages have a big party, sharing music and food around a huge bonfire, and men dress up to tease the children.
In this delightful story, the preparations and the party are seen through the eyes of Amelia, our narrator, and her older brother Ray, who have only recently moved to the village. Amelia’s feelings are mixed – she loves the excitement but she’s not completely convinced that the abuelos are wholly mythical. Her father reassures her that it’s fun to be have a scary feeling sometimes – like at Halloween – because actually “No one is going to hurt you”. Ray teases and scares Amelia unmercifully but at the actual party, she’s the one who courageously leaps in to push an abuelo away from him…
The writing and the illustrations together perfectly capture both the magic of this tradition seen through Amelia’s young eyes and the warmth of the village community set against the cold, winter landscape. Monsters loom large, whether in caves up in the snowy mountains, or in the form of masked villagers – certainly all enough to convince Amelia to do anything her mother asks her straight away!
This is a great new addition to the bookshelf, whether for a cosy winter’s bedtime or for those in hotter climes wanting to escape the mid-December heat – as Pat herself says in her author’s note at the end:
Since I’m easily frightened, I chose to write a gentle version of how I imagine a spunky little girl responding to a visit by “los abuelos.” Enjoy!
PaperTigers’ current Book of the Month, Alfredito Flies Home by Jorge Argueta and illustrated by Luis Garay (Groundwood 2007) is the story of Alfredito and his family’s return to El Salvador for the first time in four years, since arriving as refugees in San Francisco. The writing bubbles over with happiness and excitement as readers/listeners are carried along by Alfredito’s narration of events – the preparation, the flight and the hectic, happy holiday itself.
This opens the way for young readers/listeners to empathise with Alfredito’s experiences, even if they have never been in his situation themselves. They will then also be able to engage with those other moments which give pause for thought: such as the allusion to the family’s original journey to America under the guidance of “Señor Coyote”; the visit to his grandparents’ graves; or the underlying reality of separation, with some family in America, some in El Salvador.
For children who have parallel experiences to Alfredito’s, on the other hand, Alfredito’s story is invaluable: as Debbie of American Indians in Children’s Literature pointed out in her review.
Luis Garay’s sensitively attuned illustrations make this book extra special and provide plenty of details both within and outside the narrative – so there’s a lot to discuss. I would recommend this book be shared at least the first time children are introduced to it – not only because its tone so lends itself to being read aloud but also because of the discussion and/or questions it will provoke.
Aki and the Fox by Akiko Hayashi is a delightful tale of travel and adventure set in Japan. Little Aki is about to visit her grandmother in the countryside. She will travel with Kon, her favorite stuffed fox. Kon has been with Aki ever since she was born and knows her well. Typical of much travel in Japan, the two board a train to get to their destination. When it is lunch time, Kon goes out to buy box-lunch bentos for the two of them and doesn’t come back. Poor Aki, what will she do? This is but one of a series of adventures the two have together before they arrive at Aki’s grandmother’s house in the evening.
