Mirror by Jeannie Baker

Synopsis:

Two cultures, two stories, one unique book.  Somewhere in Sydney, Australia, a boy and his family wake up, eat breakfast, and head out for a busy day of shopping. Meanwhile, in a small village in Morocco, a boy and his family go through their own morning routines and set out to a bustling market. In this ingenious, wordless picture book, readers are invited to compare, page by page, the activities and surroundings of children in two different cultures. Their lives may at first seem quite unalike, but a closer look reveals that there are many things, some unexpected, that connect them as well. Designed to be read side by side—one from the left and the other from the right—these intriguing stories are told entirely through richly detailed collage illustrations.

Comments:

Like the title of the book suggests, the design of this book shows one story being the mirror image of the other. The wordless book only has text on the first page explaining the concept. This is written in both English and Arabic which works well since Arabic is written and read from right to left and appears to be the mirror image of the English text. The detailed collage-type illustrations provide the Western reader with a great deal of information about life in a desert culture.

At first glance the Moroccan scenes create the impression that life there is primitive. As the story progresses we see family cooking dinner over a open-fire oven, feeding their animals and then booting up their large-screen computer for the evening entertainment. What’s the underlying message? Ultimately, we’re not that different – just look in the mirror very carefully!

 
Dudeby Christopher Aslan and Emily Mullock

Synopsis:
Just like a picture can represent a thousand words; a word can represent a thousand feelings!

Dude

Welcome to the world of Dude. One word, many feelings…

Comments:

Each page in this book has only one word…”Dude”. But, each page shows a different scenario that will help the reader construe how that word is meant to be read.  This book has way more to offer than your basic read aloud. For each reader the word dude will sound different when read aloud because each reader will interpret Emily Mullock’s illustrations differently. This is particularly apparent when read by a student versus an adult.  What makes this book outstanding is found in the last two pages. Here you’ll find a thumbnail of each illustration with the feeling word next to it. Aslan uses rich vocabulary when describing feelings and goes way beyond ‘glad, sad and mad’!

Eight Days written by Edwidge Danticat, illustrated by Alix Delinois

Summary:

Hope comes alive in this heartfelt and deeply resonating story. While Junior is trapped for 8 days beneath his collapsed house after an earthquake, he uses his imagination for comfort. Drawing on beautiful, everyday-life memories, Junior paints a sparkling picture of Haiti for each of those days - flying kites with his best friend or racing his sister around St. Marc’s Square - helping him through the tragedy until he is finally rescued. Love and hope dance across each page - granting us a way to talk about resilience as a family, a classroom, or a friend.

Comments:

I would be remiss in not highlighting this book today, of all days – one year after the Haiti earthquake.  This is a book filled with hope as opposed to sadness, but there is sadness in the book too. The sadness comes on the fifth day… “Oscar and I went out to play [imaginary] soccer with some of our friends. Afterwards, we sat on a bench to rest. But then Oscar felt really tired and went to sleep. He never woke up. That was the day I cried.” Danticat doesn’t end on this sadness though, on the eighth day Junior was finally found and pulled out to safety. Beautifully illustrated and deeply touching, this story is a springboard for discussing this tragedy one year later with children.