Don't forget to dance

Allen Say
Music for Alice
Houghton Mifflin, 2004

I can't help but hear that popular, nostalgic song by the Kinks, even though it's an odd juxtaposition to Allen Say's tribute to Alice Sumida. Alice and her husband, Mark, were to be interned along with all other Japanese-Americans during World War II, when an opportunity for farm work came along. They were prisoners, still, to the Oregon desert; but they survived and thrived. Say's bright image of their successful gladiola farm stays with us, just as it lingered in Alice's memory. As Alice reflects on her long life, she is a model of grace, dancing through her days.

Journey

James Rumford
Traveling Man: The Journey of Ibn Battuta, 1325-1354
Houghton Mifflin, 2001

  Marco Polo is more famous to American audiences but Ibn Battuta is the earlier and more traveled explorer. Born in Morroco, his initial motivation—piety—takes him on religious pilgrimage from north Africa through Egypt and down the Arabian peninsula to Mecca. From there, he continues onward to Persia, India, Southeast Asia, and China. Almost thirty years and 75,000 miles later (no frequent flyer awards in those days), he returns home.
  In choosing to cover the geographic distance and cultural variety of Ibn Battuta's travels, James Rumford must necessarily limit other aspects, such as character development and narrative complexity. What is left, though, is nevertheless inspiring. The book reads like excerpted from an illustrated travelogue, recording momentary impressions and immediate concerns. Around the text, Rumford provides rich and appropriately impressionistic images in watercolor. And, he illuminates the text with decorative borders of abstract designs, calligraphy, and whimsical figures. A meandering line of text gives direction and movement through the kaleidoscope of written and painted messages. I also like the "sepia" postcards Rumford adds to the endpapers. A glossary and map provide additional information at the book's end.

Enlightened One

Demi
Buddha
Henry Holt, 1996

Biographies of Prince Siddhartha who became the Buddha and founded one of the major religions of the world must inspire, and Demi's is no exception. Common anecdotes from the hagiography, like Queen Maya's dream of a white elephant, read alongside Demi's whimsical and rich illustrations. She does not shirk from the difficult parts about witnessing illness and death, which propel Siddhartha from the luxury of palace living to seek Truth in the wider world. Suffering and trials follow, but ultimately he achieves enlightenment, becoming the Buddha. Demi's biography does not end with this triumph, but continues with Buddha's teachings, and the last image of a multitude of monks accompanies a more general message to "be your own light."

The great khan

Demi
Chingis Khan
Henry Holt, 1991

Demo's biography of the great khan, Chingis (in a later edition, the author uses Genghis; in some scholarly texts one finds yet other spellings), takes us from his birth in 1160 to the Yakka Mongol tribe to his death in 1227 when he ruled over a vast empire that encompassed the Middle East, Russia, Central Asia, and China. (The conquest of South Asia would have to wait for a later generation.) His early accomplishments as a youth, typical of hagiography, foreshadow his future greatness. He demonstrates fearlessness and resolve in shooting his half-brother for stealing from the tribe. Such acts earn him the respect of loyal followers essential to the success of later military campaigns. Demi's biography is filled with drama and does not shy away from the violence in Chingis' life. It is an exciting read, and although I found Demi's charatericstically delicate and miniaturizing illustrations somewhat odd for this epic subject, I nevertheless thought it a good read for young audiences.

Sushi chef's story

Lynne Barasch
Hiromi's Hands
Lee & Low, 2007

Lynne Barasch tells the true story of Hiromi Suzuki (a chef in a Japanese restaurant in New York City), who learns from her father how to select fish, scrub floors, prepare rice, and roll outstanding sushi. Along the way, Barasch compares the patriarchal norms of the traditional Japanese society in which Hiromi's parents, Akira and Kaoru grew up, to the possibilities that characterize the more contemporary America to which they immigrated. At times, Barasch tells more than she shows, but the story can inspire girls to challenge norms that would exclude them. The book closes with an illustrated dictionary of select sushi, a photograph of the real Hiromi, and a glossary with pronunciation.

Xanadu redux

Kathleen Krull (author)
Robert Byrd (illustrator)
Kubla Khan: The Emperor of Everything
Viking, 2010

New biographies of Marco Polo seem to come out yearly; by contrast, books about the emperor he visited, Khubilai Khan, are far fewer in the English language. So, I was quite hopeful when I stumbled on this one. I was disappointed, however, in both the text, which drew more inspiration from Samuel Taylor Coleridge's poem than from modern scholarship, and the illustrations, which were likewise rather fantastic concoctions. These aspects of the book can be substantiated in the notes, which feature Coleridge and claim erroneously that "no definitive likeness of Kubla Khan exists." Below, I add the well-known painting (probably a preparatory work for a tapestry) in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, collection, executed by court painters during the emperor's lifetime, along with that of his consort, Chabi. I did appreciate, however, Kathleen Krull's attention to the substantial power and influence of Mongol women such as Khubilai's mother and Chabi.

Biographies for young adults

 Louise Chipley Slavicek

I.M. Pei from the Asian Americans of Achievements series

Chelsea House, 2010

Mary Malone
Maya Lin: Architect and Artist from the People to Know series
Enslow, 1995

  After reading a couple of picture book biographies, I considered trying to make a week of reviews in that genre. With limited sources for books, however, that idea quickly fizzled. I did lay my hands on a couple more biographies, both coincidentally of Chinese-American architects. These biographies are for young adults, but would be informative for adult audiences, too.
  I prefer Louise Chipley Slavicek's book on I.M. Pei, not only for the color images within the book (which make an enormous difference for apprehending the architectural work as well as the for making sense of the topical sidebars), but also for the wide range of the biography. The latter may be related to Pei's long life (he was born in 1917, and continued to practice architecture around the world into his nineties). By contrast, Mary Malone's biography of Maya Lin focuses about six of ten chapters on the competition, controversy, and outcome of the Vietnam Veterans' Memorial, which launched Lin's career. Malone tries to make the case for a broader conception of Lin's practice as artist, especially sculptor, but without delving deeply into specific examples, we remember primarily her memorial works.
  I will resume my focus on books for younger children, but if you have older children (or are looking ahead), the Asian Americans of Achievement series includes books on Margaret Cho, Maxine Hong Kingston, Ang Lee, Yo-Yo Ma, isamu Noguchi, Very Wang, Kristi Yamaguchi, Jerry Yang, and others.

Taking flight

Marissa Moss (author) and Carl Angel (illustrator)
Sky High: The True Story of Maggie Gee
Tricycle, 2009

Moss tells the story of Maggie Gee, a Chinese-American pilot in the Women Airforce Service Pilots, or WASP (I am not making up that acronym), in the first person. The time is the World War II, and women throughout the US have entered the workforce and enlisted to support the war effort. Gee jumps at this chance to pursue her childhood dream of flying airplanes.

Of 25,000 applicants, Gee is among 1,037 who graduate from flight school and becomes a WASP. Although the WASP never see combat, they help train other pilots and fly 60 million miles combined in missions. Moss' narrative includes an anecdote highlighting race. After a difficult landing involving another plane, Gee observes the other pilot's fright when he mistakes Gee's Asian features for Japanese enemy. "I felt like an exhibit at the county fair, a two-headed cow, the amazing Chinese American WASP." But the feeling lasts only a moment, as Gee quickly announces her citizenship and loyalties and resumes her identity as pilot, pure and simple.

In contrast to Sixteen Years in Sixteen Seconds: The Sammy Lee Story, Gee's biography reveals little discrimination and no generational conflict. In her case, the exigencies of war trump race; and the particulars of her goals are generalized as a story, equally valid as the stories of her mother and her grandmother.

Taking the plunge

Paula Yoo (author) and Dom Lee (illustrator)
Sixteen Years in Sixteen Seconds: The Sammy Lee Story
Lee and Low, 2005

Paula Yoo's true story of Korean-American Sammy Lee (born in 1920 in Fresno, California) traces Lee's olympic triumphs. He placed first in the 10-meter platform diving event in the 1948 games in London, and in doing so, Lee was the first Asian-American to win a gold medal. Four years later, Lee successfully defended his gold in Helsinki.

On the path to success, Lee encountered two formidable challenges. Discriminatory policies limited his access to the public pool, and so Lee dug a hole in his backyard, filled it with sand, and used that for practice. When Lee's immigrant father withheld support for athletics in favor of academics, Lee "struck a deal." If Lee earned marks high enough for medical school, then he could dive to his heart's desire.

Lee's dreams, those of his father, as well as the hallowed American dream all come true, and Lee's story continues to resonate, as young Asian-Americans struggle with negotiating ever-shifting American norms and with the aspirations and expectations of parents. In this context, Lee's story may be equal parts oppression and inspiration. How realistic is it to match Lee's achievements? Can any individual do it all and please everyone? As educators and parents express increasing concern about the programmed and stressful lives of students and children, Yoo's book offers an opportunity to discuss which goals to pursue and why.

A sage for our time, too

Russell Freedman (author) and Frédéric Clement (illustrator)
Confucius: The Golden Rule
Scholastic, 2002

Combining hagiography, biography, history, and political commentary, Freedman reanimates the life and teachings of the fifth-century BCE sage Confucius, or Kongzi 孔子. Freedman's writing is eminently accessible, but at times, I wished he would exercise more discretion. Some casual claims about, say, the feel of the town marketplace, are improbable window dressing; and myths and legends receive the same treatment as historical persons and events. Further, I wished for more careful, bilingual editing, as the character for li 禮 (meaning ritual) is mistakenly written li 利 (meaning profit). Clement's illustrations have a strange, otherworldly and nostalgic feel, with bits of fruit and flowers scattered almost artfully across torn and fading images. Such aspects of writing and illustrations prove frustrating for the reader keen on minimizing the ingredients of Orientalism. Still, Freedman's thoughtful engagement with some of the ideas rang alarmingly true. I apprciated his discussion on the rectification of names, meaning, for example, calling only those who act with wisdom and benevolence  kings. Now, just as in the past, Freedman rightly points out, we have so-called leaders who clearly are not leading.

On the inside covers, Freedman includes sayings from Confucius' Analects, aphorisms to live by. Here is one of which, in my capacity as reviewer and writer, I am especially mindful: I am fortunate indeed. Whenever I make a mistake, there is always someone to notice it.

China's Leonardo

If you haven't read a book by author Demi, then in your next spare moment, buy, borrow, or beg one. Her books are hands-down gorgeous. Su Dongpo, her illustrated biography of Su Shi (1036-1101) has page after page of splendid illustrations inspired by Chinese woodblock prints. Demi's prose is clear and accessible, and she doesn't try to compete with the poetry of Su Shi himself or Su's mentor Ouyang Xiu or the ageless Dao De Jing. Here, for example, is an excerpt from Su's most famous prose-poem on the Red Cliffs found 3/4 through the book:

Letting the boat go where it pleased,
we drifted over the immeasurable fields of water.
I felt a boundless exhilaration,
as though I were sailing on a void
or riding the wind
and didn't know where to stop.
I was filled with a lightness,
As though I had left the world
and were standing alone, or had sprouted wings
and were flying up to join the immortals!

 For those who wish to know more about this remarkable man, whose talents ranged from hydrological engineering to community service to the arts of poetry, calligraphy, and painting—Demi provides a solid list of sources at the book's beginning. Her use of pinyin Romanization isn't consistent (Renzong and Jentsung are both used for the same emperor, and Su Shih should really be Su Shi). There are other facts of Demi's biography that may also be debated, but my overall impression is  positive. Demi's respect for Su is authentic, and I'm so glad to see an appealing children's book about him.

Demi
Su Dongpo
Lee and Low Books, 2006