In Others' Words

Rosemary Wells
Yoko Writes Her Name
Hyperion, 2008

In an earlier book, Yoko was singled out for the strange ethnic foods she brought to school. This time, Yoko's way of writing her name in Japanese hiragana ようこ, and numbers in Japanese kanji 一二三, leads to more teasing from her schoolmates. Their ignorance and unkindness leave Yoko worried that she might not graduate from kindergarten, though it is only the first week of school. The next day, Yoko reads a Japanese book to the class, and although most react negatively, Angelo is curious. He and Yoko teach each other, and soon their enthusiasm spreads to their classmates. Rosemary Wells' cheerful illustrations are bordered by patterns inspired by Japanese textile design and punctuated with paired, bilingual picture flashcards of everyday things like dog いぬ and hand て.

Brownies with Green Tea Ice Cream

Rosemary Wells

Yoko

Hyperion, 1998

Yoko's morning begins with her mother lovingly packing a homemade sushi lunchbox (would that we were all so lucky!). Morning in Mrs. Jenkin's class passes quickly, and soon it's lunchtime. Rosemary Wells lists every child's food, from Fritz' meatball grinder to Doris' squeeze cheese on white bread. Predictably, Yoko's ethnic lunch becomes the object of unwanted, disapproving attention. "Yuck-o-rama!" seems to be the consensus. At recess, Mrs. Jenkins tries to reassure Yoko, expressing hopefully that the children will forget the lunch incident. But nothing changes at snack time when Yoko's azuki bean ice cream becomes the target. Fortunately, Mrs. Jenkins has a plan, International Food Day. Yoko's sushi doesn't get the immediate attention it should, but hungry Timothy is won over. By day's end, the two are busy creating an eclectic menu for their imaginary restaurant. 

  I am reminded of a recent study about how one friend can make all the difference. It does for Yoko. 

Courage

Soyung Pak (author)

Joung Un Kim (illustrator)

Sumi's First Day of School Ever

Viking, 2003

Our brave heroine is Sumi, whose first day of school is preceded by practicing a single conversation with her mother: "What is your name? My name is Sumi." As her mother leaves, Sumi's initial perception of school is that it is a lonely place. That is followed by feeling that school is a scary and mean place. But with an apology, a smile, an encouraging gesture, and a shared activity, Sumi comes to see her school as "not-so-mean" and "not-so-scary," and "not-so-lonely." Soyung Pak's story is elegantly crafted and sensitively written.

Speaking out and fitting in

Peggy Moss (author) and Lea Lyon (illustrator)
Say Something
Tilbury, 2004

  A pair of books by Peggy Moss tackles the perennial and thorny challenges of school socialization. Say Something gives quiet kids a reassuring nudge: practice and then speak out, and you can change the situation for the better. Say "hi" to the kid who sits alone on the bus or at lunch, and say "that's enough" or "grow up" to bullying behaviors.
  In One of Us, Roberta James has just moved to a new school. On her first day she navigates among several cliques based on fashion, play, and food. In the face of the categorizing question, "What are you?" Roberta demonstrates laudable self-possession by answering, "I am a straight-up hair girl who climbs monkey bars and carries a flowered lunchbox with a pita roll-up in it." She finds a home among kids who refuse to be pigeon-holed and embrace difference.

Peggy Moss (author) 

and Penny Weber (illustrator)

One of Us

Tilbury, 2010

School daze

Trish Marx and Ellen B. Senisi's book does cultural comparison brilliantly. Flip the book over, and on the opposite cover, you'll see a like group of lively Chinese kindergartners. Each half of the book takes us from morning welcome at 9 am, through lessons, lunchtime, and recess, to learning how to get along and wondering about the kids on the other side of our planet. The text and pictures make clear that while we might be different superficially, we share common human traits: love of learning, joy in physical activities, and desire for respect and friendship. The Chinese half provides a handful of vocabulary words in context, such as laoshi 老師 (teacher).

Trish Marx and Ellen B. Senisi
Kindergarten Day USA and China: A Flip-Me-Over Book
Charlesbridge, 2010