In the shelter of giants

Jason Chin
Redwoods
Flashpoint, 2009

Young, urban boy bearing a notable resemblance to author and illustrator Jason Chin picks up a duplicate copy of Redwoods, which re-routes his F train to the redwood forest of the Pacific northwest. Avid readers of children's books will see and hear echoes of other publishing successes. The images and narrative arc remind me of David Weisner's Flotsom; the non-fiction data embedded in the adventure story recall the Magic Tree House series; and the book (as a portkey) and subway make me think of Harry Potter. But the protagonists of this book are redwood trees themselves. The little boy, like the pictures and the prose, is there to help us wrap our comparatively minute selves around the sheer time-space parameters of these trees. We count ourselves lucky to live 60 or 80 years and reach a height closer to 6 feet; by contrast, redwoods live 2,000 years and reach 370 feet. But such impressive numbers are still dry facts compared to embodied experience. For those who have not yet made the journey to the Avenue of the Giants, Redwoods can help with imagining it.

Just ducky

Chih-yuan Chen
Guji Guji
Kane/Miller 2004

Chen's sweet story about a crocodile adopted by a principled and loving duck drew inspiration from her American friend of Korean ancestry who was adopted into a non-Korean family. And although Guji Guji was first published in Taiwan, it transcends national, ethnic, and cultural boundaries to give us a valuable lesson about what really matters.

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.

Halloween treat

Jon J. Muth
Zen Ghosts
Scholastic, 2010

I believe that this is the third book by Jon Muth featuring a Zen master-panda aptly named Stillwater. Like Zen Shorts (2005), this new book wraps the everyday activities of siblings Addy, Michael, and Karl around a pre-modern, but timeless story. Michael's indecision about whether to dress as an owl or as a pirate launches the book's theme of identity and opposing impulses. Stillwater invites the children to a post-trick-or-treating ghost story. He draws and tells the tale of Senjo, whose romantic love for Ochu and filial love for her father lead literally to divided selves. Senjo's two selves achieve resolution when she and Ochu decide to take responsibility for their youthful decision to run away together. The embedded ghost story is happy, not eerie; and the lesson is about recognizing and honoring the contradictions in one's being. As always, Muth's watercolor illustrations invite contemplation and offer much satisfaction. The embedded story has, for contrast, primarily ink pictures, which generate the Oz-like effect of making Stillwater "real." Do we ever stop to wonder about the mash-up that is a Zen (read Japanese) panda (read Chinese)? Does that matter? If we follow Muth's encouragement and embrace the Buddhist ideal of non-duality (Muth explains more in the author's note), it's moot. Read, and be still.

Lee and Low book giveaway

On Thanksgiving eve, I reviewed Demi's book about Su Shi, and I just noticed that Lee and Low publishers have a drawing for a free, signed copy. Enter here. Good luck!

Hello kitties

Last time I went to the library, I noticed at least three children's books that featured Japanese cats. I was struck by this high incidence of felines, but then I remembered Hello Kitty, and had a moment of "Duh, of course!" I'll get to all of these books in due time. Cat lovers and Japanophiles, here is the first one.

In Eric A. Kimmel's Three Samurai Cats, a brute of a rat terrorizes a hapless daimyo, or feudal lord, who seeks help from the eponymous three samurai cats. The rat makes short shrift of the first two felines, despite their show of force. The third, rather decrepit-looking cat tests the daimyo's patience with his opaque strategy, but the rat finally succumbs to his gluttonous appetite for glutinous treats. Kimmel's lively prose is nicely matched with Mordicai Gerstein's comic images.

Eric A. Kimmel (author) and Mordicai Gerstein (illustrator)
Three Samurai Cats: A Story from Japan
Holiday House, 2003

Alvin Ho, Boy

Lenore Look
Alvin Ho: Allergic to Girls, School, and Other Scary Things
Schwartz and Wade, 2008

I had previously reviewed two other books by Lenore Look (Uncle Peter's Amazing Chinese Wedding  and Ruby Lu, Empress of Everything), and I was primed to enjoy this one about Alvin Ho. I especially looked forward to reading about adventures of a Chinese-American boy. I was charmed by Alvin, who, with all of his eccentricities, reminded me of Woody Allen. And, toward the end of the book, Alvin does visit with a psychotherapist, marking a turning point in his young life. Not because, but despite the therapist visit, Alvin makes admirable progress in coping with his many "allergies," standing up to a bully, choosing to play with his real friends, and all-around becoming a gentleman. The book is funny, but all the witticisms (which come fast and furious) eventually left me feeling a little deflated. In addition, Alvin's environs, the comfy uber-American Cambridge of Thoreau and Alcott and the Boston Red Sox, also left me a little cold. Look's snappy writing keeps entertaining, but the west coast in me couldn't help wondering by the end if there wasn't more there there. Although Alvin is a second-grader, the writing seems better suited for the slightly to much older, who can appreciate the humor in, say, a classmate named Hobson, "who always gives you a choice."