Uncle Peter's Amazing Chinese Wedding

A children story book written by Lenore Look, and illustrated by Yumi Heo. The story is written from a little girl's perspective. She loved her uncle Peter, her father's baby brother. She was in agony throughout his uncle's wedding. She tried to create some mischief during the wedding, but without much success. Everything went well. The bride was radiant, the groom happy, and the relatives too eager to welcome the bride into the family. The little girl finally felt at peace with his uncle's marriage, when the bride took her aside, and expressed her love for her new niece. The new bride let her know she understood the little girl's feelings, and thanked her for sharing Uncle Peter with her!

I had a similar experience growing up. Our family was poor, and shunned by most of our relatives, who were doing much better than us. We did not get many visits from them, except from one of my mother's brothers. He was our beloved uncle. He came to visit often, and bought cool toys for us. My siblings and I (five of us altogether) looked forward to his visits. He was a professional photographer too, so he often made us his objects. We were able to have some childhood pictures all because of our dear uncle!

However, one day, everything changed! He sent us some pictures he had taken of us, and inside was a note. He told us he was going to bring a "sister" out, and would not be able to come visit for a while. We were puzzled! We thought perhaps, "sister" meant us girls, but it did not sound right. Then, our mother had to break it to us. Uncle had a girl friend!

Of course, Uncle's visits became less frequent. Sometimes, he even brought 'sister" to visit. We also tried to do some mischief, but he married her anyway. She did not tell us she loved us, and thanked us for sharing Uncle with her. However, we realised she might have meant it anyway.

Emma's Rug

A book written, and illustrated by Allen Say. When Emma was a baby, she had a rug by her crib. She loved the rug when she was bigger. She would carry it around with her wherever she went. When she got even bigger, she just stared at it for long periods of time.

As Emma grew even bigger, she began to draw and paint. She painted things that surprised her parents. They did not know where she had seen the objects she painted. Then her pictures were sent to competitions, and she was winning all kinds of trophies, and medals.

However, one day, her mom took her rug and washed it. When Emma knew what her mom did, she was furious. She began to lose interest in drawing. She threw all her paintings, and stuff related to painting away! Then, she found her imagination was still alive even though the rug had been washed. Her inspiration lived on, without her rug! She resumed painting.

Like a lot of things - memories, faith...Emma thought her inspiration was washed away because the rug was washed. Her inspiration might have started with the rug, but she did not realise her inspiration lived in her, and not in a tangible thing like the rug. Very often, we think we need pictures to preserve our memory of our loved ones, but soon we realise we are able to relive our memories in our minds, without the help of pictures.

Allison

Think I'm enjoying reading books from the library to my toddler, more than he is, listening to them! Anyway, this book is also written, and illustrated by Allen Say.

One day, Allison received a package from her grandmother. It was a kimono, just like the one her doll was wearing. Allison's mother helped her put on the kimono. She stood in front of the mirror with her doll. She noticed that her doll's hair looked like hers, dark, and straight. Then she looked at her father and mother looking over her shoulders. She wondered why she did not look like them!

She became very moody. Her parents were worried and asked her if she was sick. Allison began to question them where her doll came from. She then learned that she, like the doll, came from a far, far away country. Allison asked her father and mother, if her daddy and mother had abandoned her. Allison was moody, and sad for the next few days. When she was in day care, she asked her friends if they looked like their fathers, and mothers. What she heard made her even madder, and sadder. She went home and destroyed things treasured by her father and mother! She also yelled at them.

Later, she found a stray cat outside her house, and took pity on it, because it did not have a mommy. The kitty made Allison forget a little about her misery. She asked her father and mother if she could keep it, because it did not have parents. Her father and mother agreed, and Allison was grateful. She also apologised for her behavior. She was happy the cat could be part of the family, just as she was.

A very touching story that paints a very real picture of the challenges faced by families which adopt. Couples who, out of the goodness of their hearts, try to make an unwanted child's life better, may end up suffering a lot of hurt when the child discovers his/ her history, and directs the anger at the adoptive parents. It takes a lot of love, and courage to adopt.

The Bracelet

This yet another book I borrowed from the library to read to my toddler. It is written by Yoshiko Uchida, and illustrated by Joanna Yardley. Again, my toddler probably does not understand all the content of the book, but when he gets older, he will.

Emi, her mother, and sister, were getting ready to leave their house, and be sent to a prison camp. The only wrong thing they had done was something they could not help - being Japanese-American. Her dad was already separated from them, and was sent to another prisoner-of-war camp.

While they were packing, Emi's best friend, Laurie Madison, called on her. They went to second grade together. Laurie looked as sad as Emi. She passsed Emi a bracelet. Emi put it on, and promised not to take it off.

The apartment at the prison camp assigned to Emi's family was actually a dirty horse stall. When they had set up their army cots, Emi discovered to her horror, that she had lost her bracelet. Emi's mom went with her to look for it. They could not find it. Emi was devastated to lose the only thing by which she could remember her friend!

The next day, Emi found her favorite red sweater, and suddenly recalled her first day of school. That day, both she and Laurie had worn matching sweaters. She also remembered what they did together after school. Emi realised the memory of her friend, her house, and her dad, lived inside her head. She did not need the bracelet to help her remember her best friend!

This story demonstrates the power and value of our memories. We do not need tangible things to remember friends, dear ones, events, or places. Nobody can rob us of our memories. We should treasure time spent with friends, or loved ones, because what we do together, will become our memories of the future, which will be especially precious, when parting occurs.

Grandfather's Journey

This is another book written, and illustrated by Allen Say. In 'Tea with Milk', Allen Say wrote mostly about his mom, May. In this book, he wrote lovingly about his grandfather. His grandfather, May's dad, left Japan to explore North America when he was a young man. He had a lot of fun, saw a lot of places, and buildings which amazed him.

He took a break from his travels, and returned to Japan. There, he and his childhood sweetheart got married. Grandfather took his bride to live in San Francisco. In 'Tea with Milk', we read that he took his whole family back to Japan, when his daughter, May, was ready for college. He was happy to be among the things he grew up with, and his old friends.

Allen Say came along when Grandfather's daughter, May, got married. He had a good relationship with his grandfather. Grandfather told Allen Say many stories about the California he had left behind. He began to miss his other "home". He missed it so much he planned to visit it again. However, the war forced Grandfather to put his plans on hold. He died without fulfilling his wish.

When Allen Say was "nearly grown", he left Japan to see California for himself. He stayed on, and built his family there. Like his grandfather, he began to miss Japan. However, he was more fortunate than his grandfather because he returned to Japan now and then, to see his old friends, and places with which he grew up. He wrote, "The funny thing is, the moment I am in one country, I am homesick for the other." Allen Say then understood his grandfather's mixed feelings.

Allen Say's mom had managed to bridge the two cultures she had "adopted", by marrying a husband with a similar background as her. She was able to practice mixed "traditions" at home. 'Tea with Milk" did not talk about May missing California. However, she might have. As the saying goes, the pasture is always greener on the other side. Allen Say had perhaps, found a way to have the best of both worlds. He lived in California, but was able to make frequent trips back to Japan. This may explain why so many immigrants like to form, or join a community of their race in a foreign country. They are trying to create a home away from home!

Are We There Yet, Daddy?

This is another book I borrowed from the library to read to my toddler son. It is written by Virginia Walters, and illustrated by S.D.Schindler. I found myself laughing as I read to him. My toddler is too young to be asking this question, "Are we there yet, Daddy?", when we go on long car-trips, but his body language, and his whining "speaks" the question!

One of the long car-trips we took was to Kyle, San Marcos. We were fleeing Hurricane Rita! I remembered my son whining almost the whole trip there, and also threw up, when we were halfway to our destination. Even I was asking the question, "Are we there, yet, Daddy?" myself then. He threw up all over himself, and his car-seat. We had to stop at a convenience store, and clean him up, and let him stretch a little. Fortunately, we started evacuating early enough, so we were not stuck in the long, and tedious jam. We did reach Kyle late, but nothing compared to the time some other evacuees took, to reach their "shelters".

I'm sure when my son gets older, he'll be able to ask the question, "Are we there yet, Daddy?". I hope my husband will be as patient as the Daddy in the book, and put up with it. I think I have become more tolerant of long car-trips, since my son's birth. His comfort becomes my main concern now, and hey! My husband can only take one whiner at a time!

Tea with Milk

Borrowed this book from the library to read to my 2-year-old. It was in the children's section. The book has pages full of words on one side, and illustration on pages across (like most books for toddlers). I don't think my toddler understood all of the content, but he seemed to like it all right. An older kid closer to the teen years may understand the content better.

The book is written by Allen Say, and illustrated by him too. It is a story about his parents. His mother was a Japanese girl born in San Francisco. She grew up in America, and did mostly American things. However, she ate Japanese food at home, and American food at her friends' places. When she graduated from high school, her parents were home-sick, and wanted to go back to Japan.

May, or Masako, did not like life in Japan at all. She felt like a foreigner. Her parents arranged a marriage for her, which she resented. She fled to Osaka, another city. Osaka reminded her of San Francisco. She found a job in a department store there, and decided to tell her parents she was going to live on her own. At first, she did not like her job as an elevator girl. Later, her ability to speak English got her a job as the store's guide for foreign businessmen. She felt more useful then. Her new job also gave her a chance to meet her future husband. Her husband's foster parents were English, so he shared a little common ground with May.

Her husband, Joseph, told her this, "May, home isn't a place or a building that's ready-made and waiting for you, in America or anywhere else." They decided to make a home together in Japan. The couple passed on their "tradition" of drinking tea with milk to their son.

The story highlights the dilemma felt by someone who grows up in one culture, being transported to another culture, and expected to embrace that culture. However, the story also shows embracing a culture foreign to oneself, does not mean giving up the culture we grow up with. We just have to learn to embrace the new, while practising the old - like May.