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Show WHAT ARE YOU? Voices of People Mixed-Rac- e Young Edited by Peart Fuyo Gaskins Henry Holt, $18.95 ISBN 0805059687 er society. Readers may not find such topics as powerful as Are You Dating Me or My Hair?, in which contributors discuss tha stereotypes and racially based expectations placed on them in their most intimate relationships. For Monina Diaz, who example, n and Puerto is of unless I Rican heritage, says, marry a Black or Puerto Rican man. there will always be tensions and pressures from society or just issues of not understanding each other. It is this kind of honesty that makes hat Are You? a valuable tool hard questions are being asked and answered. Even more admirable is the comprehensive list African-America- REVIEW BY CRYSTAL WILLIAMS Pearl Fuyo Gaskins, the daughter of a Japanese mother and a European-America- n man. has gathered the over 40 of thoughts mixed-rac- voting people to create an empowering tool w ith something to say about nav igating the racial waters of contemporary American culture. The complexities of perbeing a multi-racison in contemporary America are eloquently and fairly discussed in poetry, essays, and inter-- v iews. hat Are You? is divided into eight major sections (Are You This? Check Are You That?, One Box," Who's That White Lady?, "Sticks and Stones, My Are You Dating Me or My Identity, Hair?," Double Breed, and "Resources"). Some issues will not be new to readers. In Check One Box. for example, contributors discuss their concerns over being labeled, both officially and informally. Questions such as If a child is of black and Asian parentage, do they call themselves Black or Asian? are continually being addressed by the larg e al ... of advocacy groups, books, magazines, videos, and organizations listed, which young people can use to empower themselves. Additionally, Gaskins has included photographs of most contributors, which adds to the value of hat Are You? For young people constantly having to navigate the often cruel waters of race ethnicity in America, knowing that there are other people in the world who are not only asking difficult questions of themselves, their peers, and their elders, but who also have physical similarities, will no doubt be invaluable, e Crystal Williams is a poet pursuing her MFA at Cornell. First Book All About You By Judy Hindley Illustrated by Brita Granstrom Candlewick Press, $15.99 ISBN 0763604402 REVIEW BY JULIE ANDERSON Leap for joy! Whistle and stretch, curl and cuddle, wriggle and laugh with up your favorite child. Judy Hindley s latest book is a tickly, giggly delight for parents and preschoolers. Her text, peppered with rhyme, along with Brita Granstroms lively illustrations, invite readers to identify body parts and then get up and use them in play. Its great fun for the preschool set, and will have them moving, learning, and laughing. A crew of friendly children demonstrates some of the amusing things kids can do with their bod(and grown-ups- ) ies. Their smiles are contagious: Feel how it makesyour belly gowhen you Ha-hHee-heHo-hlaugh Young children will have a blast imitating the moves: counting off fingers and toes, kissing, bending, bumping, and stomping. The acting and interacting opportunities are irresistible: A mouth is to yawnOpen wide See all the teeth and the tongue inside? And even will find themselves hamgrown-up- s ming it up: A tongue is to talkand to a! o! BIG BUG BALL NIGHT GOLF By Dee Lillegard Illustrated by Rex Barron By William Miller Putnam, $15.99 Illustrated by Cedric Lucas ISBN A PiLOTiUBRiEsB O O KiS FIaGaTaIaON Lee & Low Books, EYES, NOSE, FINGERS, AND TOES ISBN $15.95 0399231218 1880090792 REVIEW BY DENISE REVIEW BY KEVIN ZEPPER Racial injustice is something you dont normally associate with the sport of golf, right? Bui as recently as the 1950s there n were no known golfers in the United States. Golf was the last professional sport that finally integrated all people, regardless of race. William Millers Night Golf is the tale of James, a young African-Americboy who develops a love for golf. James finds a discarded, rusty golf club and begins his quest to excel at golf. Through constant practice at home, he discovers his talent and love for the game. But it quickly becomes apparent to James that being black means being a caddy, not a golfer. James finds work at a local golf course, where he can be close to the game. He finds he cant play the course because of the race rule whites only. He is soon befriended by Charlie, an older black gentleman who is a top caddy at the course. With Charlies help, James rapidly improves his game but only at night. Cedric Lucas is the perfect illustrator for Millers story. The pictures are lush and colorful, filled with the hopeful glow that rings in Millers words. The message is an important one to ail children: anything is possible, and you can achieve. The game of golf has always been inclusive by its nature. Its a sport that finally defies age, sex, and racial barriers. African-America- an Kevin Zepper writes for several domestic and foreign publications. HARRIS Coming up with unique characters for childrens literature can be a daunting task. Certainly every possible creature, real or imaginary, has already been used or so this reviewer thought. Dee Lillegard, though, found a new one. The unlikely star of Big Bug Ball is the sow bug, better known by its unscientific but more visually correct name, The bug ball that this book is referring to, though, is not the shape these bugs roll into when confronted. It is a gala event where bugs gather to dance, dance, dance. Rex Barrons colorful illustrations of a dance floor made of playing cards and upright forks, numerous insects in human attire, and a beautiful backdrop d of a night sky set the stage for Dee Lillegards playful rhyme. Almost the rhyme flows uninterruptsong-liked except for the sow bugs lamentations of But I dont know how to dance! Little by little, as the frenetic roly-pol- star-fille- y. La-lThe sing La-lwords lend themselves so effortlessly to imaginative and enthusiastic readings that even a distracted, grumpy three- - " year-ol- d may be persuaded to listen and join in. Says Hindley. This is a book to play w ith. I hope it encourages children to express and celebrate the sheer delight of owning a body. It certainly does, and in a refreshingly uninhibited, cheerfully goofy way. d children Granstroms romp through rooms at home and play outside. Her scenes are full of activity, with a few quiet moments as well. Backgrounds are in a single muted color, n with simple details, which allow the bright, bouncy kids to really shine without being overwhelmed. The words themselves are visually appealing. There is plenty of variation in letter sizes and a playful disregard of margin alignment. Beginning readers will enjoy picking out letters in the super-size- d words sprinkled throughout: "Hooray!", Bump!" Eyes, Nose, Fingers, and Toes is a warm book that celebrates the exuberance toddlers feel as they play. Read this book w ith a child you love, and get carried away together with the silliness and joy of it all. a. la-l- a, !" good-nature- line-draw- Peek-a-boo!- ", Julie Anderson writes from Bell Bui Lie, Tennessee. pace of the ball builds, the sow bug starts to think that, maybe, she really can dance. Wonderful things can happen even for a lowly sow bug w ith a little bit of confidence. The cast of supporting characters is no less amusing: katydids, crickets, centipedes, and ants, Dragonflies and butterflies, dance, dance, dance. Even Madame Butterfly makes her debut at this ball. One of the most amusing bugs, though, is the Travolta-lik- e cockroach strutting his unforgettable disco fever. Dressed in his white polyester-suit, he and his partner entertain the audience with their daring disco moves. While most dances are not experiences, keep in mind that these are just bugs. In their diminutive lives, this is a BIG thing. And 'for at least two of the bugs (guess which two?), they will leave the dance and they will never be the same . . . Children who read Big Bug Ball may not be forever changed, but they should certainly be intrigued and amused. Big Bug Ball may become a bedtime favorite, e, Denise Harris teaches through Spanish and writes for children. 4th-gra- www.booKpagt.cow |