A Splash of Red: The Life and Art of Horace Pippin by Jen Bryant and Melissa Sweet

Image retrieved from www.amazon.com

1. Bibliography

Bryant, Jen, and Melissa Sweet. A Splash of Red: The Life and Art of Horace Pippin. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2013. ISBN 9780375867125

2. Plot Summary

A Splash of Red is a beautiful picture book about how a self-taught painter, Horace Pippin, overcame the tragedy of losing the use of his painting hand to become a famous painter. Horace was born on George Washington’s birthday in 1888. From the time he was a child he loved to draw. “He loved looking at something in the room and making it come alive again in front of him.” When World War I began, Pippin joined the army, but he soon took a bullet to his right arm and could no longer lift it or move it to draw. This did not stop him. He taught himself how to paint again, using somber colors and adding a splash of red here or there. Once again people said, “Make a picture for us, Horace!” and he painted his way to becoming a famous American painter.

3. Critical Analysis

This picture book biography tells the story of Horace Pippin in a way that children will be drawn to. Jen Bryant writes in simple sentences, keeping the amount of text per page very brief, but at the same time conveying quite a bit of information about this African American painter. Pippin lived a full life - from his childhood, to his service in World War I, to his success later in life as a painter. Bryant brilliantly captures all of these events in a brief amount of text. Repetition of the line, “Make a picture for us, Horace!” throughout the book serves to continually bring the reader’s focus to Pippin’s talent. His art was so good, so inspiring, that everyone around him wanted to see his talent displayed.

Bryant’s story about Horace Pippin is a story about perseverance and determination. Pippin’s life was full of challenges. As a young child he worked hard fetching flour for his mother, sorting laundry, holding the milk delivery man’s horse. His father left when he was in eighth grade, so he quit school and went to work to provide for his family. He stacked grain, shoveled coal, mended fences, and did whatever he could to provide for them. During his service in WWI, he took a bullet to his right arm, losing the movement in his painting hand. None of these challenges kept him from pursuing his talent. Bryant displays his perseverance in the pages of this book as an inspiration to all.

Bryant writes Pippin’s story in a brief amount of text, but readers get to fill in between the lines with Sweet’s eye-catching illustrations. Her illustrations are incredibly detailed, yet they leave something to the reader’s imagination about Pippin’s life. Her illustrations were rendered in watercolor, gouache, and collage, and they were inspired by Pippin’s colors from his own paintings. Just like Pippin’s paintings contained a “splash of red,” each of Sweet’s illustrations does as well. Whether it’s a red brick chimney on a house, a red roof on another, a red chair, or a red fire in a fireplace, the splash of red on each page catches the reader’s eye, reminding them of Pippin’s style.

Sweet’s illustrations were not only inspired by Pippin’s paintings, but by his words as well. In the Illustrator’s Note at the end of the book, Sweet says, “Lettering pippin’s quotes within the illustrations gave me a way to illuminate his simple heartfelt approach to making art.” Quotes such as, “Pictures just come to my mind … and I tell my heart to go ahead,” are beautifully surrounded by all the pictures that might have been in his mind.

The inclusion of a historical note, author’s note, and illustrator’s note at the end of this book bring life and validity to the story. The historical note provides more information about Pippin’s life, obstacles, works of art, and fame. The author’s note explains how Bryant came upon the idea for writing Pippin’s story. She tells how she researched his life, even visiting the house he lived in in West Chester, Pennsylvania. The illustrator’s note explains how Sweet and Bryant ignored the normal separation that authors and illustrators keep when making a picture book, and they studied Pippin’s life and art together. Following these notes is information for further reading, a film, websites, and quotation sources. It is obvious that Bryant and Sweet worked hard to portray Pippin’s life and work as it truly was.

4. Review Excerpts

From SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL (January 1, 2013): "Bryant's meticulously researched, eloquent text makes this a winning read-aloud, while Sweet's vibrant, folksy illustrations, rendered in watercolor, gouache, and mixed media, portray the joys and hardships of the man's life, using his trademark palette…with just a splash of red."

From PUBLISHERS WEEKLY (February 18, 2013): "Quotations from Pippin about the psychological scars of war and his artistic process are hand-drawn into Sweet's images, underscoring how art was not only a joyful outlet for Pippin, but also a vital means of interpreting the world."

5. Connections

Gather other books written by Jen Bryant and illustrated by Melissa Sweet such as:

• The Right Word: Roget and His Thesaurus. ISBN  978-0802853851
• A River of Words: The Story of William Carlos Williams. ISBN 978-0802853028

Have students watch this short YouTube video about Horace Pippin:

• Include this story in a unit on perseverance.
• Throughout this story are quotes by Horace Pippin. Have students choose a quote that they think is powerful and have them write about why it is powerful. Then have students create their own quotes, or words to live by, illustrate them, and put them into a class book.

Does My Head Look Big In This? by Randa Abdel-Fattah

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1. Bibliography

Abdel-Fattah, Randa. Does My Head Look Big In This? New York: Orchard Books, 2005. ISBN 9780439919470

2. Plot Summary

Does My Head Look Big In This? is the story of a young Muslim girl on a journey to embrace her identity as a young Australian-Palestinian-Muslim girl. Amal lives in a trendy suburb of Melbourne, Australia. After watching a Friends rerun in which Jennifer Aniston has the guts to jump onstage at her ex’s wedding and sing “Copacabana,” Amal is inspired to wear the hijab, the Muslim head scarf, full-time. She wears it to be closer to God, but everyone in her life has a reaction to it - especially everyone at her prep school where she is the only Muslim. Throughout the story, Amal rises above others’ expectations of her to be all she can be. Randa Abdel-Fattah portrays a common journey of faith for young Muslim girls with this light-hearted story of Amal.  

3. Critical Analysis

Amal’s decision to wear the hijab full time is not an easy one. She admits she’s terrified. It’s because of her passion and conviction for Islam that she commits to wearing it. She thinks it will make her feel closer to God “Because it’s pretty hard to walk around with people staring at your ‘towel-head’ and not feel kind of pleased with yourself … That’s when this warm feeling buzzes through you and you smile to yourself, knowing God’s watching you, knowing that He knows you’re trying to be strong and please Him.” It’s Amal’s religion - her desire to please God - that sees her through the prejudice and difficulty she encounters while wearing the hijab. Once she is wearing it full time, she says she never felt so free or so sure of who she is.

As an Australian-Palestinian-Muslim girl, Amal has known prejudice and Islamic stereotypes her entire life. She says, “when you’re a non-pork eating, Eid-celebrating Mossie (as in taunting nickname for Muslim, not mosquito) with an unpronounceable last name and a mother who picks you up from school wearing a hijab and Gucci shades, and drives a car with an ‘Islam means peace’ bumper sticker, a quiet existence is impossible.” However, it’s this not-so-quiet existence that has made Amal who she is. She has persevered through the stereotypes and prejudice, and it has made her stronger. It has turned her into a determined young girl. Because of it, she knows she can rise above people’s low expectations like her parents have lectured her. She can be anything she wants to be.

Abdel-Fattah also addresses the misconceptions about Muslims because of Muslim terrorist events in recent years. When terrorists bomb a nightclub in Bali, killing many Australian tourists, the principal of Amal’s prep school gathers students in the auditorium for an assembly. While there, the principal says the words “Islamic massacre” repeatedly, and Amal winces every time she says it, “as though these barbarians somehow belong to my Muslim community.” She says, “These people are aliens to our faith.” Later, the school president asks her to give a speech explaining to everybody why the terrorists did what they did and how Islam justifies it. She makes her point by asking the girl, who is a Christian, to explain why what the Ku Klux Klan did was “textbook Christianity.” She explains that Muslim is merely a label for terrorists. They’re really nutcases who kill people and it has nothing to do with religion.

This book does an excellent job of using Amal’s character to explain to readers many different aspects of Islamic culture. She explains that wearing the hijab full time means wearing it whenever you’re in the presence of males who aren’t immediate family, versus wearing it part time, which means it would be part of an Islamic school uniform or worn to go to the mosque. She describes many of the Arabic foods they eat. Amal’s mom is a wonderful cook and fixes dishes such as mansaf (a Palestinian dish), falafel, hummus, makloba, and fatoosh. Religious holidays are explained and shown by the way Amal’s family celebrates them. Her family fasts for Ramadan, and then they celebrate Eid at the end of Ramadan.

The theme of friendship is prevalent in this book. Amal has two sets of friends. One set is her Islamic friends and the other is school friends. When her Islamic friends are together, they joke about their traditional parents and Muslim stereotypes. When her school friends are together, they talk about body issues, who likes who, and budding romances. Amal is a fun-loving character who always has a good time with her friends while staying true to her Islamic values.

I loved reading this book. It think it has great value for young adults in and out of the classroom, Muslim and non-Muslim. It takes the fear out of the Islamic faith in this post-September 11th world. This book includes everything - culture, religion, stereotypes, prejudice, and in the end perseverance and determination to be everything you can be.

4. Review Excerpts

From PUBLISHERS WEEKLY (May 21, 2007): "Using a winning mix of humor and sensitivity, Abdel-Fattah ably demonstrates that her heroine is, at heart, a teen like any other. This debut should speak to anyone who has felt like an outsider for any reason."

From KIRKUS (April 15, 2007): "Wearing the hijab full-time shuts some doors, but opens others for Amal as she emerges a bright, articulate heroine true to herself and her faith. Abdel-Fattah's fine first novel offers a world of insight to post-9/11 readers."

5. Connections

Gather other books written by Randa Abdel-Fattah such as:

• Ten Things I Hate About Me. ISBN 978-0330422741
• Where the Streets Had a Name. ISBN 978-0545172929
• No Sex in the City. ISBN 978-0863567117

Visit Randa Abdel-Fattah’s website at http://www.randaabdelfattah.com/index.asp for an interview with her as well as teacher’s resources for this book.

This Day in June by Gale E. Pitman and Kristyna Litten

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1. Bibliography

Pitman, Gayle E., and Kristyna Litten. This Day in June. Washington D.C.: Magination Press, 2014. ISBN 9781433816581

2. Plot Summary

This Day in June invites readers to celebrate, along with the LGBT community, by attending a Pride March. The picture book walks readers through a June parade and welcomes them to “share in a day when we are all united.” Each vivid, colorful image and illusion has a deeper meaning than it seems at first. A reading guide at the back of the book allows readers to dig deeper into the meaning of each phrase and image in the book, providing an explanation of the rich history and culture of the LGBT community.

3. Critical Analysis

This Day in June makes introducing children to pride parades easy. Each page is filled with vibrant, colorful illustrations of celebration. The book begins with “This day in June / Parade starts soon!” This line refers to the reason for a pride parade in June. The reading guide at the back of the book explains that pride celebrations are traditionally held in June to commemorate the Stonewall riots in New York. The riots marked the beginning of the gay liberation movement, so there’s no better way to begin this children’s book about gay pride than with this line referring to its beginning.  

Following these first two lines of the book, each two-page spread contains simple rhyming couplets about some aspect of LGBT pride. Each text contains two lines with two words per line. The simplicity of the text allows readers to focus on the vivid, colorful illustrations, while giving them a hint about what the words mean. Lines such as “Clad in leather / Perfect weather” refers to the association of leather to the gay and lesbian community, and the illustration pictures men and women dressed in leather from head to toe dancing down the street in the parade. The two-page spread with “Artists painting / Sisters sainting” refers to an order of LGBT nuns in San Francisco, and the illustration shows nuns in traditional and nontraditional clothing celebrating along with everyone else.

The reading guide at the back of this picture book is the meat of the book for teaching children. It is filled with facts about LGBT history and culture. These well-written, easily-understood facts teach children about the history, struggles, and triumphs of the LGBT community. A child reading this book with no knowledge of the LGBT history or community would come away with more knowledge about it than most adults. Following the reading guide is a “Note to Parents and Caregivers” about how to use this book in talking to children about LGBT people. It “provides a positive, normalizing, and exuberant reflection of the LGBT community, and can serve as a jumping-off point for children to ask questions about sexual orientation and gender identity.”

Kristyna Litten’s illustrations in This Day in June are colorful and celebratory - the life of the party for sure. Each illustration contains deeper historical meaning that is explained at the end of the book, but until the reader gets there, they are immersed in each aspect of LGBT pride that the illustration is portraying. The rainbow flag and colors are pictured throughout the book as a symbol of the diversity of the LGBT community. Gay and lesbian couples are featured throughout the book, as well as their children and families who are walking in the parade or standing on the sidewalk in celebration of them. There is no better way to portray the celebration of This Day in June than with Litten’s vibrant illustrations.

4. Review Excerpts

From SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL (June 1, 2014): "This beautifully illustrated book is a great addition to a school or personal library to add diversity in a responsible manner without contributing to stereotypes about LGBT people."

From PUBLISHER’S WEEKLY (March 31, 2014): "Pitman, in her first book for children, salutes the LGBT parades that take place across the U.S. in June. Her couplets keep things marching steadily forward, but it's Litten's artwork that creates a sense of joyous excitement and showcases the diversity on display."

5. Connections

Gather other books illustrated by Kristyna Litten such as:

• Snoozefest. ISBN 978-0803740464
• Blue and Bertie. ISBN 978-1471123740
• Pins and Needles. ISBN 978-0448462097

Use This Day in June to teach children about LGBT history without the stereotypes that are often included. Plan to attend a pride parade in June to experience a parade like the one portrayed in this picture book. Point out the historical significance for the LGBT community of dress and behavior during the parade.

Apple Pie 4th of July by Janet S. Wong and Margaret Chodos-Irvine

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1. Bibliography

Wong, Janet S., and Margaret Chodos-Irvine. Apple Pie 4th of July. San Diego: Harcourt, Inc, 2011. ISBN 9780823423477

2. Plot Summary

This is the story of a young Chinese American girl who is convinced that no one wants Chinese food on the Fourth of July. Her family’s store is open every day of the year except for Christmas. This means it’s open “even today, the Fourth of July.” There is chow mein and egg rolls in the kitchen, but she cannot convince her parents that Americans do not eat Chinese food on the Fourth of July. Or do they? As the day goes on, customers start coming to the store - one after another and another. Maybe things aren’t really as she thinks they are. Maybe Chinese food is American food after all.

3. Critical Analysis

In Apple Pie 4th of July, Wong creates an unnamed Chinese American character who is finding her place in American culture. She most likely feels as though she and her family don’t fit in, so much so that she can’t believe her parents have the audacity to open their store and try to sell Chinese food to Americans on the most American holiday of all - Independence Day. While she smells her neighbor cooking apple pie upstairs (an American cultural icon), her parents are cooking chow mein and sweet-and-sour pork in their kitchen. When she tells her father “No one wants Chinese food on the Fourth of July,” he replies, “Fireworks are Chinese.” His statement reveals that he understands America as a mixture of cultures and ethnicities more than she does. If fireworks are Chinese and they’re part of the Fourth of July, why can’t Chinese food be served along with them?

The Chinese food in this story is a cultural marker. The Chinese American family is cooking chow mein, sweet-and-sour pork, egg rolls, and noodles to serve in their store - typical Chinese foods. Wong clearly juxtaposes the family’s Chinese food with American food. Customers come into the store early in the day for soda, potato chips, and ice cream (not for Chinese food!), and they end their day eating apple pie. Because they live in America, the little girl thinks this is the only kind of food Americans will eat on a day that celebrates America. She explains, “My parents do not understand all American things. They were not born here … I cannot expect them to know Americans do not eat Chinese food on the Fourth of July.” Shortly after that, customers slowly begin streaming in more and more and more, all the way until closing time. What a cultural learning experience for this little Chinese American girl!

Wong doesn’t give the young girl in the story a name. We only hear her voice and see her picture in illustrations. She is pictured as a Chinese girl, and she is obviously struggling with being Chinese American on a day that celebrates America. Wong explicitly reveals her self-consciousness about this. By not giving this girl’s character a name, Wong relates to ALL Chinese American youth who struggle with navigating two different cultures. She allows them to see themselves in her character.

Margaret Chodos-Irvine uses patterns, textured lino-cuts, and collographs to create the unique illustrations for this book. She fills them in with bright colors, truly setting the stage for a day of much celebration - Independence Day. She uses patriotic colors and symbols throughout the book to portray the Fourth of July. The young girl wears a red and white striped shirt with bright blue overalls. There is an American flag hanging in the street. The fireworks at the end of the book show vivid red, white, and blue on the page. Her images also portray the young girl’s emotions throughout the story. Her facial expressions manage to tell pieces of the story all by themselves.

4. Review Excerpts

From SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL (May 1, 2002): "This simply told story explores a child's fears about cultural differences and fitting in with understanding and affection."

From PUBLISHERS WEEKLY (April 8, 2002): "Chodos-Irvine deploys sharply defined objects in a range of colors and patterns to construct harmonious, forthright compositions that will likely prove inviting to readers of many backgrounds."

5. Connections

Gather other books written by Janet S. Wong to read such as:

• This Next New Year. ISBN 978-1937057251
• The Trip Back Home. ISBN 978-0152007843
• Night Garden: Poems from the World of Dreams. ISBN 978-0689826177

Have students write about or tell about how their families celebrate the 4th of July. If there are students from different cultural backgrounds, have them share with the class if or how they celebrate this day with their family.

The Year of the Dog by Grace Lin

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1. Bibliography

Lin, Grace. The Year of the Dog: A Novel. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2006. ISBN 0316060003

2. Plot Summary

“Happy Year of the Dog!” Pacy hears her dad saying on the phone. The Year of the Dog is special because it is for friends and family - and for finding yourself. Pacy, known as Grace Lin at school, begins her journey through this year in an effort to find herself and to discover how the Year of the Dog will be lucky for her, but finding herself turns out to take more time than she expected. She gains a new best friend, searches for her own talents, and learns how to deal with disappointment. In the end, Pacy wins fourth place in the National Written and Illustrated Awards Contest for Students. The year is lucky for her after all, and she finds herself as a writer and illustrator.

3. Critical Analysis

Grace Lin tells her own story of self-discovery in this fun book about a Taiwanese-American girl who is trying to find herself. Lin says she wrote it “because this was the book I wished I had growing up.” This book is sure to be one of great refuge for other Taiwanese-American and Chinese-American children who are finding their way through two very different cultures like Grace Lin did.

Grace, know as Pacy to her family, walks the reader through a year in her life - the Year of the Dog. When Pacy asks if something special is supposed to happen because it’s the year of the Dog, her mother tells her “the Year of the Dog is for friends and family. But there’s more to it than that. The year of the Dog is also for thinking. Since dogs are also honest and sincere, it’s a good year to find yourself.” She goes on to explain that finding yourself means deciding what your values are and what you want to do. By the end of the story, Pacy does just that. After winning the award for writing and illustrating, she announces, “I found myself! … I’m going to make books when I grow up.” Grace Lin never turns back and goes on to be an author and illustrator.

A major theme in this story is friendship. Before Melody arrives at Grace’s school, she is the only Taiwanese-American in her school (besides her sister). On her first day to school after the New Year, the lunch lady stops Grace and tells her she can’t take her plate because she already took one, and everyone only gets one. Grace insists this is her first time through the line, and the lunch lady eventually lets her go. Grace realizes soon after that the reason the lunch lady thought she had already been through the line was because there was a new girl at school - a Chinese-American girl named Melody - and she looked like Grace. This is an incredibly relatable scene for Chinese-American students reading this book. Grace and Melody become best friends, and from that point on they spend all of the free time at each other’s houses.

Throughout the novel, Grace deals with disappointments. She is disappointed when a boy she likes chooses another girl. She is disappointed again when the science project that she and Melody work so hard on gets a frown and negative review from their science teacher. Then, when she dreams of being Dorothy in the school’s performance of The Wizard of Oz, her hopes are completely dashed when her friend Becky tells her, “You can’t be Dorothy … Dorothy’s not Chinese.” Grace is hurt.

Grace struggles with her identity throughout the story. She says to her mother at one point, It’s not fair. To Americans, I’m too Chinese, and to Chinese people, I’m too American. So which one am I supposed to be? She also asks her mom why there are no Chinese people in movies, plays, or books. She struggles with her own identity because she doesn’t see herself in books. When Melody tells her to stop complaining about it and go write her own, she does just that. Once again, Grace Lin uses her own experience of struggling with her identity, being Chinese-American, to relate to other students who are struggling and who don’t see themselves in books, movies, or plays.

Infused throughout Grace’s story of finding herself are short stories told by her and her family members either to explain events from the novel or simply to tell about others who have had disappointments or struggles similar to her own. These short stories serve to inform the reader and to give a (sometimes humorous) break in the reading of Grace’s story.

In the end, Grace wins fourth place for the book she wrote and illustrated entitled The ugly Vegetables. She wins $400 for it, but more than that, she finds herself. She discovers that she is a talented writer and illustrator. The best part is that she doesn’t forget it. She grows up to use her talents to let others like her know they are not alone. In her “Author Note,” she explains that growing up Asian in a mainly Caucasian community was not a miserable and gloomy existence, but it was different. She wrote this story because she wanted those differences to be addressed in a real and upbeat way. She said, “I wrote it because it was the book I wished I had had when I was growing up, a book that had someone like me in it.”

4. Review Excerpts

From PUBLISHERS WEEKLY (January 2, 2006): "Lin, best known for her picture books, here offers up a charming first novel, an autobiographical tale of an Asian-American girl's sweet and funny insights on family, identity and friendship."

From KIRKUS (December 15, 2005): "This comfortable first-person story will be a treat for Asian-American girls looking to see themselves in their reading, but also for any reader who enjoys stories of friendship and family life."

5. Connections

Gather other books written and illustrated by Grace Lin such as:

• Where the Mountain Meets the Moon. ISBN 978-0316038638
• The Ugly Vegetables. ISBN 978-1570914911
• Dim Sum for Everyone. ISBN 978-0440417705

Visit Grace Lin’s website for activities and lesson plan suggestions: http://www.gracelin.com/content.php?page=book_yeardog&display=activities

Have students research different aspects of the Chinese New Year in groups and then have groups share what they have learned with the class.