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

Image retrieved from www.amazon.com

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.