A visit to the World's Only CURIOUS GEORGE store

          

 When we travelled to Boston this summer, we were excited to discover the world’s only Curious George store at Harvard Square.  It is a cozy little corner shop delightfully decorated with scenes from CG's adventures, 'The Man with the Yellow Hat' and other characters from the CG series.

   

The shop is stocked with CG dolls, books, tee shirts, reusable bags, and a ton of other CG stuff.  

Not only that, it carries non-CG branded books, toys, games, and other things.  I especially loved the tee shirts based on popular book covers such as Charlotte’s Web, Make Way for Ducklings, and so on.  We spent nearly an hour browsing the store.  It is a wonderful place to find gifts for loved ones and, even if you don't, it is definitely worth a visit if you are in the area.

My son has been a fan of Curious George since he was two when Grandma bought him a huggable CG doll.  Six years later, he still has him by his side when he reads, watches the telly, sleeps and even when we get away for a vacation.  So imagine his delight when he found a store dedicated to CG!!

  

Created by H.A. Rey and Margret Rey, Curious George is the main character in the CG series of books along with his friend-owner, ‘The Man with the Yellow Hat’, as he is referred to.  ‘The Man with the Yellow Hat’ brings him to NYC from Africa.  The stories are about CG’s adventures and discoveries.  There is even a television show based on the series. 

BOOK REVIEW: The Wishing Tree by Roseanne Thong, Illustrated by Connie McLennan

This book is based on a legend about a real ‘wishing’ tree in the village of Lam Tsuen in Hong Kong.  Wishing trees are usually banyan or camphor trees that have aerial roots twisting into strange shapes, giving them a magical appearance.

Whenever Ming visits the Wishing Tree with his grandmother, he writes his wish and hurls it towards the tree’s arms, as is the tradition.  Every time, the Wishing Tree makes his wish come true. 

Then when his grandmother falls very ill, Ming visits the Wishing Tree by himself and wishes for her to get well.  But this time, the tree’s magic fails.  Ming misses his grandmother and feels let down by the wishing tree.  He decides never to visit it again. 

But several years later he visits the village with the Wishing Tree for a class reunion.  On the way some of his friends stop by the Wishing Tree to make wishes.  Ming tells his friend how his grandmother and he made wishes together.  Ming’s friend asks him a question that sets him thinking about the magic of the Wishing Tree.  He knows there is something he must do before leaving the Wishing Tree. 

A touching story that reminds us to appreciate and be thankful for what we have.

If you could make a wish at the Wishing Tree, what would it be?

Appropriate for children 6+ years.

BOOK REVIEW: The Runaway Wok by Ying Chang Compestine

Bearing semblance to Jack from the Beanstalk fairytale, little boy Ming goes to the market to exchange eggs for some rice, but lands up getting a singing wok instead.  Based on a Danish folktale, The Runaway Wok is a delightful tale of a magical wok that brings in enough food and fortune for Ming's family and their neighbours just in time for the Chinese New Year.

But what happens when the wok’s magic is discovered by the stingy rich family it took things away from?  Read the story to find out!

The book is illustrated by Sebastia Serra who has done a wonderful job with his eye for detail, bringing this story set in China to life. 

I like this book not only because of the illustrations, but also because the story is so fascinating yet simple, somewhat like a fairytale.

Appropriate for ages 4-8.

Why I like diverse books?

There is a lot of ongoing discussion in the children's literary scene about diverse books. When most people go to the bookstore or library, they flock to the 'popular' sections that are widely read by children these days. A child usually reads books that he/she has read or heard about from other children.  But what are the chances that a child picks a 'diverse' book?  Very low, really.

So it is up to us, as parents, to introduce diverse books to our children.

What are diverse books?

Diverse books are those that embrace diversity and tell us a story about people of different races, ethnicities, genders and abilities. They tell us about the lives, traditions and cultures of people who are not much written about.

Why should parents pick diverse books?  

Parents are role models for their children.  If they are interested in reading, their children will mimic them and become good readers.  If parents show interest in diverse books, their children will be curious and get interested as well.

Why do children need to learn about diversity?

In today's diverse world, ACCEPTANCE and RESPECT are two key words.
Children must know that all people are not alike.  Some look, speak and live differently.  They have their own celebrations and customs.  More than anything, children must learn to accept, respect and embrace diversity. The message must be obvious - that even though people may seem different, they are basically the same as us - from the inside! 

Why do I like diverse books?  

Well, in this beautiful and colourful world filled with different kinds of people, I love to read about people from different countries and cultures.  I love to learn about their past and present life, struggles and challenges.  I think such books are enlightening about the similarities of the problems of the world's people, however different they are.

Some diverse books that I have read

There are several great diverse books out there, but here are a few I've read (that I can remember right now).  Some of them have been reviewed in this blog.

Picture books:

• AS FAST AS WORDS COULD FLY - Pamela Tuck, Eric Velasquez
• SAME, SAME, BUT DIFFERENT - Jenny Sue Kostecki-Shaw
• TWO MRS. GIBSONS - Toyomi Igus, Daryl Wells
• GRANDFATHER'S JOURNEY - Allen Say
• MY NAME IS BLESSING - Eric Walters, Eugenie Fernandes
• THE RUNAWAY WOK - Ling Chang Compestine
• MAMA'S SARIS - Pooja Makhijani
• MY NAME IS YOON - Helen Recorvits, Gabi Swiatkowska

Some Chapter Books/Middle Grade/YA books:

• REVOLUTION IS NOT A DINNER PARTY - Ling Chang Compestine
• THE BREADWINNER - Deborah Ellis
• THE RED PENCIL - Andrea Davis Pinkney
• SADAKO AND THE THOUSAND PAPER CRANES - Eleanor Coerr, Ronald Himler
• SARAH'S KEY - Tatiana de Rosnay
• BOY IN THE STRIPED PAJAMAS - John Boyne

Have you read any diverse books?  

BOOK REVIEW: Hannah is my Name by Belle Yang

This story is inspired by author Belle Yang’s first few years in America.  

This immigration story describes the anxiety and fear undergone by people from different countries during their wait for their license to live in America - a country of immigrants.

Little Na-Li of Taiwan has moved into a new country and has a new name – Hannah!  She and her family want to become Americans because being American means ‘to be free’.  But before that they must fill out some paperwork to get their green cards that would allow them to stay on in America.

The wait for the green cards is a long one.  And without the cards, her parents are not permitted to work.  But to survive and earn their living, her parents must work secretly.  If they are caught, they will be sent back to their country.

The story describes Hannah’s life in America as she settles down in a new country, learns a new language and what it means to be ‘free’.  There are days when her parents must go into hiding to avoid getting caught.

How long will they have to wait to gain their life of living freely without fear and anxiety? Read the story to find out.

Illustrated by Belle Yang herself, the pictures are a delight and flow well with the story.

Appropriate for ages 6+ years.

BOOK REVIEW: The Quiet Place by Sarah Stewart, Illustrated by David Small

Auntie Lupita is the only one Isabel misses when she moves from her home country, Mexico to the United States in the 1950s.  So she writes to Aunt Lupita regularly.  

Presented in the form of her letters, this story is about Isabel’s new life in a new country learning a new language.

Isabel is shy.  She wants a quiet place for herself and her books.  Her brother, Chavo helps make her one with a big refrigerator box.  But when the box gets damaged, she begins her quest for large boxes to make herself a new ‘quiet place’.  

Along the way, she gets familiar with new words in English, though Spanish words are still her ‘friends’. 

The story ends with a beautiful open-able spread showing the gala celebration of Isabel’s birthday when she invites each friend to bring their favourite words as gifts.  The picture shows Isabel sharing her ‘quiet place’ where it becomes a puppet theater, a performance stage and much more.  The quiet place is no longer quiet.

                                       

I love multicultural books, so this naturally is one of my favourites.  I really liked the illustrations that seem simple, yet give us a beautiful glimpse into Isabel’s life, especially how her ‘quiet place’ gets transformed in the end.  The pull-out spread is commendable.

Appropriate for children 6+ years.