Let's Go on an Adventure

"Across the Bay" Quality Rating: 4.5 out of 5

"Journey" Quality Rating: 4 out of 5

"A Different Pond" Quality Rating: 5 out of 5

Collection Overview:

Going on an adventure may have different meanings for each individual. It could mean hanging out with a parent, going on a quest, or even rescuing someone. In each of the picture books reviewed in this post, a child is empowered to act on and alter their situation. How children are empowered is unique to their circumstances. Come on an adventure with me and we'll see what we can learn from the three children in these books!

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Across the Bay

by Carlos Aponte

"'Carlitos, your father is across the bay...Sometimes things don't work out. But Abuela and I love you very much. Are you happy with us?' Carlitos nodded. He was happy. But he always wondered about his father. (Aponte 7)

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Summary:

Carlitos has a loving home, and is surrounded by those that care for him, including his mother, Abuela, and Coco the cat. Yet, something is still missing. Carlitos wants to find his father, who is across the bay, according to his mother. He makes the journey, experiences rich cultures, traditions, and people from San Juan, Puerto Rico. Carlitos learns about love, family, and the meaning of home throughout his experience searching for his father.

Stereotypes/biases present in the text:

1. A child needs to have a traditional family unit to be happy.

When we think of a family, the first thought usually goes to a mom, dad, and a couple of children. This concept of a family unit is not always an accurate portrayal of the families children experience. Some children may have divorced parents, a single parent, two moms or two dads, or non-parental figures in their lives, such as those in foster care. There is no perfect family unit. Aponte touched on this concept by portraying Carlitos living with his mother and grandmother. The premise of the picture book revolves around Carlitos wanting to find his dad, even though he is happy with the life he has. Carlitos eventually realizes that he doesn't need to know his dad to be happy. He already has a loving home and everything he needs. A loving family is all one needs to be happy-- it doesn't matter what form that family comes in.

Misconceptions I realized I was carrying:

1. Children can't navigate large cities.

Living in one location provides an individual with an opportunity to learn the ins and outs of every street and business around your home at an early age. Location of the home doesn't matter. Knowing your surroundings is part of surviving in any environment. I am directionally challenged and struggle to navigate in some situations because I can't identify the landmarks around me. I didn't venture into cities very often as a child, which makes it more difficult to orient myself within cities now, even with maps to help me. If I had grown up in the city, I would easily be able to identify the landmarks around me and would not get lost as often. Carlos Aponte grew up in the city of Cataño, Puerto Rico and reflects his memories of riding a boat to San Juan, Puerto Rico in Carlitos' experiences throughout the book. The fact that Carlitos (and Aponte) are able to navigate such a densely-populated city with ease furthers the point that if you are exposed to a specific environment at a young age, you will be more confident in your navigation of that environment.

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Journey

by Aaron Becker

**This book is entirely wordless-- "One look is worth a thousand words"

- Frederick Bernard**

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Summary:

A lonely girl dreams up an adventure using only a magic red marker. With that marker, she draws a door that serves as an entrance to a wonderful and dangerous world. This girl creates a boat, balloon, and a flying carpet to propel her to the next step in her journey. After being captured by an evil emperor, she realizes that only an act of kindness and courage can free her. The end result is an entirely unforeseen friendship.

Stereotypes/biases dismantled in the text:

1. Girls can't protect themselves in dangerous situations.

In the patriarchal society in which we live, men are often portrayed as the protectors and women are portrayed as the caregivers, often seen as in need of men to protect them. Becker reverses this stereotypical portrayal of genders, making the female protagonist strong and resilient. In the book, the girl is able to go on an adventure and gets into trouble. Instead of being rescued, she thinks of a way out of each situation. There are male guards/ soldiers present in the book, portraying that same idea that men are the protectors, but this is a background detail as we focus on the girl's journey. This positive portrayal of a female protagonist serves to empower girls, as they realize that they can advocate for themselves and go on adventures. Girls can do anything that boys can do!

Misconceptions I realized I was carrying:

1. The message of this book is diminished because of a lack of words.

My initial worry about this book was that as children read it, they would have to focus so much on what was happening in the book (because there are no words) that they would miss the overall meaning of the story. I worried that children would only gain a surface-level appreciation for the images, without grasping the meaningful story they convey. The more I thought about Becker's book, the more I realized that this book is very important. Children can make their own meaning of the images without the help of the words. It is our job as educators to guide them to the messages that sit just below the surface. We need to guide them to see that Becker's book wasn't just about the adventure the girl went on, but also about the fact that the girl was able to get through various dangerous situations without the help of someone else.

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A Different Pond

by Bao Phi

"He nods and I use two hands to help guide the fish into the bucket. The fish feels slimy and rough at the same time. Dad laughs at the funny face I make." (Phi 18)

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Summary:

A young boy, Bao Phi, and his father set out in the early morning hours to go fishing along the shores of a pond in Minneapolis, Minnesota. This isn't just a fun recreational activity that the pair does together; fishing is a way of providing food for their family. Catching fish means that their family eats that day. While they are fishing, Phi's father shares stories about his past, about his life in Vietnam before moving to the states. In learning about his father's life, Phi sees the role he plays in his family and the sacrifices his parents make to provide for him. He takes pride in his fishing skills and the strong relationship he has with his father.

Stereotypes/biases present in the text:

1. Gender roles must be followed in society.

Bao Phi's picture book portrays his own experiences of fishing with his father. The cliché image of a father and son going fishing reinforces the stereotype that men are the providers for their family. The only time we see Phi's mother in the book is when they are in the kitchen or around the dinner table. The mother doesn't go fishing with Phi and his father; instead, she continues to sleep. Fishing isn't just a leisure activity for the pair, it is a way to provide food for their family. They are literally the "breadwinners" that put food on the table. His father has to leave after the fishing trip and once breakfast is eaten to go to work while his mother stays home. Though the parents are conforming to stereotypical gender roles, there is a point in the book where those stereotypes are not followed. When they are making breakfast, his mother cooks, Phi helps, and his father makes the rice. Helping in the kitchen doesn't go along with the typical male gender roles, so it is good to see that this fictional family doesn't see the kitchen solely as a place of women's work.

Misconceptions I realized I was carrying:

1. There are few populations of Vietnamese immigrants in the US.

When I hear talk about immigrants, my mind usually goes to people from Europe or South/Central America. The US receives millions of immigrants from around the world every year, so it makes sense that a portion of them come from Asian countries. After research, I realized that I was misinformed on the amount of immigrants from Asian countries the US had within our borders. In 2017, more than 1.3 million Vietnamese immigrants resided in the US, which accounts for 3% of the nation's 44.5 million immigrants. This population represents the 6th-largest foreign-born group in the US. I don't think I have ever heard anyone talk about Vietnamese immigrants in the US, so this information was very surprising to me.

It is important to note that Asian immigrants originate from numerous countries and cultures within the continent. Labeling immigrants from Asian countries as "Asian" is an umbrella term. Immigrants from Asia can be from China, Japan, the Philippines, and numerous other countries. Indicating the differences between the different immigrant cultures is important to acknowledging that these groups of people come to the US with their own backgrounds and identities. To group them together and pretend they are all the same is to say that their cultures aren't as valued as others.