#margemod

Media Titles: Jambo Means Hello, Swahili Alphabet Book by Muriel Feelings; K is for Kwanzaa by Juwanda G. Ford; Ten, Nine, Eight by Molly Bang; and Feast For 10 by Cathryn Falwell Reviewed By: MargeMod Content Warning/Spoilers: None Rating: Full Bouquet out of Full Bouquet

How many alphabet, counting or first word books are on your child's bookshelf? Now, how many are in a different language or show people that don't look like you? Don't be shy, in fact be aggressive in making sure that these simple learning books contain representation of people and places that are like your family as well as those that are not like your family. What can be more basic in forming your child's view of the world than learning the alphabet, counting and language? This review includes four books that show African-American heritage, language and faces.

Media Title: Jambo Means Hello, Swahili Alphabet Book Author: Muriel Feelings Pictures By: Tom Feelings Media Type: Soft Cover Children's Book (ISBN: 0-14-054652-9) Genre: Alphabet, Swahili people, Kiswahili language, East Africa

Summary: Adults are failing their children if we do not expose or teach them a second, or third or even fourth language. What better way to introduce another language than through the alphabet? The full-page Introduction explains where Swahili is spoken and how there are no Q or X sounds in Swahili. Each letter presents a word in Swahili, and gives the pronunciation and a bit of explanation. This book is wonderfully illustrated with everyday scenes of activities that happen in an African village and in a child's life. Just about any age group would find something to catch their interest.

Review: The illustrations are superb. At the end of the book there is a "A note about the art." The end result of the seemingly complicated process is stunning. Having traveled in East Africa myself in 1974, I can say that Tom Feelings' illustrations perfectly convey the look, feel and experience I enjoyed during my trip. Some of the Swahili words selected for the alphabet seem familiar (baba means father) and anyone who has seen Lion King should not be surprised that rafiki means friend.

Media Title: K is For Kwanzaa, A Kwanzaa Alphabet Book Author: Juwanda G. Ford Illustrated By: Ken Wilson-Max Media Type: Soft Cover Children's Book (ISBN:0-590-18995-6) Genre: Children's alphabet book, Kwanzaa traditions, Swahili words

Summary: As the title clearly shows this book presents the traditions of Kwanzaa using the alphabet. The origin of Kwanzaa and its seven principles are explained in the first pages, and then the alphabet begins with A is for Africa. Some words highlighted are in Swahili and the short text on each gives its proper pronunciation. The book uses the familiarity of the alphabet to teach a tradition that began in 1966. Older children would enjoy the information provided and younger readers would like the vibrant colors.

Review: This lively book could be at home on a child's bookshelf or on a classroom reference table. Familiar english words like harvest and neighborhood are included with Swahili words like gele and lapa. The illustrations use bold vibrant colors that complement and support the text. I agree completely with the back page description that "the brilliant pictures bring to life all that is central to Kwanzaa: cultural heritage, family, and community."

Media Title: Ten, Nine, Eight Author: Molly Bang Media Type: Soft Cover Children's book (ISBN: 0-590-45583-4) Genre: Children's counting 1 to 10 book, bedtime

Summary: This bedtime countdown book is made up of only views in the child's bedroom. A friendly black cat and familiar items hold the reader's interest. The text is gentle and rhythmic. What family hasn't at one time or another said "1 big girl all ready for bed"? Intended for very young children, beginning readers would enjoy it as well.

Review: Because it was read so often and carried all over the house by my daughter, this poor little book is stained and torn. I've included it in this review because the colors and illustrations are soft, wonderful and the phrasing seems to come straight from the heart. I love all the room details from the flowered wallpaper to the chair upholstery pattern.

Media Title: Feast For 10 Author: Cathryn Falwell Media Type: Soft Cover Children's Book (ISBN: 0-590-48466-66-4) Genre: Child's counting book, shopping, meal preparation, inter-generational

Summary: This counting book is fun because it counts up to 10 twice! The first time the happy group goes shopping for the makings of a feast. The second counting is the preparation of the ingredients. Throughout it shows helpful children interacting in a common activity. Very young children would enjoy the drawings and how the children participate.

Review: Kudos to anyone who takes five children to the grocery store, but in this book it works. Any family with multiple children would enjoy seeing the hustle and bustle of a grocery shopping trip and then the meal preparation. A one-child family would be delighted as well. The white background allows the action and colors to shine and I particularly like the clear lines and wonderful detail.

Conclusion: I am a (very) white woman. In fact, I've been known to describe myself as alabaster. Truth be told, a more accurate description of my skin tone might be pink with lots and lots of freckles. But I loved and married someone decidedly not pink and our child has only two freckles. Her strength of character and tolerant, open world view, I believe was formed because she grew up with a large and loving family from many countries and cultures and with lots and lots of books.

Media Title:  Interior Chinatown Author: Charles Yu Media Type: Hardcover large print book Published: Pantheon Books, 2020 Genre: Literary Fiction

Reviewed By: MargeMod Content Warnings: Racism, Discrimination

This review contains spoilers for Interior Chinatown 

Rating: Full bouquet out of a full bouquet

Summary: Written mostly in a screenplay-type of format, this relatively small book is the fictional life story of Willis (Ming-Chen) Wu. A promising young man who has his academic career cut short when he decides to decline his acceptance into UCLA's doctoral program to go home to care for his ill mother. His life is further redirected when he can't find any job in his field because, as one recruiter tells him, his accent is the problem. Funny thing, Willis doesn't have an accent. The recruiter agrees and tells him that is just weird, an Asian-looking man should not speak unaccented English. So Willis accepts a job as an actor in Chinatown where among other things, he must become fluent in accented English. His roles include: Disgraced Son, Delivery Guy, Guy Who Runs in and Gets Kicked in the Face, Striving Immigrant, Background Oriental Male and Generic Asian Man.

Review: In my journey to combat racism and become a better ancestor (see previous review of Me and White Supremacy: Combat Racism, Change the World, and Become a Good Ancestor by Layla F. Saad) I want to read stories told by other Americans in their own voice. This month, I selected this award winning novel by Charles Yu. The story takes us along as a young Asian man tries to live his best life only to remain slotted to a very narrow set of options simply because of how he looks.

Using the screenplay-type of format, the author visually sets the story as this family's scripted existence. I had never read a book that used this format. At first it was a little confusing, but I eventually recognized that the format itself was helping to tell the story. This book is interesting visually and in its heart is simply the story of family love and ambition in a racist society.

Media Title:  Dial “A” for Aunties Author: Jesse Q. Sutanto Media Type: Hard copy book Genre: Literary Fiction, Dark Humor, Mystery, Intrigue Reviewed By: MargeMod Content Warnings: Attempted sexual assault, death, violence, racism

This review CONTAINS spoilers for Dial “A” for Aunties.

Rating:  One Flower out of a Full Bouquet 

Summary: Is it possible to be your own person when you are happily part of a large and loving family that thinks it knows what is best for you? Author Jesse Sutanto takes us on a rollercoaster ride of what it is like to live in an Asian extended family with aunties galore! As the only child who came home after college, Maddelin has trouble finding a balance between her own happiness and family expectations. When her mother creates an online dating profile for her and inadvertently uses code language (eggplant, for example) that attracts a certain kind of date, she has to take drastic action to prevent an assault. Her date is accidentally killed and in a sudden panic she turns to her aunties to help her deal with the body. She and all the aunties are busy providing flowers, photography services and a wedding cake to a huge wedding the next day so there isn't time to permanently address the body situation, so they improvise. Throw in that the wedding is being held at an exclusive resort managed by Maddelin's true love and the reader has no clue how she can possibly escape being charged with murder let alone reunite with the man of her dreams.

Review: This book was a delight! The main character and her aunties were so fun to be around, it made you want to be on this crazy ride.  When the Aunties interact with each other, she hits the whole sister-dynamic right on the head. As the middle daughter of five daughters, I recognize and thoroughly approve of the interplay between the sisters in this book.  How everything tied together at the end was terrific.  I appreciated that the author explains in her opening message that the style of dialogue she uses for her aunties is not in any way making fun of them and is not disrespectful.  She explains at some length in a "Dear Reader" message before the Prologue that her family's merging of Indonesian, Mandarin and English can seem "jagged and cracked, and we often struggle to convey what we are trying to say." She further notes that "This is the price my parents have had to pay to ensure that my brother and I were safe and sound." Some of her characters speak in this broken way and the author notes that this reflects their trilingual abilities. She sees the line between authenticity and stereotype and hopes that her use of this technique is seen by the reader as authentic. I love that she explained this dialogue usage to me so that I could understand her as an author and appreciate this wonderful family she created in her book.

Media Title:  Gator Bait Author: Jana DeLeon Media Type: Electronic copy book Genre: Mystery, Action, Humor Reviewed By: MargeMod Content Warnings: Violence, death, guns

This review CONTAINS (mild) spoilers for Gator Bait by Jana DeLeon.

Rating: One Flower out of a Full Bouquet

Summary: CIA assassin Fortune Redding needs to lay low. She blew her cover saving a child from being sold into slavery and gained a million-dollar bounty on her head. Since that much cash is great motivation for any and every bad guy to search for her, Fortune accepts a temporary new identity as her boss's niece, Sandy-Sue. As a former beauty queen and current librarian, Sandy-Sue is the antithesis of Fortune, a tomboy sniper with a temper. In order to implement the switch, the real Sandy-Sue is sent to Europe by her uncle for the summer and Fortune travels to Sinful, Louisiana to inventory her great-aunt's property for sale. Sandy-Sue had not been back to Sinful since she was a child, so an imposter might stand half a chance. The book is a story of hidden strength and individual growth with the help of several unexpected elderly allies.

Review:  The author has gathered an interesting group of characters and places them in a small southern town that is supposed to be a quiet backwater. At least that is what the Iraq War Veteran thinks when he comes home to join the local police force. That is also what the CIA Director thinks when he tries to hide Fortune there until she can safely go back to her sniper job. But they are both wrong when lives are threatened and new friends are put at risk. I think the characters I enjoyed the most are the two female Vietnam veterans who befriend Fortune and help her navigate her new persona so that no one looks too closely at her credentials. And is there room in this book for crazy mishaps involving dynamite? Of course there is.

This book did not get a full bouquet because after a certain point Fortune and her new friend's antics-- and the explanation offered to explain those antics-- seem to be just silly. Enjoyable, but silly. Also, the very favorable comments, characters, and situations regarding small town southern hospitality and politeness featured in this story are overshadowed by the unkind descriptions of rural folks and townspeople. In particular, the book is unkind to those that are different from our protagonist -- like her middle-aged male neighbor who likes to dress in costume at home.

Gator Bait is the fifth book in the 18 book series centered around Fortune Redding (number 19 is expected in 2021). This was the first of the series I picked up and I enjoyed Gator Bait enough to read the rest. I won't give any series spoilers, but as a reader you should be warned that not every story line gets resolved in any individual book. Each book has a new set of circumstances, a new murder mystery to be solved all set against a backdrop of Fortune pretending to be someone she is not and at the same time finding her true self.

No excuses. You are past time to fold inclusive books into your child's life! There are so many good choices out there but Color Dance by Ann Jonas is a good place to start. This particular book reminds us that we are surrounded by colors. They make our world beautiful and joyous. They simply are. Every child should know that they are beautiful alone and that we all have a human obligation to shine our light on the beautiful colors of others.

I am furious that some people continue to divide, differentiate, diminish and degenerate others because somehow somewhere we came to believe that by doing so it improves our own position. IT DOES NOT! These divisive actions damage our soul and this damage can start young when children are not shown the diversity and value of the world around them. Be mindful of what you teach your children and remember that even the simplest exposure to people who don’t look like them will go a long way.

Media Title:  A Dangerous Man, Elvis Cole & Joe Pike Series, Book 18 Author: Robert Crais Media Type: EBook Genre: Action, Mystery

Reviewed By: MargeMod Content Warnings: Kidnapping, Death, Guns, Violence This Review Contains Spoilers Rating: One Flower out of a Full Bouquet

Summary:  In his series of novels starring private detective Elvis Cole and his silent, but deadly partner Joe Pike, Robert Crais has taken us on one exciting, terrifying ride after another. These two ex-Ranger/policemen offer their private investigative and surveillance services to sort out all types of situations. Their methods are often unorthodox but justified. A Dangerous Man, the latest installment of this series, begins with Joe simply going to his bank to deposit checks and be ogled by the bank clerk Isabella Roland. Because of his military and police skills of observation and his own deep-seated sense of obligation to another human, this routine morning evolves into an action packed story where Joe and Elvis save Isabelle not once, not twice but three times from dark characters in her parents' past.

Review: Fans of Robert Crais will not be disappointed by this addition to the Cole/Pike series. It contains all the elements readers expect - a wonderful mix of humor, interesting story-telling, twists and turns, quirky specialists tossed together with a healthy distrust of police and institutions. You will be wrong if you assume that the dangerous man is the bad guy. In fact, in this story the most dangerous man is Joe who uses his deadly skills to make sure Isabella never needs to be afraid of the men who had been searching for her mother for over 20 years. One thing I love about this story, and most books by Robert Crais, is that he does not rely on a magic person that is available to complete fantastical research instantly and come back with a solution that could not in a million years be found by a real private detective. There is no high-tech, easy solution to this mystery. Almost everything discovered in this story comes from online research, talking/listening to people and observing what the situation presents.

Young adults might recognize themselves in the main character - 23 year old Isabelle Roland who is just trying to live her best life. More than once she exclaims "I am an adult!". One of the most chilling scenes is when the bad guys use her own text messages to her best friend to draw Isabelle out of a safe place and puts her in danger again. The author paints an appealing picture of a spunky young lady, inordinately devoted to friends, generally dismissed by adults and completely unaware of her parents' history. The reader does not know until the last chapter if Isabelle actually has the millions of dollars that the bad guys insist that her mother had stolen over 25 years prior.

Media Titles: Pass the Fritters, Critters by Cheryl Chapman; Everybody Cooks Rice by Norah Dooley; Shake It To The One That You Love The Best by Cheryl Warren Mattox; Color Dance by Ann Jonas; and It Takes A Village by Jane Cowen-Fletcher Reviewed By: MargeMod Content Warning/Spoilers: None Rating: Full Bouquet out of Full Bouquet

If you think about it, we humans don't come with innate knowledge of anything, so your child needs to learn absolutely everything to survive and thrive. You are probably your child's best teacher simply because you are the person around this new mind the most. In this review, I have pulled together examples of books that teach basic concepts of growing up such as interacting with others, responsibility, colors, foods etc. that are also culturally inclusive. Please, please use every opportunity to expand your child's view of the world. When teaching manners, reach for books like Pass the Fritters, Critters or when teaching colors reach for books like Color Dance. This review includes five books that present basic knowledge such as color identification, community and family interaction.

Media Title: Pass The Fritters, Critters Author: Cheryl Chapman Pictures By: Susan L. Roth Media Type: Soft Cover Children's Book ISBN: 0-590-47995-4 Topic: Table manners, rhyming Age Group: Pre-school

Summary: Exceptionally bright graphics invite us to lunch with a child and some interesting animal guests. Until the magic words are used, demands such as "Pass the carrot, Parrot" are answered with a "Forget it!" This book is wonderfully illustrated with fun rhyming phrases that show how asking politely and saying thank you can get you what you want in life, or at least at this particular lunch table.

Review: The illustrations are bold and in a cut-out style that is very appealing. The sing-song phrasing (Thanks for the cider, Spider) will have your child "reading" along with you and recognizing individual words long before they conquer spelling.

Media Title: Everybody Cooks Rice Author: Norah Dooley Illustrations By: Peter J Thornton Media Type: Soft Cover Children's Book ISBN: 0-590-45597-4 Topic: Multicultural cuisine, cook book Age Group: Elementary School

Summary: The title says it all - everyone in this neighborhood is cooking rice! Carrie spends the entire book going from house to house looking for her brother. In each home someone is cooking a different rice dish that represents their cultural heritage.

Review: Connecting six cultures in one small neighborhood with their rice dishes is a gentle way to begin talking about cultural differences and similarities. However, even though Carrie visits six families of different ethnicities, there is very little variation in skin tone, in fact everyone in the book looks much too similar.  I think the muted colors are a disservice to the story which calls for vibrant representation of faces. The recipes in the back are a nice touch and a great way to introduce foods from another culture using an ingredient (rice) that is so common.

Media Title: Shake It To The One That You Love The Best: Play Songs and Lullabies from Black Musical Traditions Collected and Adapted By: Cheryl Warren Mattox Illustrations from the works of: Varnette P. Honeywood and Brenda Joysmith Media Type: Soft Cover Children's book ISBN: 0-9623381-0-9 Topic: Children's music, game and song book Age Group: All ages

Summary: Music and children's games are an integral part of growing up. The author notes that the 26 play songs she has collected for us are not just childhood amusements, but a vital link to her musical heritage as an African-American. Definitely a classroom reference book, it makes me wish that I could read music! In addition to the actual music score we also get multiple verses, as well as instructions for each game.

Review: Even though I can't read music the exuberance of these songs and games comes out loud and clear. The illustration styles of Honeywood and Joysmith are completely different, but work together perfectly. I swear that I can hear the children in Joysmith's pictures laughing-they are so expressive! If you can't read music, find someone who can because this book must be read and sung!

Media Title: Color Dance Author: Ann Jonas Media Type: Soft Cover Children's Book ISBN: 0-590-30040-7 Topic: Child's book of colors and dance Age Group: Pre-school

Summary: Three little dancers representing the primary colors of red, yellow and blue run, jump and twirl around to visually combine and separate thereby creating all the secondary and tertiary colors.

Review: Sweet, beautiful, happy, simple and fun describe this colorful book. Be prepared because this could be the first time your little reader will see and hear magenta, vermillion and chartreuse. Who knows what creativity will be unleashed! Don't be surprised if your little reader asks for scarves of many colors to dance with and to decorate their space.

Media Title: It Takes A Village Author: Jane Cowen-Fletcher Media Type: Soft Cover Children's Book ISBN: 0-590-46598-8 Topic: African village and marketplace, manners Age Group: Elementary School

Summary: Spending the day at the market with her little brother gets very complicated for Yemi. Separated from him for a time she worries if he is hungry or thirsty. But he is not because he is under the caring and watchful eye of the merchants. Once Yemi finds her brother, she traces his path backwards and thanks everyone who cared for him.

Review: Even though this story is a bit longer than other books I have selected, it really is worth the trip.The illustrations are amazing and you truly see what a marketplace community looks like and how it operates to collectively care for its children. It is a beautiful story with exceptional illustrations.

Media Title:  the dip: A Little Book That Teaches You When To Quit (And When to Stick) Author: Seth Godin Illustrated By: Hugh Macleod Media Type: Hard copy book ISBN: 978-1-59184-166-1 Genre: Self help

Reviewed By: MargeMod Content Warnings/Spoilers: None

Rating: Full Bouquet out of a Full Bouquet

Summary: This small book (less than 80 pages) covers a lot of territory, but never strays too far from its goal: to help each of us be a superstar by recognizing and escaping dead ends, embracing “the dip” while also staying focused and motivated. “The dip” is that time in a project/job after you have started something exciting, but long before you are considered an expert/successful. “The dip” is when most people give up, but this book teaches you when to put your head down and plow through it and when not to.

The author seeks to straighten out some bad advice we may have received in our life, like "quitters never win and winners never quit". He observes that winners quit all the time. Godin explains that strategic quitting is the secret to success and "understanding the different types of situations that lead you to quit - or that should cause you to quit- is the first step toward getting what you want."

Review: I have to admit that reading this book was a personal struggle for me. The voice in my head that says NEVER QUIT and FINISH WHAT YOU STARTED was so loud that it took me until half-way through the book to recognize that in order for me to hear what the author was trying to tell me, I had to replace the word "quit" with "redirect". With that rewording I could begin to consider what Godin was saying. The section explaining that quitting is not the same as failing was especially enlightening. Godin pulls together sound advice and explains it in easy to understand language. His suggestions can be applied to professional decisions as well as personal ones. Word of caution: don't get stuck (like I did) on keywords based upon what you have been told growing up.

Godin's book is refreshing because he believes you can reach the success you want, however he wants you to understand that how we have been encouraged previously (STICK IT OUT UNTIL YOU WIN) is flawed. Not only does he clearly discuss the elements of success, he also explains how we should stop and redirect our actions at the appropriate time. His down to earth approach is very appealing and I recommend that you take the time to listen to what he has to say.