Two Mrs. Gibsons

by Toyomi Igus, Daryl Wells (Illustrator)

Two Mrs. Gibsons is author Toyomi Igus's tender and touching tribute to the two most important women in her life her Japanese mother and her African American grandmother. From memories of her grandmother's big bear hugs to her mother's light down-filled comforter hugs, from listening to her grandmother's lively spirituals to her mother's soft lullabies, from playing with her grandmother's fancy going-to-a-Sunday-meetin' hats to trying on her mother's kimono, Toyomi celebrates the joys and rich diversity of growing up biracial.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Cultural, Family, Fiction, Asian American, Asian Literature

32 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1996

About the author

Toyomi Igus has had a rich and varied writing and communications career. Born Toyomi Lynn Gibson in Iowa City, Iowa, the first child of four from her African American father and Japanese mother, she grew up in Buffalo, New York, and went on to college at Barnard College, Columbia University. After college Igus dove into consumer and trade magazine publishing as an acquiring editor and managing editor, and then on into academic book publishing, revamping and managing the publications unit of the Center for African American Studies at UCLA. Under her editorship, the press produced several books on the African diaspora, including Wilfred Cartey’s Whispers from the Caribbean, Trevor Purcells’ Banana Fallout: Class, Color and Culture Among West Indians in Costa Rica, and the final volume of St. Clair Drake’s Black Folk Here and There. While at UCLA, Igus co-wrote, edited and curated Life in a Day of Black L.A., a collection of photographs of contemporary African-American life by Southern Californian black photographers, a traveling exhibition and book.

Igus published her first children’s book in 1991. To date she has authored six children books, including When I Was Little and Great Women in the Struggle (Just Us Books); Going Back Home (Childrens’ Book Press), winner of the American Book Award and the Skipping Stones Honor, and I See the Rhythm (Childrens’ Book Press), winner of the Coretta Scott King Award, Multicultural Children�s Book Award, and the Jane Addams Picture Book Award, and her very personal Two Mrs. Gibsons (Childrens’ Book Press), which remains on educational recommended book lists around the country.

Reviews

[Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Memoir study book - this book was so cute. It is about a girl who has a Japanese mother and a Black grandmother and who they are different but that she loves them both.

[Keri Denin Milam · Rating 4 out of 5]

This narrative is a tribute from author Toyomi Igus to the two most important women in her life, her grandmother and her real mother (one Japanese and on African American.) The narrative tells a story of a little girl growing up with these two women, and the impact the women made in her life. The descriptive language the author uses to describe the two women is fantastic. One Mrs.Gibson is "Tall with skin the color of chocolate" whereas, the other Mrs.Gibson is "Small, with skin the color of vanilla." The narrator describes the differences between the two women, but also describes that these women both love the little girl the same. One Mrs.Gibson "cooks greens" and the other Mrs. Gibson "cooks rice." One Mrs.Gibson gives hugs that "feel like you are being wrapped in a big fat bearskin rug" whereas the other Mrs. Gibson gives hugs that are like "being wrapped up in a light-down filled comforter." Towards the end of the story, It is revealed that the little girl is in fact the author, and that this book is a story about her biracial childhood. As a teacher, I will use this book as an example of descriptive language, and to introduce and celebrate the idea of diversity. Considering the narrator describes the struggles her mom faced being an immigrant, I could also use this book to introduce immigration. This book teaches children that love can come from people of any race, any ethnicity, with any skin color. I love the fact that the author reveals in the end that the little girl who is narrating is actually Toyomi Igus herself. This makes the story and cultural perspectives much more authentic. This also makes the characters seem genuine and complex instead of oversimplified or generalized. Each page is accompanied by a richly illustrated picture of the "Mrs.Gibson" that is being discussed. The pictures were very detailed to portray each "Mrs.Gibson", which enhances and adds to the story. I believe this is a great book for teaching multicultural acceptance, and between the descriptive story and rich illustrations, the children's interest would be held while the text is read.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

TWO MRS. GIBSONS….by Toyomi Igus, pictures by Daryl Wells, Children’s Books Press, 1996.

The Two Mrs. Gibsons is a sweet, loving story as told through the eyes of a young girl. She describes the differences between her grandmother, who is African American and her mother who is Japanese. The ‘adjectives that were used to describe the differences are what make this book so meaningful. She describes one Mrs. Gibson as “tall with skin the color of chocolate”. The other Mrs. Gibson is “small with skin the color of vanilla”. One Mrs. Gibson gives hugs that feel like you are being wrapped in a big fat bearskin rug. The other Mrs. Gibson’s hugs were like being wrapped up in a light-down filled comforter. This Mrs. Gibson cooks greens and the other Mrs. Gibson cooks rice.

Each page begins with “This Mrs. Gibson…” accompanied by a richly illustrated picture of which Mrs. Gibson she was talking about. It is not until the final two pages of the book that she reveals the names of the two Mrs. Gibsons. The illustrator captured the love in his paintings. Each page was full of details. The Japanese writings of names, a small detail but captured on the page such that a child could see the letters. The picture on the bedroom wall in the Grandmother’s house which you just knew was the girl’s Great-Grandmother.

The book was written by Toyomi Igus who herself is a product of an interracial family. Her mother is Japanese and her father is African American. The story is a personal one to her because it tells of two women so very different culturally but who share one thing…...LOVE of a child. Each page is a landscape of love. I could feel the love shining through the words of each page as the girl described her Grandmother and her Mother. This book is appropriate for ages 3-7 and is a good book to start a discussion on individual differences and how when you love someone you look past the outer to the inner. These two women were very different but equally loving.

[Megan Willis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Two Mrs. Gibsons is Toyomi Igus' own touching tribute to her Japanese mother and African-American grandmother. This story celebrates the beauty of growing up in a multicultural family. The three main characters are young Toyomi, her grandmother, and her mother. Throughout the story, Toyomi experiences and loves the lifestyles that both women show her. She tries on her mom's kimonos and her grandma's big church hats. She waits hours for her grandma's mouthwatering soul food cooking and is impressed by her mother's quick and tasty stir fry. I would use this story to teach about how special and unique every culture is, and that we should embrace and experience as many cultures as we can. The author also did a great job in describing the personal challenges her mom experienced as an immigrant, including cutting her gorgeous long hair to feel more "American." This could be a great start to a discussion of the pressures that America often puts on immigrants to assimilate into our dominant culture.

[Azriana Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This narrative tells the story of a little girl growing up witht the two most important women in her life both named Mrs. Gibson (one Japanese and one African American). The narrator recalled the things each Mrs. Gibson did for her and how different the two women were. At the end of the story, the readers discover that the narrator is biracial and that the Japanese Mrs. Gibson is her mother and the African American Mrs. Gibson is her grandmother and they love her the same. The author, Toyomi Igus, expresses multi-racial family from a child's perspective by describing what the two women do for her (give her hugs, sing, cook, and play dress up). As a teacher, I would use this book to teach contrast (ex. tall and small, loud and quiet,and short and long). This story is about Toyomis Igus growing up biracial so there is a direct connection with her to this book. The illustrations by Daryl Wells are very detailed to keep the children's attention and help them feel like they are a part of this story.

[Griselda Mendez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Two Mrs. Gibsons is a story that many children in New York can relate to. The story is told by a young girl who had the fortune of living with two wonderful, yet very different women. On one side she has her Japanese mother and on the other, her African-American grandmother. Both women provide guidance for the young narrator who now remembers them with much love and respect. The story is actually told in retrospect so it would be a great tool for making inferences and for starting a conversation about classifying people without really knowing them first. Toyomi Igus does a great job of using descriptive language to make the reader make meaningful connections to the text. The wonderful paintings by Daryl Wells add even more to the visual impact of this story of multicultural families unified by affection.

[Rosie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story is about the author’s childhood growing up with two women in her family named Mrs. Gibson. The first Mrs. Gibson is her Japanese mother, who always has a pot of rice cooking and can make origami creatures from napkins. The other Mrs. Gibson is her grandmother, an African American minister from Tennessee who always has collard greens cooking and likes to sing. Both Mrs. Gibson’s have activities the author enjoyed doing with them, such as trying on kimonos and playing dress up. The personalities of the two women are different with one Mrs. Gibson being soft spoken and introverted while the other Mrs. Gibson is loud and energetic. But no matter the differences both Mrs. Gibson’s share the love of their daughter and granddaughter.

A great way to show children that families can come in a variety of ways.

[Yasmeen Mills · Rating 5 out of 5]

Two Mrs. Gibsons by Toyomi Igus is a biography. In this text she describes memories of the two most important women in her life. She has an African American grandmother and her Japanese mother. Viola Gibson and Kazumi Gibson are opposites down to the way they hug her and she loves them both. She reminisces on things like her grandmother singing negro spirituals and her mother singing soft lullabies. Toyomi explores her ancestry the differences and similarities between the two cultures she’s apart of. The lifestyles of the characters seem genuine because they are based on the Ingus’ mother and grandmother. And the illustrations reflect the character’s personalities. This is a good inclusive book because there are not a lot of children’s books about an African American and Japanese family.

[Lindsey Rogers · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story is about a little girl in an interracial family. Her father is African American, and so is his mother, Mrs. Gibson (the child's grandmother). Her mother is Japanese, but she is also Mrs. Gibson. The child is able to learn from both Mrs. Gibson's culture, habits, and traditions. The author, Toyomi Igus, does a great job disguising who the two Mrs. Gibsons are until the end of the story. I think that it makes the book more creditable that Igus is from an inter-racial family. The illustrator, Daryl Wells,provides wonderful pictures throughout the story. They were wonderful because they were engaging and because they thoroughly added life to the story. This book would be a great introduction to interracial families. I think that it will promote discussion.

[Madison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Personal Reaction: I think this book does a great job of showing the depth of multicultural families and I like it because it doesn't display their relationships until the last page in the book!

Purposes for Enrichment: It shows the value in multicultural families and how differences are beautiful.

Curricular Purposes: This would be great for teaching about bi-racial families and families that come from very different backgrounds. During a unit of cultural studies this book would be useful as it shows the mesh of cultures.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book talks about the girl's mother and grandmother and how they are different but have many similarities. It explains their cultures and how they do things differently. This book also has great illustrations that use both sides of the book.

I gave this book five stars because I love the illustrations and the text is simple for younger children to understand what is going on. I also like how the book brings in the cultural aspects for other children to learn about what’s similar and different. Lastly, I like how we find out at the end, how the two Mrs. Gibsons are related.

[Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is unusual because I can place it on both my African and Asian bookshelves. It is a young girls description of two very different women, both named Mrs. Gibson. Each of the Mrs. Gibsons had wonderful, endearing qualities and the little girl loved both of them, The one Mrs. Gibson was the little girl's mother and was Japanese. The other Mrs. Gibson was the little girl's grandmother and was African-American.

[Pynteya Bate · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story impressed me !!! Two Mrs. Gobsons, one is the mother of a little girl who is Japanese, but the other is a Grandmother who is African American. Both of them are a part of one family even though their habits, looks, and cultures are different, but it does not stop them to love each other. Very unusual story, but very sweet. It teaches a lot about respect for each other and the differences in the people or their cultures.

[Mairead Lawyer]

“Two Mrs. Gibsons” talks about the differences between a girl’s grandmother who is African American and her mother who is Japanese. It celebrates the beauty of growing up in a multicultural family and introduces readers to different ways they can embrace their own culture. It also shows that growing up in a new culture is not always easy, and why it is important to still embrace your indentity even in a new culture.

[Maddison Askew]

This is a great cultural book. It follows a girl and the two favorite people in her life, her Japanese mom and African American grandmother. This is a beautiful book. It brings in two culturally different people but shows the things they have in common. This could be used to help children discover their backgrounds and see the many different kinds.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a sweet and memorable book that illuminates cultural history on a personal level. It shows a great contrast between the matriarchs, and yet emphasizes how all ancestral contributions are meaningful and long-lasting. Not all kids will really get this, but I think the alternating descriptions will capture their interest regardless.

[Katrina Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

* Read to introduce inter-racial relationships

* Introduces differences in cultures of the two Mrs. Gibsons, however, in the end their love is both unconditional.

* Introduce the Japanese and African-American culture. I will bring a Kimono as a live hands-on visual for the students

[A · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a statement of love for the author's African American grandmother and her Japanese mother, two women who were different in many ways, but also had lots in common, including their love for the author and her father.

[Emelda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was unimpressed, but it is rare for a book to have an Asian and African American couple, so it's good for that.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about a girl's mom and her grandma, both named Mrs. Gibsons.

[Sonia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm biracial from a multicultural family, so this would have been a great book for me to read as a child.

[Rebekah Pringle Yamada · Rating 3 out of 5]

Grateful to find a book showing a family made from two different cultures and the way the child delights in both. Some of the characteristics of each culture are a bit too stereotyped, however.

[Brandi Edwards · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fiction story about a biracial girl who knows two Mrs. Gibsons, one is her Japanese mother and the other is her African American grandmother. The two women are very different but each special in their own ways. There were lots of stereotypes in this book however it is based on the author’s real experiences and actual mother and grandmother, so it is difficult to review. Although they are stereotypes this is also the author’s perspective. The African American grandmother is big and loud, with lots of Sunday hats and she’s always cooking greens. Her Japanese mother is small, petite, and quiet, always making rice. I don’t feel the author is trying to portray any of the qualities in a negative manner, it’s simply her personal experiences with the different cultures. The illustrations correspond with the text and visually display exactly what the author’s words are saying. They are colorful and realistic. The characters represent different cultures and the story is told from the author’s, the daughter/granddaughters, point of view. The story does depict a positive portrayal of the African American grandmother, as she is a reverend. However, also, at one point in the story the mother is letting the daughter try on her kimono and says “These very special.” This could be interpreted in two ways: Asian people speak in broken English, or it’s just the way she talks. of different races are able to identify with the book.

[Megan Ewald · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about a girl who had two members in her family that were named Mrs. Gibson. On every page she compared and contrasted the two women. One was from Tennessee and one was born in Gifu, Japan. She included positives and negatives of both Mrs. Gibson's. The illustrations in this book are also very fitting of the story and help bring the story to life.

I loved reading this book because in the end she explains who the Gibson's are and tells us that even though they are different, they have a lot in common. This book helps teach about different cultures and family ties. I also liked this book because of its detailed illustrations. It helps the reader make the connection on what the author is saying. This is a great book to read in the classroom to talk about family connections (family tree) or different cultures!

[Rachel Moulton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two Mrs. Gibsons is told through the eyes of a young girl about an African American Mrs. Gibson and a Japanese Mrs. Gibson. The girl describes both Mrs. Gibsons in beautiful ways and helps you get to learn about each of them and how they are different. You are able to learn about Mrs. Gibsons’ cultures and identities through the narrator’s eyes. Read this book to find out who the two Mrs. Gibsons are and to discover their similarities and differences and how to confront multiple identities and ethnicities!

[Connie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a story (well, not much in the way of a plot...) about the author's mother and grandmother, and how through their differences they were, in many ways, the same.

There's not much of a story there, but still, I liked the book quite a bit.

[Krislyn]

I really enjoyed this book. I think that it shows kids that we can have differing backgrounds that make us who we are. This book is in a memoir-style that Toyomi Igus wrote about her mother and nanny who clearly had a profound impact on her childhood.

[Abby · Rating 1 out of 5]

Although I appreciated that this was the author's experience growing up, I found her descriptions of the her mom and grandma to be problematically stereotypical.

[Magdalena Scotto · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was very touching. It shows how the main character talks about the importance of two different people in her life. I loved how it showed her grandmothers living their cultures differently and how the main character embraced them both. Very sweet book to read with your grandma to show her appreciation.

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautifully written, important message, and engagingly interesting. Unfortunately I despise the art and am taking off a full star for it. Sorry.