Children's Books discussion

Come join us to discuss the Medal Winner,
The Last Cuentista by Donna Barba Higuera

and/or the Honor books:
Watercress by Andrea Wang
Too Bright to See by Kyle Lukoff
A Snake Falls to Earth by Darcie Little Badger
Red, White, and Whole by Rajani LaRocca

Just a quick fyi, I am visiting family this summer and so may not get around to all of these, or any of them immediately for that matter. I do believe that I've already read a couple so I can at least post about them come June.

I'm a big fan of Kyle Lukoff but I had mixed feelings back when I read Too Bright to See:

Hard for me to judge.

It is good that there are no bullies. But the ghost of Uncle Roderick is sort of bullying. (After all, Bug would eventually figure out their own identity, and I opine that more harm was being done by the poltergeist-like behaviors of Roderick than by the fact that Bug wasn't figuring themselves out quickly enough.)

There are tropes here (other than mean girl) and a rather underwhelming (but still messy) ghost story. There are also several bits I thought worthy of book darts:

I love that Bug wants to grieve in her own way, by herself, but she lets her mom hug her. "I know that this hug is for her, ... so I squeeze her until she lets go."

"[G]etting good grades just felt like playing a game, and winning." (Yes! That's how it was for me! I feel seen!)

"We have everything we need, and some of what we want." (Good goal. Seeking more income than that would interfere with life, relationships, joy. Assuming that emergency, college, and retirement savings are classified as needs or at least very strong wants.)

"Even reading on the porch sounds more interesting when I pretend to be a character in a book doing it." (Don't ever stop using your imagination, Bug, even when you don't need to play this game all the time. I think I might play this game sometime, too. Like on a solo road trip on the boring stretches.)

So, yeah. I recommend this to the target audience, to parents and other educators, with the caveat that you may not find it amazing, but I expect you'll find it interesting and know someone who needs to read it.

I'm especially interested in what you think of the behavior of the ghost of Uncle Roderick. I don't remember this book, unfortunately, but going by what I said in my review, he seems maybe too pushy?

I didn't have as much to say about Watercress: "Both heartbreaking and heartwarming. Deserves the accolades. Don't miss the author's and illustrator's notes." Maybe I'll read it again. After all, it did also win the Caldecott.

I really enjoyed Watercress! The illustrations are beautiful and the story resonated with me. My Italian immigrant grandmother and great aunt would jump out of the car to pick dandelions by the side of the road. Sometimes we made stops just to pick dandelions. It was gross. Pollution! They also cooked up conch snails, a creature I didn't know the English name for until I was grown. I appreciate the author's attempt at reconciling her past with present knowledge of her family's history and the gentle, sensitive way she told the story of the mom's little brother.

The Last Cuentista
I thoroughly enjoyed this book when I read it 3 years ago and gave it 5 stars. I wrote a brief review:
Interesting combination of the old with the new--traditional folklore in a science fiction setting. Sympathetic characters in a dangerous environment; well-paced, readable plot.

Watercress
I also enjoyed this picture book, and gave it 4 stars. My review:
This story is based on the author's memories of her own family. The Chinese-American author/MC has to deal with her feelings of shame and embarrassment of her family--for their collecting watercress from the side of the road (in front of everybody!) and for their necessarily frugal ways. She is very anxious to be able to "fit in" with her American friends and neighbors, and does not want to be viewed as different. An excellent book for revealing the feelings of the children of immigrants. Beautiful paintings by award-winning Jason Chin.

I read The Last Cuentista and gave it 4.75 stars (on The Story Graph) my brief review, besides saying it “wasn’t mind-blowing but very good” says, “This book has a lot to say about preserving individuality and cultural heritage as well as resisting totalitarian influences. The idea that stories are the medium by which these things can be achieved is lovely.”

Too Bright to See and Kyle Lukoff, just came across my radar, because my 15-year-old recently came out as gender fluid, and I’m trying to wrap my mind around it better. Kyle is trans the other way, but I think it still vaguely applies and I read “When Aiden Became a Brother” and looked up other books by the author. This one is short and I borrowed it from the library. And now it comes up here, so I think it’s a sign. The stars aligning, if you will.

DivaDiane wrote: "Too Bright to See and Kyle Lukoff, just came across my radar, because my 15-year-old recently came out as gender fluid, and I’m trying to wrap my mind around it better. Kyle is trans the other way,..."

There's a lot of great picture books out there to learn about gender identity issues. I haven't gotten to many of the older books yet but I liked
Frankie & Bug well enough. I picked up Too Bright to See today at the library.

QNPoohBear wrote: "I really enjoyed Watercress! The illustrations are beautiful and the story resonated with me. My Italian immigrant grandmother and great aunt would jump out of the car to pick dande..."

What a great family story, thank you for sharing!

Welcome DivaDiane! And congratulations on you & your son as you embark on this adventure!

I'm seeing praise for Last Cuentista so I'll have to try it, though I feel a bit nervous/squeamish. I appreciate all your thoughts.

I'm enjoying Too Bright to See. At least so far. Bug is reading like a typical tween to me. She's uninterested in boys and makeup and I sure can relate to that. The ghost plot is a little heavy handed and Bug not seeing her true reflection in the mirror is also a little heavy handed but I really like her.

I liked Too Bright to See a lot. It was a little heavy handed and fairy tale like. Outside of Burlington, I'm not sure a Vermont school would be that new and that accommodating. I liked Bug a lot and could relate to the not liking boys and makeup and feeling like you're waiting for your real life to begin. Unlike other books I've read about transgender tweens, this one is #OwnVoices and Karl Lukoff's first novel. I appreciated learning how being in the wrong body feels like looking at the wrong reflection in the mirror. I also liked how Bug explains the leaflets in Uncle Roderick's room explain transgender is not just about boy parts and girl parts.

I was glad the friend drama was minor but also it felt unrealistic. Moira is a good friend.

QNPoohBear wrote: "I liked Too Bright to See a lot. It was a little heavy handed and fairy tale like. Outside of Burlington, I'm not sure a Vermont school would be that new and that accommodating. I liked Bug a lot a..."

Oh, I'm so glad that you enjoyed it, even if you agree it wasn't perfect! I hope it is accessible (and helpful/enjoyable) to kids!

Cheryl wrote: "Oh, I'm so glad that you enjoyed it, even if you agree it wasn't perfect! I hope it is accessible (and helpful/enjoyable) to kids!.."

Oh yes. It deals with grieving a loved one, and that feeling of not belonging in your own skin. I think kids can relate even if they're not LGBTQ+. If Kyle Lukoff wasn't drawing from his own experiences, I would have guessed Bug was non-binary and maybe left it more ambiguous for kids to project how THEY see themselves. This book introduces Kyle Lukoff's obsession as detailed in his newest picture book There’s No Such Thing as Vegetables.

It's a good book for gender non-conforming kids who may see themselves in Bug but there are now other books that might be better or more interesting. I liked this one better than
Gracefully Grayson. I haven't read George (Melissa) yet. That one is also #OwnVoices, I think.

Yes, there are some out there! I believe I have read the other two, also. I might have liked Bug's story the most... but I think I'm still waiting for something truly wonderful.

I guess in Lukoff's book I was glad that there was a little more going on than just gender issue. But I'm also very appreciative of your inclination that it would have been better if it were a bit more ambiguous, to be more universally relevant.

I hope to read it soon to make sure I'm not saying anything silly....

Cheryl wrote: "I guess in Lukoff's book I was glad that there was a little more going on than just gender issue. But I'm also very appreciative of your inclination that it would have been better if it were a bit more ambiguous, to be more universally relevant
I guess in Lukoff..."

The other one I read, ironically about a kid named Bug, Frankie & Bug, set in the 1980s, deals with the transgender issue a little more quietly. It's not the focus of the story but Too Bright to See deals with the issue from the inside. How it feels to not see your own reflection in the mirror, being scared of the mirror and thinking it was normal for mirrors to "go funny" sometimes. That made Bug's problem more than normal growing up stuff but at the same time, it made the story less relatable for cisgender kids who happen to be uninterested in what the media and peer pressure push us to be interested in.

Hmm... I really liked Frankie & Bug. I like your interesting comparison of the two, too. Thanks!

Cheryl wrote: "Hmm... I really liked Frankie & Bug. I like your interesting comparison of the two, too. Thanks!"

I liked it too and the transgender issue isn't the main focus of the story so it's different but maybe more relatable. I haven't seen the teenagers in awhile but I'll have to find out if they've read any of these in school and what their thoughts are.

Watercress was very sweet. As I have worked with minority students for many years, I can see how this book could be valuable. They often feel out of place and not sure how their culture at home fits in with the culture they are submersed in at school. It could also be a good segue into discussing the cultural background of the child.

Hi Shoshana! Good points about Watercress!

I finally read Red, White, and Whole. All in one night, even though I was tired I wasn't sleepy so maybe I didn't fully appreciate it.

I did appreciate the poetry, though. I'm pretty picky about novels-in-verse but this one is much more than chopped up prose. I particularly liked *Only* in which two homes are compared, one with an only child and one with a houseful; read the poem aloud and see how the pacing and structure reinforce the content of the words themselves.

I also liked being reminded of the pop hits of MTV in 1983. I was a young adult just fledging and not paying a lot of attention, but still I could follow along.

Anyway, there are a lot of extra details and a whole 'nother storyline in here besides Reha's two 'different' cultural identities. Makes for an interesting take on the theme. I'm giving it four stars.

There are still two I haven't read, and may not ever. Sorry.

Ack. I'm still pondering. I want to read The Last Cuentista but I'm intimidated by that cover. Some of the other covers definitely appeal, though! Maybe I should print out one of them, check the book out of the library, recover it while I'm reading it....

Thoughts?