nwasianweekly.com
December 13, 2003
Join us for the Northwest Asian Weekly for its second-annual Rainbow Bookfest:
Celebrating Authors of Color at Union Station, Fifth Avenue and Jackson
Street in Seattle, on April 24, 2004. This year’s event will feature
a poetry slam.
A
quick look at books
Polly
Bemis: A Chinese American Pioneer, by Priscilla Wegars. Published
by Backeddy Books, 2003.
An illustrated book accompanied by an interactive Web site for children,
Wegars’ book fills an important niche for those interested in Asian
American history. Polly Bemis immigrated to the United States from China
in the 1800s. She came as a slave, but later became free and married.
A version of her story has been told in a novel for adult readers, Thousand
Pieces of Gold. But this is the first biography of Bemis for children,
and it is a well-researched look at a pioneer and legend from the Old
West.
Her former cabin near the Salmon River in Idaho is still maintained as
a local historical museum, the author notes. There are many historical
photos in the hard-cover book, along with decorative illustrations. On
its Web site, www.pollybemis.org, children (and their parents) can find
lessons, paper dolls and a wealth of background material about China and
early Idaho. The lessons, developed by a fourth-grade teacher, help make
this book an excellent contribution to elementary classrooms. It was published
in 1853 in honor of the 150th anniversary of Bemis’ birth.
Japanese
Children’s Favorite Stories, compiled by Florence Sakade, illustrated
by Yoshisuke Kurosaki. Published by Tuttle Publishing, 2003.
This book of Japanese stories in English was first published in 1953 as
a compilation of stories from the magazine Silver Bells. The publisher
has reissued the book with color illustrations for its 50th anniversary.
A classic book for children that has stood the test of time, this edition
includes 10 original and 10 new stories, along with renderings from a
foremost illustrator. The stories within its covers may be hundreds of
years old, and the publishers have tried to not only maintain the cultural
interest but also make them intelligible to people throughout the world.
Everything is alive here. Statues come to life and goblins appear out
of nowhere. Good is rewarded and evil punished. By painting the world
with broad strokes, we all become children again. Adults will certainly
enjoy sharing these sweet stories.
Guri and Gura’s Seaside Adventure, by Rieko Nakagawa and illustrated
by Yuriko Yamawaki. Published by Tuttle Publishing, 2002.
Part of Tuttle’s book series for very young children, Tuttle for
Kids, Guri and Gura are two delightful field mice who go on adventures
of all kinds. Beloved characters for generations of Japanese children,
the two mice decide to spend the day at the beach doing all kinds of things,
from swimming to exploring. Then they meet the wonderful Sea Giant and
the real adventures begin.
Nakagawa and Yamawaki are talented sisters who have received several awards
for their collaborations. This edition was first published in 1976 by
Fukuinkan Shoten Publishers.
Ann-Marie Stillion can be reached at annmarie@nwasianweekly.com.
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