Children's Literature --Resources

Note:  This illustrator focus could be used in conjunction with a unit about Chinese (Lunar) New Year which typically occurs in late January/early February. 

Grace Lin is the author and/or illustrator of over 25 books, some of which feature her own family, the Lins.  Chinese-American culture is frequently featured in both her writing and illustrations.  "I write and illustrate books that I wish I could have had when I was younger. As a child, I was hungry for books with an Asian-American character. I wanted the main character to be someone just like me. Back then, the few books with Asian characters were folktales, not something that fit into my contemporary life. It's much better now, but I don't forget the desire I had.� ---Grace Lin

1. Setting the Scene:

Prepare a bulletin board/display featuring author/illustrator Grace Lin.
Print and display the covers of a selection of Grace's books, including the Lin Family, Picture Books: Dim Sum for Everyone, Kite Flying, Fortune Cookie Fortunes and Bringing in the New Year.

Watch YouTube Video, Interview with a Puppet.

2.  Read Round is a Mooncake, Red is a Dragon, and One is a Drummer. 

(These three books were all written by Roseanne Thong and illustrated by Grace Lin.  Roseanne Thong is an American living in Hong Kong.   Her husband is Malaysian-Chinese and after their daughter was born, Thong could only find concept books (shapes, colors, numbers) with American themes.  Thong wanted books with Asian themes and wrote Round is a Mooncake.) 

Share and discuss these books in separate sessions.  Excellent information about Chinese festivals/culture at back of each book.  Why do you think Roseanne Thong wanted to write books with Asian themes for her daughter?

3. Focus on The Ugly Vegetables.

Grace Lin studied book illustration at Rhode Island School of Design.  When she graduated, it was difficult to find work.  One book editor encouraged Grace to write stories about her pictures. 

This is the first book written and illustrated by Grace Lin.

Read excerpt from the Grace Lin novel, The Year of the Dog--”Chapter 20: Digging Up a Book Idea

Read and discuss The Ugly Vegetables.

Why does Grace feel different from the other children on her block?  How does her opinion of her mother's garden change during the course of the story?  Which senses does Grace use during the story?
Activity: Make Ugly Vegetable Soup (recipe from book and/or Grace Lin Website)  While the soup is simmering, share the Fun Facts section of the Grace Lin Website. 

4.  Grace's Art

Read Kite Flying, Dim Sum for Everyone and Making Way for the New Year.
Discuss Grace's art.  Themes?  Color choices?  Patterns?  Swirls? How do these relate to her Asian-American heritage

Gouache:  Grace Lin mainly illustrates with pen and gouache.  Gouache (gwash---rhymes with "squash") is a type of opaque watercolor.  Many illustrators use this medium because of the vivid colors and matte finish.

With your students, look at the demonstration in Working with Gouache:  http://members.tripod.com/krobbins4art/id7.htm.

Activity:  Painting with Gouache
Coordinate with your art teacher.  Allow the children to experience painting with gouache.  Afterwards, compare and contrast gouache with watercolors.

5.  The Lin Family

Print out drawings and descriptions of The Lin Family (from Family section of the Grace Lin Homepage) http://www.gracelin.com/index.php. 
Place drawing and description of Grace in center of bulletin board.  Then choose volunteers to read description of each family member and place around Grace on board.  Afterwards, ask who Ma-Ma, Ba-Ba , Jie-Jie  and Mei-Mei  are from Grace Lin's books.  Make labels with each name and Chinese characters and ask volunteers to place them by the Mom, Dad, Lissy and Ki-Ki.

Activity: My family.   Each student draws a picture of him/herself in center of page with a short description.  Then (s)he adds important family members around and writes a description of each.

6.  Write and illustrate story containing him/herself and family member(s)

This activity will take place over several sessions.  The story may be about the student and one family member (like The Ugly Vegetables) or about the student's entire family (Making Way for the New Year, Dim Sum for Everyone).  Encourage students to include traditions from their own family. 
Illustrations:  Include elements of Grace Lin's style: different patterns, lots of small details, bold colors.  Students may draw their own patterns or use patterned paper (cut and glue) to color in parts of their illustrations.
Publish books.

7.  Share family stories with another class

Invite a first grade class to visit.  Students will pair up with different first graders and read their stories.  (If this is used in conjunction with a unit on Chinese New Year, plan this activity on the first day of the Lunar New Year when people traditionally visit each other.)

 
References:
Lin, Grace. (2008). Bringing in the New Year. New York: Knopf. ISBN 9780375837456.
Lin, Grace. (2001). Dim Sum for Everyone. New York: Knopf . ISBN 037581082X.
Lin, Grace. (2004). Fortune Cookie Fortunes. New York: Dragonfly Books. ISBN 9780440421924.
Lin, Grace. (2002). Kite Flying. New York: Dell Dragonfly Books. ISBN 0553112546.
Lin, Grace. (1999). The Ugly Vegetables. Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge. ISBN 9781570914911.
Lin, Grace. (2006). The Year of the Dog. New York: Little, Brown.  ISBN 0316060003
BookPage Interview, (2006). "Sharing Asian Traditions with Young Readers." Retrieved October 8, 2008, from BookPage Website: http://www.bookpage.com/0602bp/grace_lin.html.
The Color Journey, (2004). "Working with Gouache."  Retrieved October 9, 2008, from Kathy Robbins’ Home Page: http://members.tripod.com/krobbins4art/id7.htm.
Grace Lin Home Page, (2008).  Retrieved October 8, 2008, from Grace Lin Website: http://www.gracelin.com/index.php
Gracepacy, (2008). Interview with a Puppet. Retrieved October 12, 2008, from YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ak46iyA0isU.
MSN Encarta, (2008). Gouache. Retrieved October 10, 2008, from MSN Encarta: http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761578754/Gouache.html.
Roseanne Thong Home Page, (2008). Retrieved October 10, 2008, from Roseanne Thong Website: http://www.greenfield-thong.com/about.html.
Standard Mandarin, (2005-2008).  How to Pronounce Basic Mandarin Chinese Phrase. Retrieved October 10, 2008, from Standard Mandarin Website: http://www.standardmandarin.com/basicchinese .
Thong, Roseanne. (2004). One is a Drummer. Illustrated by Grace Lin. San Francisco: Chronicle Books. ISBN 9780811864824
Thong, Roseanne. (2001). Red is a Dragon. Illustrated by Grace Lin. San Francisco: Chronicle Books.  ISBN 9780811864817.
Thong, Roseanne. (2000). Round is a Mooncake. Illustrated by Grace Lin. San Francisco: Chronicle Books. ISBN 0811826767.
Weingrod, C. (1993, May). Taking a good look at gouache. American Artist, 57(610), 14. Retrieved October 10, 2008, from Academic Search Elite database.

Objectives:

Students will analyze an illustrator's work and identify common themes and element.
Students will recognize at least five symbols/items associated with Chinese culture.
Students will investigate how gouache differs from traditional watercolors.
Students will plan and write a personal narrative about themselves, their family and traditions.

"Dw

 following benchmarks would be met if the above plan is followed:

Reading/Language Arts:

LA.3.1.6.2 The student will listen to, read, and discuss familiar and conceptually challenging text
LA.3.2.1.5 The student will respond to, discuss, and reflect on various literary selections, connecting text to self (personal connection), text to world (social connection), text to text (comparison among multiple texts)
LA.3.3.5.1 The student will prepare writing in a format appropriate to audience and purpose
LA.3.3.5.3 The student will share the writing with the intended audience
Writing Process:
LA.3.4.1.1 The student will write narratives based on real or imagined events or observations that include characters, setting, plot, sensory details, and a logical sequence of events
Communication:
LA.3.5.1.1 The student will recall, interpret and summarize information presented orally

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These lesson plans, guides, and other resource materials for young adult literature topics were created by participants in a professional development course in young adult  Literature.  Each resource is copyrighted by the individual educator who developed the material.  The  present course being taught is titled: Teaching Children's Literature in the Reading Program   from the University of Wisconsin-Stout  (Sharron L. McElmeel, instructor)

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