Mama's Nightingale: A Story of Immigration and Separation

Title: Mama's Nightingale:
A Story of Immigration and Separation

Author: Edwidge Danticat                                 

Illustrator: Leslie Staub
Publisher: Dial, 2015
Intended ages:5-8
Themes: Family, Separation, Immigration (Haitian)
FICTION
Opening Line(s):"When Mama first goes away, what I miss most is the sound of her voice. At night, while Papa's asleep, I sneak out of bed to listen to Mama's greeting on our answering machine."
Synopsis: When a young girl's mother who lacks "proper papers" is sent to an immigration detention center the girl looks for ways to bridge the distance between them, and maybe even bring Mama home.
What I like about this Book:  This story puts human faces to the problem of immigrant status. No matter what your political stance on this issue, I hope the story touches your heart. The story may not be for every child--and I would adhere to the intended ages and not share with younger readers as I wonder if the thought of this separation might upset those too young to understand immigration status and worry that all parents might be spirited away. However any family touched by this issue would certainly benefit as well as older children in every community. The way our government drags its feet, it's a problem that their generation may well have to deal with.
     As a writer, I love finding the solution in this instance in the power of words. I also enjoyed the way the nightingale was woven through the story, as the girl's nickname from her mama, as part of Haitian folklore, and in the stories that mama and the main character create for each other.
     The vibrant jewel-toned art has a naif, happy quality that lightened the story for me.
     An author's note at the end of the story reveals that the author's family was separated for a time when her parents went to the United States and she and her brother remained with family in Haiti. 
Activities and Resources:
I couldn't find websites for the author or illustrator (the links above go to their active Facebook accounts). Nor could I find book specific lesson plans. And the resources about Haiti at Teaching for Change were targeted to older readers. So here are my own ideas.

• Discuss why people might leave their homelands. Read the author's book EIGHT DAYS: A Story of Haiti (a fictionalized story of a Haitian earthquake survivor), also written for ages 5-8.
• Compare other picture book immigrant stories. Here's a few to get started! I'm New Here. My Two Blankets. The Seeds of Friendship.
•  Think about a family member or friend you haven't seen for awhile. Write a story or draw a picture to send to them. Can you put a bird or a rainbow in your story or drawing?
• Go birding. Do you have a favorite local bird? Why or why not?
• Listen to the nightingale's song. :)

illo by Leslie Staub

This review is part of PPBF (Perfect Picture Book Friday) where bloggers share great picture books. Organized and curated by author Susanna Leonard Hill, she keeps an ever-growing list of Perfect Picture Books. #PPBF
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WALL by Tom Clohosy Cole - Perfect Picture Book Friday #PPBF

I was prepared to NOT like this one. That's the mind set I had when I brought it home. And so it's a surprise that I find myself writing this post. But doesn't everyone love a surprise?
     Today's recommendation--

TITLE: WALL

GORGEOUS front and back covers

AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR: Tom Clohosy Cole
Publisher: Templar Books/Candlewick, 2014
Intended Age: 6-9 (NOT for the youngest)
Themes: Separation from a parent, History
Opening lines: 
My mom said that while the wall was being made,
our dad got stuck on the other side.

Synopsis: A little boy misses his father and is determined to reunite his family when they are separated by the Wall. (Berlin isn't mentioned in the text, only on the inside back jacket flap)

What I like about this book: I found myself holding my breath as I read. The tension and emotion swept me into the story. The graphic illustrations are eerily dark and foreboding. Perhaps because I'm an adult and I knew the reality of the situation it affected me more, but I think any child will connect with a child's longing to find their parent when forces they can't understand are keeping them apart.
     The book jacket says that the story is based on historical true stories of escape from East Berlin but I agree with the New York Times review that this story feels more like fairy tale. The boy's heroic deed isn't entirely believable, nor the soldier's response at the climax, but it makes a time in history accessible to younger readers and can spark meaningful conversations about freedom and fairness.The emotional core of the story goes well beyond the specific event portrayed. And that's why it earned my personal recommendation. I hope readers SEE the back jacket flap information about Berlin. I think it would have worked better as back matter, but I guess there wasn't room.
     NOTE: The story has powerful imagery. A parent should read the book first to determine if their child is old enough to process and appreciate the story without being upset. The soldiers in the story carry guns (shown in silhouette) and one single page that speaks to those who weren't lucky enough to escape shows the silhouette of a soldier carrying an apparently lifeless body with razor wire in the background. It is included in the CBC Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People 2015 Preview in the K-2d grade category.

Resources:

•  Similar books for reading were recommended by critics at Kirkus reviews, including Peter Sis' THE WALL, James Rumford's SILENT MUSIC and Dr. Seuss' THE BUTTER BATTLE BOOK. According to the Amazon blurb, School Library Journal suggests:
  "It could be paired with Jacqueline Woodson's The Other Side (Putnam, 2001) to compare and contrast it with the struggle for civil rights here in the United States. For a wider world view, another choice might be Sami and the Time of Troubles (Clarion, 1992) by Florence Heide, about a child growing up in war-torn Lebanon." (I don't have the print version of SLJ)
•  The University of Texas has a two page worksheet about the Berlin wall appropriate for this age group.
• The National Education Association has a unit on the Berlin wall that is primarily targeted to high school students. The Royal Air Force Museum in England also has extensive resources.
• Tom Clohosy Cole is a freelance illustrator. His website has a large number of images posted, from grocery store murals, album covers, magazine covers to several spreads in WALL. Talk about the use of color. Tom was interviewed about his work on the NoBrow website.

This review is part of PPBF (perfect picture book Friday) where bloggers share great picture books at Susanna Leonard Hill's site. Along with tons of writing wisdom, she keeps an ever-growing list of Perfect Picture Books. #PPBF

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