Month: September 2021

A Novel by Nikki Grimes

1. Bibliography

Grimes, Nikki. 2019. Ordinary Hazards: A Memoir. Honesdale, PA: WordSong. ISBN 978-1-62979-881-3

2. Plot Summary

In Ordinary Hazards: A Memoir told in verse, Nikki Grimes recounts her own personal history from her birth in 1950 until her mid-teenagerhood in 1966. Grimes’s story is one of great trauma. As the second child of a marriage doomed to fail, Nikki remembers lots of yelling. When her father moves out, Nikki’s alcoholic, schizophrenic mother goes to find a job, leaving Nikki and her older sister, Carol, in the hands of an abusive “babysitter” who locks the girls in the closet until just before their mother gets home in the evening. A little later, when their mom can’t seem to make ends meet, Nikki and Carol move in with cousins who “shoot up” regularly. Foster care, splitting Nikki and Carol apart, comes quickly thereafter. It is while staying with her foster family that Nikki learns the power of the pen to calm her fears and manage her burdens. When Nikki returns to her mother, she is beset by gang violence, sexual abuse, racism, and the death of a loved one. Yet, while her childhood is traumatic, Nikki finds her footing with her writing, her religious convictions, and the support of her sister, her writing teacher, and her best friend Debra. The end of Grimes’s memoir includes personal photographs from various periods of her childhood and young adulthood.

3.  Critical Analysis

There’s no doubt about it: Nikki Grimes has the gift of language. From page one, readers will want to invest in the story of the woman whose name is a lie, her first “invention” to protect herself from the real name that “wasn’t worth a lot.” Nikki quickly reveals the book’s title in an early poem, “On Our Own,” writing that she was never warned that “the world was full of / ordinary hazards / like closets with locks and keys.” For Nikki, a key becomes an “ordinary hazard” that locks her in a closet for hours on end while to an outside observer, a key appears to be an object of security just like mothers and grandmothers are supposed to be people of security (although for Nikki, they’re not) and bedrooms are supposed to be places of security (although for Nikki, it’s not).

Yet, while Nikki’s “ordinary hazards” provoke readers to horror, her adolescent life—though exceedingly difficult—is punctuated by what Nikki sees as God’s grace. For her, “hard evidence appears / round every corner.” It’s in the Christian church that Nikki is drawn to that leads her to her best friend, Debra. It’s in her reacquaintance with her father who becomes Nikki’s ally and confidante. It’s in her metamorphosis, as the slip cover shows, of a pitiful black moth—blurry on the edges—into a striking butterfly of neon light revealed underneath. Readers will come away from Nikki’s trauma-filled story full of that same hope she feels as an aspiring poet when the famous writer James Baldwin reads her writing, looks her in the eye, and asks her to give him a call.

African American culture plays a part in Nikki’s formation. Through it, she experiences deep trauma: For example, in June 1964, she mourns the “white-hooded devils” who killed black men like Chaney, Goodman, and Schwerner, and she’s physically scarred when she refuses to join a neighborhood gang. But through her culture, she also experiences deep peace: attending the Convent Avenue Baptist Church, dubbed a “Black church” by Nikki, brings her the family she’d never had and gives her the strength to “brave the darkness at home, once again.” Her father teaches Nikki about Black history, Black painters, Black musicians, and Black writers, allowing Nikki to see “Black so beautiful,” and to dream of herself as a singer, a dancer, and a writer. Never before have I read a book so unapologetically candid about both the negative and the positive aspects of a culture.

Nikki Grimes’s book invites readers of all backgrounds to rise above their difficulties and cultivate their talents. Raw, gripping, and packing a powerful poetic punch, Ordinary Hazards deserves a place on every young adult shelf. Highly recommended.

4. Rewards and Review Excerpts

Cybils Awards, 2019, Finalist, Poetry

Michael L. Printz Award, 2020, Honor

Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal, 2020, Honor

Horn Book Fanfare Title, 2020, Nonfiction

From Kirkus: “Grimes recounts her story as a memoir in verse, writing with a poet’s lyricism through the lens of memory fractured by trauma. Fans of her poetry and prose will appreciate this intimate look at the forces that shaped her as an artist and as a person determined to find the light in the darkest of circumstances. A raw, heartbreaking, and ultimately uplifting story of trauma, loss, and the healing power of words.”

From Booklist: “The memoir has heartbreaking moment—seven soul-crushing ones—that will make readers ache for young Grimes and teens grappling with similar circumstances. But inspiring moments bolster her raw, resonant story, showing that there is always light at the end of the darkest of tunnels.”

5. Connections

Ordinary Hazards is a memoir told in verse. Invite teens to write a few memoir poems of their own. Then invite them to share their poems in an online library showcase if comfortable.

Create a display of Ordinary Hazards and other children/YA books written by Nikki Grimes, such as the following selections:

  • One Last Word. ISBN 9781619635548
  • Garvey’s Choice. ISBN 9781501964695
  • Bronx Masquerade. ISBN 9780803725690
  • Words With Wings. ISBN 9781590789858
  • Off to See the Sea. ISBN 9781492638292
  • Legacy: Women’s Poets of the Harlem Renaissance. ISBN 9781681199450

*Note—This book review was created as an assignment for a course at Texas Woman’s University.

A Novel by Jacqueline Woodson

1. Bibliography

Woodson, Jacqueline. 2020. Before the Ever After. New York: Penguin Random House. ISBN 9780399545436

2. Plot Summary

Playing pro football made ZJ’s dad a hero. Daddy is “Zachariah 44,” the famous scorer, the Super Bowl winner, the darling of the press. But lately, he’s been acting strange. Daddy’s forgetting things—famous football players’ names, his own teammates’ names, even ZJ’s name—he’s experiencing horribly painful migraines that leave him bedridden, and sometimes he’s even yelling at ZJ, something he never used to do. ZJ is baffled at first, then shocked, then scared. Why can’t doctors fix Daddy, turning him from this puzzling new man back into the football-loving, music-jamming, kind, and encouraging man that he used to be? Luckily, ZJ has his family, “his boys,” and his music to keep him grounded despite his family’s devastating new reality. Set in the late ‘90s, this family drama written in verse sheds light on CTE, a degenerative brain disease affecting football players (and their families) that remains woefully understudied.

3.  Critical Analysis

Before the Ever After tells the story of one eleven-year-old Black boyas he watches a football-inflicted brain injury change his father forever. Told through Woodsen’s lyrical free verse, ZJ’s easygoing-turned-heartbreaking son-father relationship holds its readers transfixed, especially since it’s clear that ZJ, the protagonist and first-person narrator of the story, loves and admires his father and that his father loves and admires ZJ back. When asked whether his dad is his hero, ZJ replies that “Zachariah 44” is more than a hero. His dad is ZJ’s “every single thing.” The two jam out to music and bond over Tupac, Beastie Boys, and Rufus Wainwright. Daddy also becomes like a second father to Ollie, one of ZJ’s best friends. So when ZJ’s father becomes unresponsive, angry, and indecipherable, readers will feel the family’s—and especially ZJ’s—immense sadness and loss. Middle-graders probably won’t have experienced the devastation of CTE in their own home, but they will understand the connection that ZJ yearns to feel with his father and the bittersweetness of losing him over and over again.

ZJ is a believable middle-grade protagonist. His story feels authentic to 1999, from the ‘90s music he jams to (like Prince, Public Enemy, Digable Planets) and the hang-outs he enjoys as part of his group of friends (which he dubs the “Fantastic Four”) to the old pop culture references mentioned by his dad (like The Partridge Family, Minnie Riperton, and Earth, Wind & Fire). He’s also a believable Black character, although Black culture’s place in the novel is discreet, rather than overt. Skin color, for example, is only signaled in the text once when ZJ describes his “daddy’s brown hand” and on the cover art showing ZJ riding on his father’s shoulders. However, reader’s will note that ZJ’s mom believes in God and converses with Him as she tries to understand the reason for her husband’s condition. They will also note that the extended family is important to ZJ’s family dynamic. ZJ is in close contact with grandmothers, cousins, and various aunts and uncles who jump in to help his struggling family. In ZJ’s home, Christianity and the extended family carry immense value and weight.

Although not a “happily ever after” story, Jacqueline Woodson has written a lyrical novel that that takes a powerful stand on football, head trauma, and the rights of athletes. Readers won’t soon forget this one. Before the Ever After would make a great addition to any middle school collection. Highly recommended.

4. Rewards and Review Excerpts

Coretta Scott King Book Award, 2021, Author Winner

Cybils Award, 2020, Middle Grade Fiction Nominee

Goodreads Choice Award, 2020, Middle Grade Nominee

Kirkus Best Middle Grade Books, 2020

Booklist Book Review Star, 2020

From Booklist: “Woodson again shows herself to be a masterful writer, and her meaningful exploration of concussions and head injuries in football, a subject rarely broached in middle-grade fiction, provides young athletes with necessary insights into sport’s less glamorous side. In addition to this, it is a novel that explores family, mental illness, and the healing that a tight-knit, loving community can provide.”

From Kirkus: “Using spare and lyrical language for ZJ’s present-tense narration, which moves back and forth through time, Woodson skillfully portrays the confusion, fear, and sadness when a family member suffers from brain injury and the personality changes it brings. . . . The well-rounded secondary characters complete a mosaic of a loving African American family and their community of friends. . . . A poignant and achingly beautiful narrative shedding light on the price of a violent sport.”

5. Connections

Music plays a large role in ZJ’s life and in his relationship with his father. Play September by Earth, Wind & Fire and Memory Lane by Minnie Riperton, and I Will Always Love You by Whitney Houston, asking middle graders to listen to the lyrics. Then ask them why these songs might be important to ZJ. Ask middle graders to think about what songs are meaningful to them and, if appropriate, allow them to share their selections with the group.

Create a display of Jacqueline Woodson’s books. This selection might include the following:

  • Coming on Home Soon. ISBN 9780399237485
  • Visiting Day. ISBN 9780590552622
  • Brown Girl Dreaming. ISBN 9780399252518
  • Locomotion. ISBN 9780399231155
  • Show Way. ISBN 9780399237492
  • The Other Side. ISBN 9780399231162

*Note—This book review was created as an assignment for a course at Texas Woman’s University.

A Book by Kadir Nelson

1. Bibliography

Nelson, Kadir. 2011. Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans. New York: Balzer + Bray. ISBN 978-0-06-173074-0

2. Plot Summary

Written in the voice of an African American senior who talks to her audience as if she’s talking to her own grandchildren, Heart and Soul tells the extensive history of the African American people. The story begins with the exportation of African laborers, slavery, abolition, the Civil War, Reconstruction, westward expansion, the Great Migration, and the Harlem boom, and goes on to detail the history of African Americans in World War II, Jim Crow, civil rights, and—most recently—the election of the first African American president. This 100-page monument to the strength of the African American people is written in twelve chapters, with detailed oil paintings accompanying the written history on every page. The book also includes an author’s note, an extensive timeline and bibliography, and a handy index in the back.

3.  Critical Analysis

Kadir Nelson takes pride in his heritage, a pride that is apparent in his striking illustrations of strong-willed African Americans—people like Frederick Douglas, Harriet Tubman, and even sharecroppers and schoolteachers who, though treated unfairly, stand up nobly and seem to look the reader in the eye. Nelson’s focus on the faces of his subjects allows readers to feel a sense of personal connection to the African Americans of history and respect their dignity, even in appalling circumstances.

Though Kadir Nelson’s story explains heavy topics like the founding fathers’ views on slavery, the animalistic treatment of slaves, and the Klu Klux Klan, the tone of the story’s narrator is matter-of-fact—never contemptuous or bitter. The reason to tell the tale is, in the words of this grandmotherly storyteller, to “know where you come from so you can move forward” and to “make the American promise of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness a reality for all Americans.” This isn’t a book of anger, although parts of it will rightly make readers angry. It’s a book to educate, to uplift, and to make sure history doesn’t repeat itself.

The book wears Black culture on its sleeve, shown most strikingly through its notable use of “oral speak”— the African American senior narrates her story as if her readers are her own grandchildren gathered around her knee. When she notes that the white colonists decided to rebel against English because they didn’t want to be slaves to the king, she says (with a wry hint of irony in her voice that’s almost palpable), “Chile, what in the world could they ever know about that?” Her authentic pseudo-oral narration pays tribute to the African American oral tradition of storytelling, passing down wisdom and history from generation to generation, even when reading and writing was relegated only to the white folks.

The first illustration of Heart and Soul is a painting of scores of Americans of all colors, races, genders, and religions, linking arms around an American flag. Nelson’s point, shown through his words and illustrations, is clear: America and its citizens are best when all of us stand together.

A book that allows children to gain a more nuanced perspective of American history, Heart and Soul is a must-have history book for children in higher elementary and middle school.

4. Rewards and Review Excerpts

Cybils Award, 2011, Nominee, Children’s Nonfiction

YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults, 2012, Nominee

White Ravens Award, 2012, Winner, United States

NPR’s Book Concierge Pick, 2011, Kids

From Kirkus: In an undertaking even more ambitious than the multiple-award-winning We Are the Ship (2008), Nelson tells the story of African-Americans and their often central place in American history. . . . This intimate narrative makes the stories accessible to young readers and powerfully conveys how personal this history feels for many African-Americans.”

From Booklist: “Nelson, the creator of We Are the Ship (2008), recipient of both a Coretta Scott King Author Award and a Robert F. Siebert Medal, adds to his notable titles with this powerful view of African American history.”

5. Connections

Create a display of nonfiction African American history books for children and young adults, such as the following selections:

  • Crowe, Chris. Getting Away with Murder: The True Story of the Emmett Till Case. ISBN 9780451478726
  • Beals, Melba Pattillo. Warriors Don’t Cry. ISBN 9780671899004
  • Bridges, Ruby. This Is Your Time. ISBN 9780593378557
  • Lewis, John, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell. March: Book Three. ISBN 9781603094023

Create a display of Heart and Soul and other books written and/or illustrated by Kadir Nelson, such as the following selections:

  • We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball. ISBN 9780786808328
  • Nelson Mandela. ISBN 9780061783746
  • He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands. ISBN 9780803728509
  • Levine, Ellen. Henry’s Freedom Box. ISBN 9780439777339
  • Alexander, Kwame. The Undefeated. ISBN 9781328780966
  • Napoli, Donna Jo. Mama Miti. ISBN 9781416935056

*Note—This book review was created as an assignment for a course at Texas Woman’s University.

An USBBY Outstanding International Book

1. Bibliography

Parr, Maria. 2018. Astrid the Unstoppable. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press. ISBN 978-1-5362-0017-1

2. Plot Summary

Astrid is unstoppable. She may be the only child in the small, rural town of Glimmerdal, but that’s not going to stop the fiery young heroine from having fun. Even though he’s seventy-four years old, Gunnvald—Astrid’s godfather—is her best friend and partner in crime. Together, the two have grand adventures. They come up with the best sled design for soaring down the snowy Norwegian mountainside and find the most effective way to round up Gunnvald’s misbehaving ram. Gunnvald knows everything about Astrid, and Astrid knows everything about Gunnvald—at least, she thinks she does. But when Gunnvald receives an unexpected letter with news about some woman Astrid has never heard off, Astrid learns there may be much more to Gunnvald’s past than she’d thought: things like a lover, a long-lost daughter, and a devastating mistake. Can Astrid help Gunnvald to right his past wrongs? And after finding out how much Gunnvald has hidden from her, does she really want to?

Translated from the original Norwegian, Astrid the Unstoppable is a heartwarming friendship story that centers around Astrid’s relationship with Gunnvald, Gunnvald’s relationship with his long-lost daughter, Heidi, and Heidi’s relationship with Astrid. The emphasis of the story is on family and belonging.

3.  Critical Analysis

Characters are front and center in this charming little middle-grade novel. Astrid, our heroine, is a dynamic young character, on par with Anne Shirley in the personality department. The unstoppable “little thunderbolt of Glimmerdal” is funny, obnoxious, loving, and thoughtful. She may not win over everyone in her small town with her loud personality, but she certainly wins over the reader, whether she’s getting into a fist fight with the town’s newest visitors or kidnapping Heidi’s dog to use as leverage in her plot to save Gunnvald’s farm. Whatever Astrid thinks up next is going to be big and a little crazy, but it’s always going to come from the noblest of intentions.

Gunnvald is just as loveable, despite his pretended grouchiness. It’s clear that the old man cherishes his relationship with his little red-haired lioness, and listens to her suggestions (which children will delight to see), notwithstanding the fact that he’s more than sixty years her senior. And it’s a good thing too—Astrid cheers Gunnvald on (and sometimes yells him on) as he attempts to patch up his relationship with his daughter, ask for her forgiveness, and find hope to believe that she still loves him. Children will stand beside Astrid and cheer Gunnvald on as he does his best to reach out to Heidi again.

Astrid’s story, an USBBY honor title, contains several Norwegian markers. Gunnvald and the other old men in the town delight in a Norwegian tobacco substance called “snus” (or “disgusting snus” if you’re talking to Astrid), the characters often eat foods like reindeer meatballs and venison stew, and special emphasis is placed on Christmas and Easter celebrations. But while the Norwegian setting, language, foods, and religious preferences may be new to some readers, all children will find ways to relate to the book’s themes of friendship and family. Most children may not be best friends with their seventy-four-year-old godfather, but they will understand Astrid’s loyalty to her friend despite his flaws and the betrayal she feels when she learns that he’s been keeping secrets from her. They’ll also understand Astrid’s yearning to spend more time with her mother (who’s usually off in Greenland checking rising water levels for her job) and Heidi’s yearning to be loved by both her parents.

Whether you’re eight or seventy-four, you’ll find lots to love in Astrid the Unstoppable. This would make a great addition to any late elementary or early middle-school collection looking for more international titles and more sweet friendship stories. Highly recommended.

4. Rewards and Review Excerpts

Amazon Editors’ Picks: Best Books of the Year, 2018 (Ages 6-8)

Booklist Book Review Stars, 2018

USBBY Outstanding International Books, 2019 (Grades 3-5)

From Booklist: “Drama and humor are interwoven throughout the well-paced narrative, which transports readers to a distinctive locale and introduces vividly drawn, memorable characters. . . Norwegian writer Parr, whose Adventures with Waffles (2013) has been translated into many languages, offers another original chapter book with a strong sense of place and international appeal.”

From Horn Book Magazines: “The action scenes are riveting, but it’s the relationships that deepen the story and make it memorable. Although there’s no missing the homages to Heidi (Gunnvald resembles Spyri’s novel’s grandfather; Gunnvald’s daughter is named Heidi; and Astrid reads Heidi throughout) and Pippi Longstocking (with Astrid’s flaming red hair, self-confidence, and almost-an-orphan independence, not to mention her shared first name with Pippi’s author), Parr (Adventures with Waffles) has crafted a fresh and original tale, all her own.”

5. Connections

The book Heidi plays a large role in Astrid the Unstoppable and book reviewers have also noted many parallels between Astrid and Pippi Longstocking. After reading this book as part of a book club or read-aloud program, read excerpts of Heidi and Pippi Longstocking, looking for similarities between the main characters. You might also suggest that children watch the movie adaptations of Heidi and Pippi.

Create a display of Astrid and other children’s books set in Norway, such as Hilda and the Troll, Adventures with Waffles, D’Aulaires’ Book of Trolls, The Three Billy Goats Gruff, Locked in Ice: Nansen’s Daring Quest for the North Pole, and Doctor Proctor’s Fart Powder.

  • Pearson, Luke. Hilda and the Troll. ISBN 9781909263789
  • Parr, Maria. Adventures with Waffles. ISBN 9781536203660
  • D’Aulaire, Ingri. D’Aulaires’ Book of Trolls. ISBN 9781590172179
  • Asbjørnsen, Peter Christen. The Three Billy Goats Gruff. ISBN 9780816430802
  • Lourie, Peter. Locked in Ice: Nansen’s Daring Quest for the North Pole. ISBN 9781250137647
  • Nesbø, Jo. Doctor Proctor’s Fart Powder. ISBN 9781416979722

A Picture Book by Mem Fox

1. Bibliography

Fox, Mem, and Julie Vivas. 1983. Possum Magic. San Diego: Harcourt Brace & Company. ISBN 0-15-200572-2

2. Plot Summary

Hush and Grandma are two possums living in the Australian bush. To the amazement of all the other animals living there—kangaroos, kookaburras, and dingos included—Grandma Poss can do magic. She can even turn Hush invisible, keeping her safe from snakes and allowing her to have fun doing all sorts of silly shenanigans. Unfortunately, Grandma Poss forgets the magic to undo Hush’s spell. When she finally remembers it, Grandma Poss realizes that the two will have to take a culinary tour around Australia to make the poor little possum visible again. The back page of the book includes definitions of Australian (culinary) terms and a map of the Aussie cities that the possums visit on their journey.

3.  Critical Analysis

As someone who lived in Australia for two years, the “spell-breaking” foods introduced by Grandma Poss put a smile on my face. Many of them are Aussie classics—Anzac biscuits, Vegemite sandwiches, pavlova, lamingtons—and after I’d finished reading, I immediately felt the urge to bake my own lamingtons pronto. Mem Fox’s food tour has done what all good books do: it inspires action! I also appreciated the glossary of Australian terms found the in the back of the book, helping readers like me who aren’t quite sure what “mornay” is. According to the glossary, it’s “a supper dish of fish in white sauce, topped with bread crumbs and browned in the oven.” (Are you salivating yet?) In short, what a fun idea to write a book celebrating Australian animals, Australian cities, and Australian food all in one go!

I do wish that the illustrations put a little more emphasis on the fun foods the possums are eating. The pavlova is hardly recognizable sitting on an umbrella in the distance, similar to the only slightly visible packet of Anzac bickies in the cinema. But while the food illustrations feel a little underdone, I love that Julie Vivas’s illustrations highlight the unique Australian wildlife—possums, wombats, echidna, emu—you name it, she’s drawn it into the story, much to the delight of young readers.

I also wish the storyline were a little stronger. It seems almost as though Mem Fox threw together a jumble of three different storylines—one about Grandma Poss’s magic, one about Hush’s invisibility, and one about the Australian food tour—making the story less cohesive. Still, Mem Fox knows how to write a fun, if slightly forgettable, yarn, and Julie Vivas knows how to draw irresistible bush animals. All in all, Possum Magic is a book worth reading.

4. Rewards and Review Excerpts

International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) Honor List, 1986, Winner, Illustration

Kids Own Australian Literature Awards (KOALA), 1987, Winner, Primary

From Bookbird: “Another treat from Mem Fox that is sure to be treasured. The whimsical illustrations are a wonderful complement.”

From Children’s Literature: “The book provides a warm, wonderful first exploration of Australia!”

5. Connections

Ask children to brainstorm what Hush would eat if she came to your local city. Have the children present their answers to the group. Then have a food party complete with some of the Australian treats mentioned in Possum Magic and some of your own local food “magic.”

Create a display of Possum Magic and other children’s books set in Australia, such as the following selections:

  • Morrison, Yvonne. The Emu That Laid the Golden Egg. ISBN 9781921894008
  • Lai, Remy. Pie in the Sky. ISBN 9781250314093
  • Hameister, Jade. Polar Explorer. ISBN 9781250317681
  • Marshall, James Vance. Stories from the Billabong. ISBN 9781845077044
  • Coote, Maree. Robyn Boid: Architect. ISBN 9780992491741
  • Fox, Mem. I’m an Immigrant Too!. ISBN 9781534436022

A Batchelder Award Novel

1. Bibliography

Lee, Uk-Bae. 2019. When Spring Comes to the DMZ. Walden, NY: Plough Publishing House. ISBN 978-0-87486-972-9

2. Plot Summary

In When Spring Comes to the DMZ, one boy’s grandfather—living in South Korea—goes to the observatory at the edge of the DMZ (also known as the “demilitarized zone,” a razor wire barrier that was put in place in 1954, separating North Korea from South Korea), peering at the wildlife thriving within its razor wire walls and at the armies manning the fence without. The boy and his grandfather go to the observatory each season, longing for the tightly locked gates to open and to see long-lost family members that are still trapped on the North Korean side of the divide. The final pages explain the DMZ, the Korean divide, and Uk-Bae Lee’s (and many other Koreans’) hope for the future.

3.  Critical Analysis

Uk-Bae Lee’s illustrations carry a powerfully poignant message starting with the end papers in the very beginning of the book. There’s a map of the world, all in the same whitish hue except for a jagged red scar running through the middle of the Korean Peninsula. Immediately, Lee’s illustrations draw attention to that mottled area. Lee’s clever drawings don’t stop with the end pages, though. The title page includes a picture of the DMZ lookout glasses through which readers will “view” the DMZ wilderness on the next page spread with the grandfather, searching the far end of the razor wire barrier to try to catch a glimpse of what lies beyond.

Later spreads show peaceful animals unaffected by the barrier between North and South Korea, free to roam where they choose, while the soldiers that guard the border are—ironically—exhausted and locked out. The final spread of the story, when the grandfather flings open the tightly locked gates of the DMZ and joyfully reunites with lost loved ones from other side, packs a powerful punch. This is the only part of the story that isn’t describing what Grandfather is doing and seeing through his lookout glasses. Instead, it describes what he wants to do. The joyous family reunion that Grandfather wants so much is not yet a reality, but the beautifully imagined scene that Lee has drawn, uniting two aged brothers that haven’t seen each other in over 50 years, is so touching that readers will long for an end to the DMZ just like Grandfather. The final end pages reveal that the jagged red scar running through the middle of the Korean Peninsula has vanished. Again, the removal of the DMZ is not yet a reality, but a DMZ-less world is so appealing that it invites readers to want it too.

This picture book also offers something unique to picture book readers because it isn’t a historical story about a South Korean tragedy of long ago. No, this is a tragedy that is taking place in real time. The boy in the story is not a relic of the past but a modern 21st century kid, going on a seasonal outing with his grandfather, making him relatable to children across the globe who are reading his story. Still, while the divide is a heavy topic, Lee navigates When Spring Comes to the DMZ with grace, offering an ending that will leave children sad but hopeful. A book that allows children to understand a current global event affecting thousands of Koreans while inspiring empathy, When Spring Comes to the DMZ is a must-have picture book.

4. Rewards and Review Excerpts

Mildred L. Batchelder Award, 2020, Honor

Kirkus Best Picture Books, 2019

From Kirkus Review:“The cupboard is nearly bare of children’s books about the DMZ, making this an excellent introduction to the crises on the Korean Peninsula as well as a great choice for social justice collections, peace promoters, and animal lovers.”

From Booklist: “Highly detailed illustrations in watercolor and pencil capture the softness of Grandfathers heart and the exuberance of wildlife that grows without bounds. Back matter provides a brief explanation of the Korean War and the pain of the separated populations with eerie timeliness.”

5. Connections

Create a display of antiwar books for an elementary-age audience, such as the following selections:

  • Winter, Jeanette. The Librarian of Basra: A True Story from Iraq. ISBN 9780152054458
  • Mochizuki, Ken, and Dom Lee (illustrator). Passage to Freedom: The Sugihara Story. ISBN 9781584301578
  • Coerr, Elizabeth. Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes. ISBN 9780698118027
  • Long, Michael L., and Carlos Vélez (illustrator). Three Lines in a Circle: The Exciting Life of the Peace Symbol. ISBN 9781646981960

Create a display of When Spring Comes to the DMZ and other children’s books set in South Korea, such as the following selections:

  • Cho, Tina. The Ocean Calls. ISBN 9781984814869
  • Kim, So-un. Three Korean Fairy Tales. ISBN 9780804852272
  • Park, Linda Sue. A Single Shard. ISBN 9780547534268
  • Oh, Ellen. Finding Junie Kim. ISBN 9780062987983
  • Cheung, Hyechong, and Prodeepta Das. K is for Korea. ISBN 9781845077891
  • Lee, JiHyeon. Pool. ISBN 9781452142944