Category: Peace Library Reviews

by Alice Faye Duncan, author; and Keturah A. Bobo, illustrator
review by Lillis Ward

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This true story of the history of the national holiday, Juneteenth, will entertain and capture the attention of young children with its beautiful illustrations and colorful language.   Through the eyes of Opal Lee, a grandchild of a slave,  readers will learn about life of an enslaved person before the Emancipation Proclamation, life for black Americans during the 1900’s, and finally Opal Lee’s quest to make “Juneteenth” a national holiday.   Her efforts were rewarded in 2021 when President Biden signed into law “Juneteenth”, June 19th, a day to commemorate freedom for all.   This is certainly a book for all ages as we strive to learn more about our American past.    

Possible Book Related Activities:

1. At the end of the book is a timeline of the history of the Black Americans and the creation of Juneteenth.   Help your child create a timeline of his or her life and include in it memorable events in their lifetime.  
2. Also at the end of the book is a recipe for “Red Punch”, a popular strawberry lemonade drink served at Juneteenth celebrations.  Help your child make a recipe of Red Punch and serve it to your family and friends.
3. Ask your child what part of Opal Lee’s story was most important to him or her?   Invite him or her to draw a picture illustrating what you enjoyed most about her life story. OR invite them to draw a picture of what freedom means to him or her.  

Deeper Conversation:

4. Discuss with your child our country’s independence day and its history.  Read the first section of this document and discuss what this means with your child and how this relates to Juneteenth. “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

by Patricia Polacco
review by Abby Dykes, youth from Nativity.

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Chicken Sunday by Patricia Polacco is a heartwarming family tale emphasizing diversity, multicultural relationships and the strength of family bonds. 

A young Russian-American girl and her two African-American brothers are determined to buy a beautiful hat for their grandmother, no matter what it takes. They realize the strength of kindness and common traits throughout their journey, establishing a connection with the misunderstood hat shop owner. 

This is a tender and inspiring story for children of all ages, communicating the importance of acceptance and unity in a family.

Review by Beth Crow and Carol Smith

For the last thirty some years, elementary school teachers have rated Patricia Polacco is a favorite author and illustrator of children’s books. Her vibrant, free flowing watercolor illustrations, which often include family photographs, were the first to draw my attention, images that reflect her own childhood and or imagined children from another time-period.

In the story Chicken Sunday, Patricia Polacco, serving the role of a young, Russian American narrator, takes us to her childhood neighborhood of Oakland, CA, where she has formed a close friendship with brothers Stewart and Winston. In spite of their cultural differences, young Patricia is welcomed into their family, including their “Gramma” Eula Mae. Through their love and admiration for Eula May, they plot to surprise her with the beautiful Easter bonnet she has been admiring in Mr. Kodinsky’s hat shop. Through her own Ukrainian ancestry, Polacco introduces readers to the tradition of writing Pysanky, Ukrainian Eggs. The three children create these beautiful eggs to be sold at Mr. Kodinsky’s hat shop so they could purchase Miss Eula her dream hat for Easter.

One of the aspects I love about Polacco’s books is that within the wonderful storytelling and art gently flowing from page to page, she incorporates glimpses of deeper subject matter through which teachers, parents and young people can discuss and reflect.  In Chicken Sunday, Polacco conveys the rich cultural African American family experience while also subtly sharing aspects of a darker history through Mr. Kodinsky’s concentration camp tattoo. 

In a 2008 interview with Polacco, she says, “The essence of Chicken Sunday is, ‘Don’t judge people by the way they look. Judge them by what you know of them that you have experienced.’” 

Suggested Discussion Topics and Activities  

Discuss what “family” means. Can family include ones we hold dear who might not even be related to us and might be quite different from our immediate family?

Eula Mae had always taught the children to do what is right and tell the truth. How do the children regained the trust of Eula Mae and Mr. Kodinsky?

Mr. Kodinsky is a Holocaust survivor who resettled from Russia to the United States. You might discuss with your child(ren) why people might leave the country where they were born.

Activities

Pysanky, Ukrainian Easter Eggs:

Talk with your child(ren) about family traditions you may have.  Explain how the writing of Pysanky is a very old Ukrainian tradition, dating back to the early Slavic cultures. They are usually created during Lent and are believed to bring protection.  The various symbols written (with bee’s wax using a device called a kiska) represent different signs of prosperity, such as the wheat mean “Wishes for Good Health and a Bountiful Harvest.” 

Learn more at https://ukrainianpeople.us/pysanka-ukrainian-easter-truditions/.  If you would like to create your own pysanky with your family, contact Beth Crow and she can lend you the supplies you need.

Free Pysanky Coloring Sheets