Margy Burns KnightCritiques

305

An illustrated description of walls around the world and their significance, from the Great Wall of China to the Berlin Wall.

Talking walls tells the story of famous walls around the world. The books illustrations are two page spreads that show the wall that is being described on those two pages. Facts about each wall are described. The Great Wall of China, The Western Wall, Great Zimbabwe , The Vietnam Veterans Memorial, and Nelson Mandela's Prison Walls are just some of the alls explained in the book. The book teaches about all the different walls around the world; how old they are, why they were created, what they stand for and more. This book is very informative and very interesting.

I would use this book in the 4th grade to explain how diverse Africa is and then I would have the kids research different African countries. I would use it in 4th grade because by that point my students would be capable of doing research and creating a presentation.

Great glimpse of different pieces of history and world culture, is there a standards connection? Was 3-5 old standards. 2nd grade H1.a standard.

I really enjoyed this book. The main idea of the book was to show that there are so many different parts make a beautiful whole. By incorporating different cultures and their routines into the book, the author was able to push readers to think about all the different countries that are a part of Africa. It shows how the children in each country go about their daily lives. This helps broaden the reader's perspectives about the world. Another thing that I liked about this book was the illustrations. The illustrator enhanced the stories of each country by including different settings, typical dress, and activities for each. For example, the illustrator draws a picture of two people bundled up who are riding on horseback. They are on their way through the mountains to the market. Overall, the organization of the book engages and informs through tables and facts in the back of the book about each country.

In this follow-up to their initial Talking Walls collection, author Margy Burns Knight and illustrator Anne Sibley O'Brien once again delve into the wealth of walls to be found, the world over, and their diverse meanings for the people who built them. From beautiful decorations (the Ndebele wall designs of South Africa, the Divali wall paintings of India) to protective/deflective capability (the walled city of Fez, Morocco, the Peace Lines of Belfast, Northern Ireland), the fourteen walls depicted here all 'speak' to something important in the history or current culture of their creators.

With a cover illustration taken from a class activity that was inspired by the initial Talking Walls book, Talking Walls: The Stories Continue is a worthy follow-up to its predecessor, covering some fascinating places and structures. I think my favorite was the Wat Po Temple in Bangkok, with its 'textbook' walls! The illustrations are colorful and full of life, and the text informative. The afterword - which includes further information about each wall depicted - offers added insight. All in all, this is an excellent picture-book for introducing young readers to the diverse peoples of the world, and is recommended especially to those readers who enjoyed the initial volume of Talking Walls!

Author Margy Burn Knight and illustrator Anne Sibley O'Brien - who also worked together on Who Belongs Here?: An American Story, as well as the sequel to this one, Talking Walls: The Stories Continue - present the stories of fourteen walls in this picture-book tour of the world's peoples and cultures. From walls that divide (the Berlin Wall, the walls of Nelson Mandela's prison) to walls that remember (the Vietnam Veteran's Memorial, the Aboriginal rock wall, with paintings from as long ago as 30,000 years), the walls depicted here serve many purposes, and have many meanings, but in the end, the are all a record of human activity, of one kind or another.

Talking Walls is an engaging introduction to some of the diverse peoples of the world, organized around a theme that I would not have thought to use, myself. I appreciated each story, and the additional notes at the rear, although I did find myself wishing (just a little bit) that the stone walls of New England, which appear on the front endpapers, would have been explored as well. But then, I grew up around those kind of walls. Still, that's a minor (and very personal) quibble, and in no way detracts from the over-all excellence of this title!

One of those books whose didactic purpose really resonates with me, but which falls short in other areas, Who Belongs Here? is a picture-book with a dual narrative, following the true-life tale of a young Cambodian-American immigrant, while also presenting information about the history of immigration in the United States. The story of Nary, who, together with his grandmother and Uncle Savy, manages to escape the murderous Khmer Rouge, finding his way to a refugee camp in Thailand, and then to America, is juxtaposed with passages discussing everything from Ellis Island to the United Farm Workers.

Unfortunately, this structure doesn't always work so well. Although obviously intended to reinforce the personal story being presented with general historical knowledge, its effect was one of dividing the reader's attention, making each component weaker. I felt that Nary's journey was strong enough of a story to stand on its own, and that the informational asides could have been presented in an appendix at the rear. I was impressed that Knight discussed the influence of the Iroquois Confederacy on the American form of government (adult readers interested in this subject should examine Donald Grinde's excellent The Iroquois and the Founding of the American Nation), but appalled to see that she listed potatoes amongst the food crops brought to the Americas! How on earth did that get past an editor? And what other mistakes didn't I catch?

A book with a good purpose - teaching respect for diversity, and for our fellow immigrants - and appealing illustrations, Who Belongs Here? nevertheless had some serious weaknesses. I can see that it might be useful in a classroom setting, if a teacher is involved in the reading (and able to correct that odd error concerning the potato!), but sadly, it isn't one I would highly recommend.

Beautiful illustrations, excellent information for a wide range of grades. Good "kicking off" book for studies in monuments, historical landmarks.

Who says kids' books can't be anti-imperialist? This picture book walks us through days-in-the-lives of children in almost all of Africa's 53 countries, teaching us about traditional Igbo dance, riddle games in the DRC, words in Setswana and Somali and Kikuyu, a million nice things you can make with cassava, andc., andc. I feel like it's a bit tough luck on Rwanda to make it carry the whole burden of representing Africa's sorrow and torment, especially when the Congo and Zimbabwe and Somalia and Sudan were all included, but I guess that was 2002 for you? And I can see why they didn't want it to be a litany of sorrow; I just finished reading this to a four-year-old at bedtime, for god's sake.

And? It put her right to sleep.

This multi cultural book is a must read! It is a story of a young boy who immigrated to the US from Cambodia for a "better life". After leaving behind friends and family, he struggles to adjust in the United States. Along with the true story text, there is additional text that gives straight facts in order for the reader to paint a better picture. This story would really teach young readers about people of other cultures and what life may be like...

Who Belongs Here is a book I remember my parents frequently read to me as it was a book that told of multicultural children and how they are all accepted and belong here. It was a fun story but also very important for kids to be read as it definitely teaches children to be accepting of all people regardless of their differences. I LOVED the lesson it taught!

This book is one of my absolute favorite books. It is all about walls in our time and in history. It brings to light the question, "Are walls to keep people in or out?" The book starts out with The Great Wall of China and then takes the reader to many famous walls throughout history. Each wall is explained in about three paragraphs with beautiful illustrations. This book has many opportunities for discussion and could be the start of research projects. The books comes with a teacher edition that can be used in the classroom with many, many lesson ideas. If you like this there is a second book of the same name, continued.

Gr 1-4-The authors narrate the experiences of children at play, at school, and at home, and use realistic illustrations to explore the cultural, environmental, ethnic, and social diversity of the 53 countries that make up the African continent. They explain that in Rwanda, refugee children (many of whom have been orphaned) are making pictures of war, while in Kenya, two children race to school, dreaming of one day becoming professional runners. From vast deserts with camels in the North to lush agricultural lands in Central and Southern Africa, the widely varied terrains are described in a paragraph or two of text. Unfortunately, there are no chapter or subtopic headings to indicate immediately what country is being discussed, and there is no indication of where it is located on the continent, so it's difficult to find it on the map. While the art is lively and colorful, and the book concludes with an alphabetical listing of the countries and facts about them, this offering does have its drawbacks.-Daniel Mungai, Queens Borough Public Library, NY

From Booklist:
Ages 6-8. The title says it all. Instead of the "vanishing tribes" view of one Africa with tourists from different countries photographing the animals and primitive people, this informative picture book celebrates the diversity of the 53 nations that make up the continent today. On each page there's a quick vignette of children in one country, with a bright, happy, colorful illustration. Three girls in school uniform walk on Cairo's jammed city sidewalks. A boy in Nigeria practices the ancient Igbo dances. At the back a small note on each country fills in facts about geography, currency, population, etc. There's still the danger of generalization (kids in Kenya running to school), and there are minor inaccuracies (South Africa's Freedom Day dates from 1994, not 1974); but readers will want to go on from here to explore in depth particular countries that interest them. The essential differences and connections are here. Hazel Rochman

Two parallel texts explore the experience of immigration into the US. The personal story is Nary's; he was born in Cambodia and moved to the US from a refugee camp in Thailand. The historical text is about the history of immigrants to the US.

900