Jessica's Kids' Books
September 1999

A Bear for Miguel by Elaine Marie Alphin; illustrated by Joan Sandin HarperCollins Publishers, 1996 ISBN: 0060245220

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A young girl in war torn El Salvador gives up her special bear to help her family.

This is such a beautiful story; it brings tears to my eyes every time I read it. Maria is a young girl growing up in war torn El Salvador. Her father cannot get work and they must sell their possessions at the market in order to buy food. Maria accompanies her father on market day, bringing along Paco, her special stuffed bear. They trade hard at the market, but they still have no milk for Maria's baby brother. At one point Maria's father leaves her in charge of their stand. A young couple comes by with milk and cheese to trade. They spot Paco, the stuffed bear in Maria's arms. They explain that their little boy, Miguel was wounded by soldiers. He can't run and play anymore and he has been begging for a stuffed bear. They plead with her to trade Paco to them. Maria bravely gives up Paco, for Miguel's sake as well as for the milk and cheese her family receives.

In this setting the love and gentle humour with which Maria's father holds his family together shines through. Maria is a courageous and dignified role model. This is a real girl-power book for those who are looking for stories of strong and wise girls for their daughters (boys will like it too.) The easy reader format makes it accessible to the early grade-school ages, when some of the issues this book addresses are very relevant. Younger children also will respond to the simple story and bright watercolor illustrations (my four-year-old loves it.) Almost any age child can relate to the sacrifice Maria has to make. The text is also sprinkled with Spanish words and phrases, a nice touch especially if you are interested in early foreign language exposure for your child.

Bring this book into your home. You will find yourself discussing many important topics, from the importance of family members helping each other, to issues of war and peace, privelege and need. Highly recomended.

Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt by Deborah Hopkinson; illustrated by James Ransome Alfred A. Knopf, 1993. ISBN: 0679823115

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A young slave woman sews a quilt which has a map to freedom hidden in its pattern.

This rich historical story is set in slave times. Young Clara works at the big house as a seamstress. By keeping her ears open, she learns of the underground railway, and she learns that a map is needed to guide runaway slaves to the Ohio river. Slowly she starts to piece together a quilt that is really a map. Gradually, she gathers information about the route to the Ohio River and adds it to her map. When the quilt is finished, young Clara runs away. She leaves the quilt, and others also use it to find their way north to freedom.

I love the way Clara creates something so significant out of little scraps of leftover cloth. Using her own ingenuity and creativity, she is able to create something of vital and lasting importance to her community. The final picture shows a group of runaway slaves gathered around the quilt, studying it, after Clara is long gone. Clara leaves her "Aunt" Rachel behind, but she manages to find her mother and younger sister and bring them north to freedom. The rich illustrations really bring you back to an earlier time. The story is lengthy and quite complicated, but for kids with a longer attention span it is well worth it. This is another great girl-power book; Clara's fiesty determination and courage is inspiring to adults as well as kids. Be prepared to shed a few tears when Clara leaves Aunt Rachel, but overall this is a powerfully positive book.

Spotty by Margret Rey; illustrated by H.A. Rey Houghton Mifflin Copmpany, 1945,1997. ISBN: 0395837367

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This classic story shows the importance of accepting those who are different from us, be they human or bunny.

What does it mean to be "different"? Spotty was originally published in 1945 but was reissued a few years ago. And I for one am so glad that it was! This is a real treasure of a book, a modern fable from the authors of the Curious George series. But while I find the curious George books dated in their morality (George is always getting in trouble for being too curious, can you imagine?) Spotty has a message that is more relevant today than ever. Mother Bunny has nine children, eight little white bunnies that look just like her and one bunny with brown spots and blue eyes. Because he is different, Spotty is left behind when the rest of the family goes to grandpa's birthday party. Left all alone, poor Spotty tries using spot remover and when that doesn't work, he runs away. Well, everything works out in the end, and the story has a delightfully satisfying resolution. This is a great book for starting to talk to small kids about individality, conformity and prejudice. There are lots of words to the page, but the illustrations are so appealing and the characters so endearing you will find even quite young children falling in love with this book. This book is a charming classic, sure to please and with a great message to boot.