I love celebrations of family, especially when, as in these two picture books, the families embrace cultural traditions from across the world.
Gondra’s Treasure
Author: Linda Sue Park
Illustrator: Jennifer Black Reinhardt
Publisher/Date: Clarion Books, an imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt/2019
Ages: 4-8
Themes: dragons, family, being yourself, multicultural
Short Synopsis (from Goodreads):
Gondra, a little dragon with an Eastern dragon dad and a Western dragon mom, celebrates her uniqueness in this sparkling collaboration between Newbery medalist Linda Sue Park and rising star artist Jennifer Black Reinhardt.
Gondra has inherited traits from both her eastern (Asian) dragon dad and western (European) dragon mom and enjoys them all. She’s especially happy that she’s a combination of both. Cheerful banter and hilariously adorable dragon portrayals present a warm, appealing family portrait. The beautiful and fanciful illustrations are rich in whimsical details that invite repeated readings.
Read a review at Kirkus Reviews and an interview by Reinhardt of Park at Picture Book Builders.
Maisie’s Scrapbook
Author: Samuel Narh
Illustrator: Jo Loring-Fisher
Publisher/Date: Lantana Publishing/2019
Ages: 4-8
Themes: family, multicultural, being yourself
Short Synopsis (from Goodreads):
As the seasons turn, Maisie rides her bull in and out of Dada’s tall tales. Her Mama wears linen and plays the viola. Her Dada wears kente cloth and plays the marimba. They come from different places, but they hug her in the same way. And most of all, they love her just the same. A joyful celebration of a mixed-race family and the love that binds us all together.
Read a review at Kirkus Reviews.
I paired these books because both feature multicultural families and children celebrating the attributes they inherit from both parents. In Gondra’s Treasure, young Gondra, a dragon, inherits her Western mother’s fire-breathing ability and her Eastern father’s mist-creating ability, to become, what her parents term, a unique treasure. I love how Park uses the differing myths about dragons prevalent in Asia and Europe to illustrate the beauty that results when these traditions come together. In Masie’s Scrapbook, young Maisie’s father regales her with tales from his native Africa, her mother serenades her with the viola, but both love her the same, as is evident in the scrapbook she keeps of a special year in this loving family. While one of these picture books features a family of mythical animals and the other features humans, I think the pair show the love and joy that results when parents share their cultures with their children.
Wander, Ponder, Write 