by Holly Johnson, The University of Cincinatti
On January 30, 2015, USBBY announced the Outstanding International Books for 2015. The OIBs, as stated on the USBBY website are “deemed most outstanding of those published during the calendar year. For the purposes of this honor list, the term “international book” is used to describe a book published or distributed in the United States that originated or was first published in a country other than the U.S.” The criteria includes artistic style and literary merit, creativity of approach, distinctiveness of topic, uniqueness of origin, and qualities that engage and appeal to young people.
This year’s books terrific! There is something for everyone, and many of the books can be enjoyed and used across age categories. For this week, I would like to concentrate on four books that highlight the five criteria above through their illustrations that give readers a real sense of culture, geography, and history. All four books utilize distinctive artistic styles, and while they were selected for grades 6-8, younger and older readers will enjoy and be fascinated by them as well. In respect to illustration, these four books will definitely inspire young artists!
The first book is Amrita Das’ Hope is a Girl Selling Fruit. Translated by Susheela Vardarajan, this book was first published in India. Through stunning Mithila folk art, the author/artist recreates a childhood memory of a train journey that results in the discovery of possible personal and financial freedom for poor girls through the ordinary sight of a girl owning her own cart to sell fruit near the train station.
Mithila folk art, a distinctive indigenous north Indian aesthetic, is a woman’s painting tradition dating back to the 14th century, and is being used today to directly empower women both through the sale of paintings and more broadly, by providing means to express their increasingly critical views of the world around them.
Combining this traditional painting style with the theme of empowerment, this impressive narrative employs a distinctive artistic tradition to introduce readers to the geography and culture of north India. What I especially appreciate about this book is the personal journey taken by the author that is so uniquely presented through the traditional art of her region of India.
The second book is also a personal journey that takes the author/artist away from his home country, but cannot take his home culture away from him. The London Jungle Book by Bhajju Shyam and translated by Shiris Rao was also first published in India. Utilizing Gond style illustrations, the author transports the readers from his home village in central India to London, England. Documenting his first adventure to the wider world, the author/artist uses his distinctive artist style to show how humans connect and accommodate differing cultures through an overlay of London in which the city is transformed into a jungle inhabited by a host of wondrous creatures that reflect his own cultural understanding.
Through dots and dashes, mythical beasts, and intricate renderings of flora and fauna the dominant themes of animated lives and recorded histories of the Gond people come alive. By bringing this artistic styling to his expressive memoir, Shyam invites readers to explore not only his geographical home and culture, but the city of London and its cultural practices through his eyes. Shyam uses his work in response to Rudyard Kipling’s (1894), Jungle Book in a way that allows readers to recognize the power of our cultural lenses.
Migrant, The journey of a Mexican worker by José Manuel Mateo & Javier Martínez Pedro (illustrator) presents a codex, which in this case, is a book made up of one continuous sheet of paper with illustrations and content stacked, bound, and folded concertina-style in the style of a Mayan codex. This book is beautiful, and is a true inspiration for young artists. The book consists of intricate illustrations in black and white, and replicates the amate bark painting tradition out of Mexico. The intricate drawings from that tradition frequently depict community life, and the content. The book comes in a transparent protective covering, and I have kept mine in that covering because this is a book I treasure. I am not afraid to share it, but this is a true work of art that I want to protect! The artwork is not the only element of beauty within this book, however. The arduous and illegal journey to the USA is sensitively told through the eyes of a young boy whose family has been separated when the father traveled to the US first. In both Spanish and English, the story will create a deep sense of empathy for immigrants who are all too often villainized in the media.
Finally, there is The Story of Buildings: From the Pyramids to the Sydney Opera House and Beyond by Patrick Dillon and illustrated by Stephen Biesty, which was first published in the United Kingdom. This illustrative and detailed text of intricate drawings and cross-sections of all types of structures from simple houses to mosques and churches to skyscrapers takes readers on an architectural journey of some of the most famous buildings in the world along with lesser-known information about their construction and histories. The fold-outs of some of the buildings will have readers fascinated for hours, and just knowing the stories behind the buildings is a real treat for those who love to know the story behind the story.
Inviting readers to envision the cultural and geographical elements that influenced and impacted those who designed and then those who built such structures, this informational text is a stunning addition to any text set interested in how art, geography, and culture work together in producing literary works that will engage and inspire US readers while introducing them to the wider world.
Next week I will cover other wonderful books on the OIB list, but for those of you who cannot wait to see what the committee selected, visit the USBBY website or take a look at the list via this link.
Happy international reading!
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- Themes: Holly Johnson, Outstanding International Books (OIB)
- Descriptors: Awards, WOW Currents