By Janelle Mathis, University of North Texas
We continue last week’s introduction on sharing children’s literature by focusing on picture books. The notion of a picture book for many is that of “cute” books for young readers. However, images and text in picture books nurture creative and critical thinking. Each new class of preservice teachers I instruct proves this idea and so do many educators already in classrooms. While chapter books approach social issues in their own right, the significance of images in today’s communicative contexts creates a place for illustrators to tell their stories through a variety of modes and mediums. With this in mind, we consider immigration through global perspectives in recent picture books.
Flight by Nadia Wheatley with illustrations by Armin Greder, relies on simple text and dark, thought-provoking images. The text and images begin a story that directly reflects the Biblical journey of Mary and Joseph. With the 2-year-old Jesus, they flee from certain death due to a king’s decree. Midway through the book, red tones within the illustration contrast with the darkness of night, revealing the conflict occurring in the distance. This conflict sparks the reality of a more recent event of a family escaping warfare to a better home. The husband and wife exchange concerned comments as they worry about water and wild animals.
The darkness of the illustrations lightens as they arrive at a refugee camp, where they become “one among many. There is nothing to do but wait until their cry is heard.” Time passes, and the boy grows old enough to console his mother that soon they’ll reach their new home. The powerful story heightens readers’ understandings of the lives of immigrants through both text and illustration.
While a topic of great interest in American educational and social contexts, immigration also presents a global issue. Global literature helps young literacy learners better understand those who are considered immigrants. These stories also showcase how best to realize both the challenges and strengths that immigrants bring to local communities. Literature concerning immigration through global perspectives persists as a powerful vehicle for thinking, discussing, and building understanding. WOW has offered many reviews of immigration stories, including a special issue on “Forced Journeys”. WOW Stories also provides vignettes of classrooms using immigration stories. However, new stories continue to emerge from different contexts that share situations beyond the local to connect to migrants.
Through contrasting illustrative techniques and medium, Two White Rabbits by Jairo Buitrago with illustrations by Raphael Yockteng, provides a narrative about a girl and her father journeying from the inner parts of Mexico to the borderlands. Reviewed in the Volume VIII, Issue 3 of WOW Review, the whimsical story includes brilliant illustrative techniques with bright colors. The coyote inhabits each part of the journey. Drawn as an actual animal, the coyote represents the conniving role of a “coyote,” who takes money to guide people across the border.
During the journey, the coyote suddenly disappears, a typical experience for immigrants who pay for guidance but don’t always receive it. Left alone, the travelers, along with readers, wonder what they will do next. Two rabbits given to the child as gifts represent the father and child, as the two rabbits search for water and shelter.
Another book reviewed in WOW Review, Vol. VII, Issue 4, shares the journey from Mexico to its borders using black and white Codex. The intricate detail in Migrant: The Journey of a Mexican Worker by José Manuel Mateo with illustrations by Javier Martínez Pedro, pays tribute to this Mexican art form. The book opens to one long illustrative image, with text in both English and Spanish. The clear, somber message about those attempting this journey offers hope and survival. The illustrations draw the reader into this immigrant experience and support the potential of changing attitudes and understandings.
These three books present immigration through global perspectives. They share insight to immigrants and their experiences in captivating formats, using metaphors to engage with readers of all ages. Many other WOW Reviews also focus on immigration stories–each with different perspectives.
These picture books serve as discussion points because their unique takes on immigration through global perspectives provide critical approaches to social issues. Immigration, an age-old event, cannot be disregarded since it changes the fabric of any society. How we view these changes has much to do with how we understand the challenges and contributions of immigrants.
Please share the stories you find most useful in helping to construct realistic images of global immigrants.
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- Themes: Janelle Mathis
- Descriptors: Books & Resources, WOW Currents