Thursday, November 13, 2014

Asian Pacific American Lit- THE BOY IN THE GARDEN


Bibliographic Data

Say, Allen. 2010. The Boy in the Garden. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children. ISBN: 9780547214108

Brief Plot Summary

In Japan a boy and his father visit Mr. Ozu’s beautiful home complete with a garden. Instead of staying close to his father the young boy wonders off finding a crane statue. After his father embarrasses him he runs off to a tea house. After putting on a found kimono he is transported to the story of the Grateful Crane. He wakes from his nightmare to find his father beckoning him to get ready to go.

Critical Analysis

This book contains two stories. The first is a short story called The Grateful Crane. It is a single page and contains one small image of a Japanese woman holding a textile. In order for readers to enjoy and understand the second story they must read The Grateful Crane. The second story is the actual book, The Boy in the Garden.

The book jacket tells readers the legend of the crane is Japanese. The title page subject information lists “Japan” as one of the subjects. There are numerous clues besides those indicating that this story takes place in Japan. One of many is the landscaping of Mr. Ozu’s home. The elaborate garden includes rock gardens, bamboo and Japanese style fountains. The present Jiro’s father brings is wrapped in furoshiki, a Japanese wrapping cloth. The windows of Mr. Ozu’s home are sliding panels like those seen in Japan. The roof lines of the home are a Japanese style as well. Mr. Ozu also has a tea house complete with a fireplace located in the center of the room on the floor.

The appearance of the characters displays many cultural markers. They all appear very different from one another. Jiro, the young boy, has shiny black hair and his bangs are cut straight. His skin is a light tan color. His cheeks are often rosy. His eyebrows rest far above his eyes. His eyes are drawn with an epicanthic fold on the inside corners. The bridge of his nose is small. Jiro’s father also has shiny black hair. They both wear contemporary winter jackets and clothing that could be from other countries besides Japan. Inside Mr. Ozu’s home Jiro wears oversized slippers which is often done in Asian homes. Mr. Ozu is an elderly man. His hair is white. He wears a robe which may be a Japanese style of dress.
When Jiro starts dreaming he wears a kimono tied with an obi, traditional Japanese attire that maybe one would wear to a festival. The crane woman wears an elaborate layered kimono. She carries a straw umbrella to shield herself from the snow. Her skin is very pale. Her lips adorn red lipstick. Their dress is not from a time of history, but of a Japanese story.

Jiro is not portrayed as a stereotypical polite and intelligent and cooperative Asian child. He is polite enough not to open Mr. Ozu’s envelope of money, but not enough not to wonder around and wear random kimonos he finds. He runs off dramatically when he father laughs at him. He is clearly acting out and is bored. What little boy wouldn’t be? But then we see what character Jiro has when he has strong convictions to provide for the crane woman. He has the discipline not to look at her as she weaves.

Awards & Best Books

Parents' Choice Award, 2010 Silver Picture Books United States
Best Children's Books of the Year, 2011 Bank Street College of Education
Kirkus Book Review Stars, October 1, 2010
Publishers Weekly Book Review Stars, October 11, 2010

Review Excerpt(s)

“Jiro looks to be about six, yet the issues the book raises about the illusion of story and the nature of reality would probably be best contemplated by an older child. Still, Say's artwork, with its clean, quiet scenes, always pleases, and the more perceptive child will take much away from this.” -Ilene Cooper (Booklist, Sep. 1, 2010 (Vol. 107, No. 1))

“A series of dreamlike paintings done in the Caldecott winner's customarily precise and beautifully lit watercolors blurs the lines between reality and fantasy and limns Jiro's conflicted emotions as he seems to enter the story.” -Kirkus Reviews, October 1, 2010 (Vol. 78, No. 19)

“Say's watercolors have a smooth, even control that's perfect for his realistic portraiture, with far-reaching landscapes emphasizing Jiro's isolation, but that mode also manages to shade seamlessly into an airy, slightly stylized folkloric style.” -Deborah Stevenson (The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, November 2010 (Vol. 64, No. 3))

Connections

Information on the author by Reading Rockets: http://www.readingrockets.org/books/interviews/say

RIF’s interview with Allen Say and list of other books by him: http://www.rif.org/kids/readingplanet/bookzone/say.htm


Allen Say’s official website: http://www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com/authors/allensay/index.shtml

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