Faces of America

Allen Say writes an interesting tale of the importance of appearances, self-identity, and perseverance. An engaging biography of Bong Way (Billy) Wong who, fighting the odds through more than persistence, becomes the first Chinese Bullfighter, El Chino. An engaging story with unexpected turns to surprise reluctant readers perhaps facing their own odds. It reads like a faerie tale with the magic of ingenuity, self-image and self-realization. The pictures have a very still and peaceful almost antique photograph-like quality. They match the steady perseverance of Billy Wong following his dreams.

A tattered child's coat in the Ellis Island Immigration Museum inspires Elvira Woodruff to write this story of a childhood friendship between a story teller and an illustrator in Memory Coat. Themes of loss, family, and anti-Semitism culminate in a dramatic conclusion where wit overcomes an obstacle to keep family together. Michael Dooling recreates the mood of historical photographs for the oil painting illustrations.

Pre-World War II street vendor shouts in Charleston, South Carolina are the basis for a child describing the music she hears of her hometown in Carolina Shout!. From the early morning raindrops on the tin roof to the evening sad song of the Charcoal Man a girl finds music everywhere and in everything. Award winning author Alan Schroeder and award winning illustrator Bernie Fuchs join forces to create this lighthearted remembrance of a time when our lives sounded so different. This was a time of frogs croaking and street vendors shouting. The oils on canvas capture warmth and action as the sounds are captured in song and onomatopoeic verse.