Culture 1 International Literature

 

LS 5653-20

Genre 1 Review

Shannon Hicks

 

  Soldier Bear

Bibliography

Tak, Bibi Dumon, Philip Hopman, and Laura Watkinson. Soldier Bear. Erdmans Books for Young Readers, 2018. ISBN 9780802854360

Plot Summary

Soldier Bear takes place during WWII when a few Polish soldiers in Iran meet a young boy who is carrying a bear cub which the soldiers then adopt. They care for it and raise Voytek to be an enlisted soldier who carries ammunition. The playful bear becomes an escape and relief from the realities of war, giving all the soldiers something different on which to focus. Kaska, a wild monkey, also adds to the mischief in the Polish campsite. While the story touches on the hardships of war, it mainly focuses on the friendships and relationships between the soldiers and animals.

Critical Analysis

Soldier Bear was translated from Dutch by Laura Watkinson and was published in the Netherlands under the name Saldaat Wojtek. Wojtek, in Polish is sometimes spelled as Voytek, which means “smiling warrior.” Voytek is the Syrian bear the Polish soldiers adopt. The setting of the story takes place in the middle East, Italy and eventually Scotland which lends to the historical time period of World War II. Details about the war and off-handed, casual remarks about smoking lend to the credibility of the specific time period. The characters appear to be authentic, although the story is less about Polish soldiers and more about the funny antics of Voytek. The hand-drawn maps showcase the different locations the soldiers traveled.

Review Excerpts 

School Library Journal (November 1, 2011): “Inspired by true events during World War II, Tak tells the story of a bear who served in the Polish army. Despite its serious setting, most of the novel is lighthearted. Voytek is found by soldiers when he is a cub and is officially enlisted as a private, serving as an ammunition carrier and mascot for five years. His innocence and shenanigans bring about an incredible sense of humanity in the soldiers and everyone they meet, causing otherwise gruff, stoic figures to smile and joke. Voytek and the other animals that the company picks up along the way cheer the soldiers up and help them get through the difficulties of war. However, the hardships are mostly discussed in terms of missing friends and family and being far away from home. In one small section of a chapter, a soldier witnesses the deaths of two others and is grief stricken. This is followed by a touching encounter that is shared with the other soldiers, as well as Voytek, which for children will probably be more meaningful than a series of gruesome and abstract battles. In this way, the story is thought-provoking, but not overwhelming. The unit is stationed in the Middle East, transporting supplies and soldiers, so it's a rather different perspective of World War II than most readers are used to. Black-and-white drawings appear throughout the book, which closes with photographs of the real Voytek and his friends. Kids are sure to fall in love with this bear while being gently introduced to war and being touched by the message of peace.”

“Soldier Bear.” School Library Journal 57.11 (2011): 140. Novelist, EBSCOhost (accessed September 9, 2020).

Kirkus (August 15, 2011): “A bear cub purchased by a pair of Polish free soldiers in the Iranian desert in 1942 becomes a private in the Polish army, a member of the 22nd Transport Company and an active participant in the war in Italy. Tak bases her novel on actual facts: Wojtek (spelled phonetically as Voytek in Watkinson's translation) was a real Syrian brown bear, really in the Polish Army and really the artillery-carrying subject of his company's emblem. But her humans are fictional characters, a group of five soldiers  including Peter, the bear  cub's new "mother," Stanislav, who purchases him and figures out how to feed him, and Lolek, who adopts the monkey who eventually becomes his friend. The narrative focuses on the bear's antics, which both enliven the soldiers ' lives and cause them difficulty. Originally published in Holland in 2009 as Soldaat Wojtek, this is smoothly translated and engagingly illustrated with sketches and helpful maps. Funny, fresh and heartwarming, it doesn't ignore the horrors of war but concentrates on the joy of having an animal friend, albeit a difficult one. Readers of any age do not need to know anything about the complicated history of the Polish free forces or even World War II to enjoy this tale of "a friend and a mascot who made the war easier to bear."

“Soldier Bear.” Kirkus Reviews, August 2011. Novelist, EBSCOhost (accessed September 9, 2020).

Awards

·        Notable Children’s Books – commended 2012
·        CCBC Choices – selection 2012
·        Mildred L. Batchelder – winner 2012
·        Outstanding International Books – selection 2012

Connections

·        Voytek is the unit’s mascot. Have students list the qualities that they admired in Voytek and then design their own mascot for themselves or their class.

·        Have students pick a favorite scene from the book and illustrate it using various art forms (watercolors, colored pencils, charcoal, etc).

 

Koala Lou

Bibliography

Fox, Mem and Pamela Lofts. Koala Lou. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 1989. ISBN 978-0-152-00502-3

Plot Summary

Koala Lou is the oldest of her family and adored by her mother. When more baby Koalas join the family and mother is too busy to remind her daily that, “Koala Lou, I DO love you!” she decides she will enter the Bush Olympics to gain her mother’s attention.

Critical Analysis

Koala Lou takes place in the Australian bush. While the plot of Koala Lou is a universal one of vying for a parent’s attention, it is really the illustrations by Pamela Lofts that give it a specific Australian feel. The emus, kangaroos, wallabies, wombats, and platypuses sprinkled throughout the picture book really focuses the reader on the location of the story. Bright colors also help convey the playfulness of Koala Lou while the browns and greens extend to the wooded feel of the bush along with Koala Lou’s eucalyptus trees.

Review Excerpts

Publishers Weekly (September 1989): “Fox's two new books join Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge as perfect examples of why the Australian writer has become one of today's top authors of children's books. Koala Lou is loved by everyone, but it is her mother who loves her most of all. She often tells her daughter, "Koala Lou, I DO love you." As the family grows and her mother gets busier, Koala Lou yearns to hear those words again. She sets out to win the Bush Olympics as a way to gain her mother's attention. Lofts's colored-pencil drawings portray the Australian flora and fauna beautifully, including a few of the more exotic species... Both of Fox's books send out positive messages to children about the wonders of being human: Koala Lou  celebrates the eternal love of a mother for her child without the sentimentality of Robert Munsch's Love You Forever, and Night Noises lovingly bridges the generation gap.”

“Koala Lou.” Publisher’s Weekly, September 1989. Novelist, EBSCOhost (accessed September 9, 2020).

Kirkus (August 15, 1989): “As a baby, cuddly Koala Lou is everyone's favorite, especially her mother's; but as more little koalas join the family, her mother forgets to say, ""Koala Lou, I DO love you!"" So--hoping for attention--Koala Lou trains mightily for the Bush Olympics, only to come in second. Surprisingly, this disappointment makes her wish come true; her mother is there to comfort her with the treasured words and a big hug. This satisfying reworking of a familiar and ever-important theme is appealingly illustrated--bright colors, soft-edged sculptural forms, precise detail, dozens of expressive animals. Another winning import from one of Australia's favorite authors.”

“Koala Lou.” Kirkus Reviews, August 1989. Book Index with Reviews, EBSCOhost (accessed September 9, 2020).

AWARDS – N/A

Connections

·        Have students draw the different events they think took place at the Bush Olympics.

·        Have students use World Book to look up facts about Koalas and make a poster with illustrations.

·        Locate Australia on a map and identify the different regions.

 

Lubna and Pebble

Bibliography

Meddour, Wendy and Daniel Egneus. Lubna and Pebble. Penguin Young Readers Group, 2019. ISBN 978-0-525-55416-5

Plot Summary

“Lubna’s best friend was a pebble. It was shiny and smooth and gray” begins a story of friendship and sharing that transcends cultures and reminds readers of the simple task of kindness. Lubna found the pebble on the beach the night they arrived in the “World of Tents” and keeps Pebble as a close friend. When a new family arrives and Amir becomes a new friend, Lubna must decide what to do with Pebble when her family moves to their new home. 

Critical Analysis

As the story begins, readers understand that Lubna has recently arrived at the “World of Tents” and is dwarfed in the illustrations by the enormous boats that brought her to this new land. While it is never specifically mentioned that Lubna and her family are refugees, it is implied through the illustrations and subtle hints through the simple, yet haunting dialogue in reference to “home” and “the war.” When Amir arrives at the camp, “he has no words, just blinks and sneezes and stares” with his arms wrapped protectively around his body. There are no references to the children’s cultural backgrounds, but in some ways, this allows all children to see the story as a universal message of friendship and sharing. Tent-living and huge boats set against the story of Lubna and her pebble offer more context to the status of the refugees for older readers.

Review Excerpts

Booklist (March 1, 2019): “Some children have security blankets, some have teddy bears, others have invisible friends. Lubna has Pebble. It is telling that this child would rely on so ordinary and ubiquitous an object for comfort: she has nothing else. Before we can wonder why a little girl’s best friend is a pebble, we learn that she found it when she and her father arrived in a World of Tents. Night skies make silhouettes of the hulls of boats that dwarf tiny Lubna on the beach from where she and her father make their way to their new tent home. The fact that they are refugees might be lost on the youngest readers as this significant fact is only subtly conveyed in the text. But a quiet sense of loss pervades the story and is amplified when another small child, Amir, arrives. Close-up renderings of Lubna’s face, her father’s strong arms, and Amir’s drooped shoulders convey the weight of trauma the children carry. Yet there is also a tenderness and optimism in their playful delight and shared love of Pebble. A warm palette of indigo and ocher, with occasional blasts of glowing orange and red, mirrors the cocoon of security that the children build for each other. Lubna and Pebble is a timely story of displacement, loss, friendship, and kindness—universal messages with timeless appeal.”  (Booklist, vol 115, number 13, p60)

“Lubna and Pebble.” Booklist. 115.13 (2019): 60. Novelist, EBSCOhost (accessed September 5, 2020).

School Library Journal (March 1, 2019): “Lubna's best friend is a shiny and smooth gray pebble. It was the first thing she found when she and her father arrived in their new country, just before they landed in the World of Tents. As she navigates this new world, Lubna knows with certainty that her daddy and Pebble will keep her safe. Pebble smiles up at Lubna and always listens when she tells stories of home, her brothers, and the war. Pebble brings Lubna comfort when everything else is uncertain. When a young boy named Amir arrives at the tent village, Pebble acts as a bridge between the two children, and they soon become close friends. Shortly after, when Lubna and her father have found a new home, Lubna must leave her new friend behind, and she realizes that Amir may need the pebble and the comfort it brings even more than she does. This tale begins and ends with stunning illustrations full of emotion. This heartrending and beautiful picture book explores the long, hard journey that displaced families endure and also reminds us of the power of friendship, especially in the face of uncertainty. VERDICT A truly important story about the refugee crisis and the power of friendship.”

“Lubna and Pebble.” School Library Journal. 65.2 (2019): 88. Novelist, EBSCOhost (accessed September 5, 2020).

Awards

      ·        Charlotte Huck Award – commended 2020
·        Notable Books for a Global Society – selection 2020
·        Margaret Wise Brown Prize in Children's Literature – winner 2020
·        Outstanding International Books – selection 2020
·        Lasting Connections – selection 2019

Connections

·        Give each student a pebble and allow them to draw a face or write a quote. Have them hide it or leave it somewhere for someone else to find.

·        Have some students write a letter from Amir to Lubna telling of his new adventures with Pebble. Have other students respond with Lubna’s news of her new home.

·        Read “Words from Home.”