Ching Yeung RussellBesprekingen

Based upon her memories of her childhood growing up in China, Chinese-American children's author Ching Yeung Russell spins the story of the celebration of the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival in this gentle and engaging picture-book. Narrated by a young girl who is living with her grandmother, while her parents are far away, it follows the way in which her family, including her many cousins, mark the occasion. The setting up of a table with special foods, the asking of a blessing from the moon maiden Chang O, the eating of the special mooncakes, the procession with lanterns - these are all described, as is the narrator's wish that Chang O bring home her parents...

Apparently the issue of child/parent separation is one that Russell has explored elsewhere, in her novels. For my part, I was reminded while reading Moon Festival of Yu Li-Qiong's A New Year's Reunion, another picture-book chronicling the experiences of a Chinese child whose parents are away working. I enjoyed the narrative here, and the almost nostalgic feeling created by the story. The accompanying oil painting illustrations from Christopher Zhong-Yuan Zhang, who also illustrated Russell's First Apple, had a lovely, luminous quality that was very appealing. Recommended to picture-book readers looking for Mid-Autumn Moon Festival stories, or for stories about growing up in China.

I enjoyed Tofu Quilt because it was story written entirely with poems. It makes the book easier to read and because it’s a poem, it has a sort of a natural rhythm which makes it fun to read as well. Furthermore, poems lend themselves to more descriptive language. For example, when the writer tastes coffee for the first time, she describes it was “the flavor of dark-burned rice on the bottom of the wok.” And describes her dad’s quilt pieces as “big as my palm and as square as chunks of tofu.” I also really enjoyed how the book pushes readers to think about the similarities and differences in culture. For example, in Chines culture women being educated past a certain age is considered ridiculous and a waste of money.½

A semi-autobiographical novel told in poems that describes how young Yeung Ying discovers a calling and talent for writing, thanks to a progressively-minded mother and an encouraging teacher. Share this with a budding young writer or with a girl who dreams big.

I didn't anticipate enjoying this book as much as I did. It was very good. I really would love to try some of the foods that were mentioned in this book, and I really felt like I could identify with the main character through her writing, even though there is very little comparable material for me. I understood her and that was just tremendous. The lyrical style was great too. It really reminded me of something that Sharon Creech or Karen Hesse might write. It's a short book, which would lend well to being read aloud, but it's powerful and revealing about a life that many American readers don't know enough about.

While its possible that my liking of this story is primarily driven by my liking for the illustrations (I'm a sucker for good oil paintings!), I think it has more to do with the fact that Ching Yeung Russell writes so well about her own upbringing. In many of her stories, the main character is a girl seperated from her parents or extended family by the border between mainland China and one of the bordering territories. I like this story for its careful mixture of joy and sorrow. The story is one that left me thinking after I finished, and I think that's the sign of good writing in many instances.

free verse memoir for younger children

t’s easy to overlook collections of poetry for children and young adults. It’s not a big genre, compared to fiction, and a lot of young readers are intimidated by verse. But I want to tell you about this beautiful collection of autobiographical poetry that I read this week — TOFU QUILT by Ching Yeung Russell.

This collection reads almost like a verse novel — its narrative style works to tell the story of a young girl growing up between mainland China and the island of Hong Kong in the 60s during the Vietnam war. It’s the story of her family’s financial struggles, and her mother’s steadfast will to keep her in a private school despite the in-laws’ insistence that a girl is “like a bucket of water being poured out.” In other words, it’s no use for girls to have education beyond 6th grade, they are only meant to be obedient wives to other families.

But Yeung Ying has a dream — she once was treated to a delicious custard called dan lai, an expensive specialty dessert. Her cousin told her she should be a writer, and then she could have all the dan lai she wanted. It is then and there that Yeung Ying knows she will one day be a writer, and the book chronicles her triumphs and struggles with family and in school. While some teachers praise her writing abilities, others put her down for daring to write about a place she’s never been: the setting from her favorite Mark Twain story, the Mississippi River. And still, even while her mother believes in her, relatives scorn her and her family for daring to continue with secondary education and pursue a career in writing.

This is such an empowering book for young girls everywhere. While many Americans, myself included, are lucky to grow up in a place where women are valued beyond the occupation of “future wife,” we still have our daily struggles. Men are still paid more for the same jobs regardless of performance. We are still expected to be stay-at-home moms when they have babies. Pressure on teen girls to be pure is enormous, while their male counterparts are praised for sleeping around. And stories like TOFU QUILT are so important in helping us listen to the voices that encourage us, who believe in us and our dreams — whether we hope to become a writer, or a mom, or a bricklayer or a doctor. Like the voice of Yeung Ying’s mom and cousin and Uncle Five who always believed in her, these are the voices young women need to hold onto.

I also loved the glimpse this gives into China’s recent history, the American soldiers who provided business for Yeung Ying’s ba ba (dad), the tailor. It’s easy for us to sit here and think about our local problems and how we are effected by things like the economy and war and poverty. But when young people — and grown-ups, but especially young people — read stories about kids like them from around the world, that’s when we really get to be global citizens. And I think that’s really cool.

Beyond the cultural and social impact of TOFU QUILT, it’s just a really gorgeous book to read. The writing is smooth and eloquent, tightly edited and carefully imagined. This is a book that readers of all ages can enjoy, that will touch and inspire many. And I hope you’ll go to your library or bookstore and look for a copy today!

Booklist (November 1, 2009 (Vol. 106, No. 5))
Grades 3-6. Based on the author’s experiences growing up in 1960s Hong Kong, this novel-length, free-verse poem follows a young girl who aspires to be a writer in a society that still questions the value of educating girls. Luckily, Yeung Ying’s mother, who received an education herself, feels otherwise, and she scrapes together private-school tuition for her daughter. In individual, chapter-length selections, Yeung Ying gives a strong sense of her loving family, her vibrant neighborhood, and the impact of specific, life-shaping experiences, all in a spare, believable young voice. Readers will come away with a strong sense of both an individual and a culture, and they’ll appreciate the importance that small, daily details hold in Yeung Ying’s life: a shockingly delicious taste of a dessert becomes the seed that grows into her writing dream, for example. Young people will be inspired by Yeung Ying’s determination to realize her ambition and to find inspiration everywhere, from overheard snatches of apartment-house gossip to quiet family moments: “I always / perk up my ears / for treasures.” A welcome glossary and author’s note add further cultural context.