Mouse's Corner: Mooncakes and A Cat Named Gorilla

When I first considered joining A More Diverse Universe Event, I started going through my daughter's shelves in search of books that might qualify. My daughter is fortunate to live in a community and go to a school that is fairly diverse. As a parent, I think it is important to continue to expose my daughter to a variety of cultures and ethnicities, and that includes through literature.  I would like her to have an appreciation for the differences as well as to know just how similar we all are as well.

When Gorilla Goes Walking written by Nikki Grimes and illustrated by Shane Evans

Orchard Books, 2007

Fiction (Children's); 32 pgs

We have two cats, one of which has been with us since before Mouse was born. She's never known life without a cat. She is also an only child, like the main character in Grimes' book. When Gorilla Goes Walking seemed like the perfect book for Mouse, a collection of poems telling the story of Cecilia, an African American girl, and her cat, Gorilla. It is a fun (and funny) story, with bright playful illustrations. Mouse and I both enjoy the rhythm of the verses as we read together. Gorilla is a bit more bold and mischievous than our own cats, but in some ways they are similar. Mouse really likes Cecelia and can relate to her in many ways. Especially when Cecelia is sick or sad, and her cat comes to comfort her.  Mouse particularly loves the page in which Cecelia and Gorilla get into the paints and make quite a mess. She always points out the colorful paw prints.  

My daughter and I are definitely interested in reading more by Nikki Grimes and Shane Evans.

To learn more about author Nikki Grimes and her work, please visit the author's website. 
To learn more about illustrator Shane Evans and his work, please visit his website. 

Round is a Mooncake: A Book of Shapes by Roseanne Thong, illustrated by Grace Lin

Chronicle Books, 2000

Fiction (Children's); 40 pgs

From the Publisher:  

A little girl's neighborhood becomes a discovery ground of things round, square and rectangular. Many of the objects are Asian in origin, other universal: round rice bowls and a found pebble, square dim sum and pizza boxes, rectangular Chinese lace and very special pencil case. Bright art accompanies this lively introduction to shapes and short glossary explains the cultural significance of the objects featured in the book. Perfect for read-alouds or one-on-one sharing.

My daughter has long known her shapes, at least the basic ones. She has a little trouble with differentiating between squares and rectangles sometimes, although mostly gets them right. I wish the author had gone with the triangle instead of the rectangle, but there are triangles to be found on some of the pages. As a result, I sometimes ask Mouse to identify them as we read through the book.  

Her favorite shape to point out is the circle. She loves finding the lanterns and moon. Mouse often asks questions about the objects she finds in the illustrations, and I do my best to explain what they are, including the "chop's inky mark" and the abacus.

I love the illustrations in the book. The colors are bright and big. For me, they make the book more than the actual words on each page. I think this is a book that will grow with Mouse over the next few years as she gets older and begins to notice different things.  

To learn more about author Roseanne Thong and her work, please visit the author's website. 
To learn more about illustrator Grace Lin and her work, please visit her website. 

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