Multicultural Book Talk
By: Erica Twiss, EDEL 411 SECTION B
About the Book
TITLE: The Pet Dragon: A Story about Adventure, Friendship, and Chinese Characters
AUTHOR: Christoph Niemann
ILLUSTRATOR: Christoph Niemann via Adobe Illustrator
GENRE: Multicultural picture book
TOPIC/THEME: The excitement of new adventures and the power of friendship
AWARDS: None
About the Author
Christoph Niemann was born in 1970 in Waiblingen, Germany, and moved to New York City in 1997. He is an illustrator and graphics designer in addition to being an author, and has created covers for The New Yorker, The Atlantic Monthly, and The New York Times Magazine. While his book The Pet Dragon has not won any awards, Niemann has won awards from the American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA), the Art Director's Club, and The Lead Awards.
Why is This Book Culturally Relevant?
Portrays Cultural Accuracy
This book is full of accurate representations of the Chinese culture. The way the characters are named and dressed is aligned appropriately, as well as the activities, environment, and architecture the illustrations display on each page. The image above is a good example of the dress and architecture demonstrated in this book.
Contains Unique Language
Throughout the book, as shown in the image, there are symbols of the Chinese language integrated within the illustrations of the book. At the bottom of the page, there is a key containing each Chinese symbol displayed on that page and the English language word it represents.
Demonstrates Common Bonds in Humanity
While this book is set in China and is grounded in Chinese culture, many of the emotions involved are universal to all. I remember getting in trouble with my parents for breaking household decorations while playing ball with my brothers. We would all have the instinct to go looking for a pet that has gone missing. Parents celebrate when their lost child finally returns home and they can stop worrying. Emotions are a language that is understood around the world.
In the Classroom
GRADE LEVEL: 2nd Grade
STANDARD: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.2.3: Describe how characters in a story respond to major events and challenges.
OBJECTIVE: The students will compare and contrast the reactions of the characters in the story to the way they have reacted or would react to the same events.
LESSON IDEA:
- The teacher begins the lesson by asking the class about any recent events, conflicts, or challenges they have faced. The students will write down their situations on index cards and place them into a hat. The teacher will pick and read out a few events to the class, asking students to share some of the different ways they might react. She will then follow up by asking the class if they thought people from different countries and cultures would react differently, and why.
- Before reading the story, the teacher will introduce the multicultural aspect of Chinese characters that will be integrated into the story. Ask them to take note of the ways the characters are represented within the illustration of what they represent.
- The teacher will read the story aloud to the class, calling special attention to the major events as they occur. Ask the students to think back to when they have faced a similar situation, and how they or someone they knew reacted. Why did Lin's father react the way he did? Has your parent reacted the same way before? Would you react differently if you were in their position? Has a pet of yours ever gone missing? Would you react the same way Lin did? Why or why not?
- After the completion of the book, the students will illustrate three major events or challenges faced by a character. They will describe what happened and how the characters reacted. They will then describe the way they have reacted to a similar situation. If they have never faced the same challenge, they will describe how they think they would act in such a situation. Do you think the culture the characters are a part of had an effect on the way they reacted? Do you think the culture you are a part of played a role in your reaction?
The Pet Dragon by etwiss
Book Information
Niemann, C. (2008). The pet dragon: a story about adventure, friendship, and Chinese characters. New York: Greenwillow Books.