My Mei Mei
Author & Illustrator: Ed Young
Publisher: Philomel Books
Year of Publication: 2006
Genre: General Fiction
Horn Book or Kirkus Review Rating:Horn book review of 1 & a Kirkus Starred Review
Summary: My Mei Mei is a narrative that tells a very informative story of a young girl who is getting ready to welcome her new sister into her life. Learning the importance of family through the adoption of her sister is a main priority of the young girl in the story. The author of this children’s book tells the story through the main character, Antonia. Antonia is very eager to meet her little sister at the beginning but once she meets her she wants to send her back because Mei Mei is getting more attention than she is.
Summary of Professional Review: According to Horn Book Reviews, My Mei Mei received a rating of a 1. The review gives a brief description of the book. The author of the book is Ed Young. Ed’s daughter narrates this tale of her adoption from china. The review emphasizes the importance of realistic close up portraits in the illustrations that suit this very personal acount.
Review by Sasha Ishak: My Mei Mei is a wonderful book full of emotions between a very close family. The parents of Antonia, the young girl in the story have decided to adopt a daughter named Mei Mei. Throughout the book Antonia is feeling all sorts of emotions. She is excited, nervous, and most importantly anxious for the arrival of her baby sister. But once her sister is home Antonia is upset and wants to send Mei Mei back. The underling meaning behind this family oriented narrative is that of love and acceptance. Antonia eventually loves her sister and accepts her as she is, solving the plot of the story. The illustrations are portrayed in a real sense creating images that look like they are actually the characters. The author includes a photograph of the girls on the last page of the text and it is nearly identical to the illustrations of them in the book. The pages are very colorful and inviting to a reader. And finally the endpapers are done very well, showing the parents in the beginning adopting Antonia from China.The overall design of My Mei Mei is very inviting to a child, and most importantly it teaches children about loving one another.
This book would be useful when teaching....
My Mei Mei can be used in a classroom when teaching about different cultures and parts of the world. The teacher can use this book as a read aloud for the first part of the lesson so that the students can become familiar with the book. Ed Young incorporates Chinese words in the book such as mei mei that means little sister, and jieh jieh meaning big sister. The book teaches children about acceptance through adoption and it can also help children understand that aren’t always what they seem. After reading this book with the class the teacher can create an art lesson incorporated with a writing lesson for children in grade 3. The students can create a picture of them, and their siblings and then write a short paragraph about why they love and accept their brother or sister.
Publisher: Philomel Books
Year of Publication: 2006
Genre: General Fiction
Horn Book or Kirkus Review Rating:Horn book review of 1 & a Kirkus Starred Review
Summary: My Mei Mei is a narrative that tells a very informative story of a young girl who is getting ready to welcome her new sister into her life. Learning the importance of family through the adoption of her sister is a main priority of the young girl in the story. The author of this children’s book tells the story through the main character, Antonia. Antonia is very eager to meet her little sister at the beginning but once she meets her she wants to send her back because Mei Mei is getting more attention than she is.
Summary of Professional Review: According to Horn Book Reviews, My Mei Mei received a rating of a 1. The review gives a brief description of the book. The author of the book is Ed Young. Ed’s daughter narrates this tale of her adoption from china. The review emphasizes the importance of realistic close up portraits in the illustrations that suit this very personal acount.
Review by Sasha Ishak: My Mei Mei is a wonderful book full of emotions between a very close family. The parents of Antonia, the young girl in the story have decided to adopt a daughter named Mei Mei. Throughout the book Antonia is feeling all sorts of emotions. She is excited, nervous, and most importantly anxious for the arrival of her baby sister. But once her sister is home Antonia is upset and wants to send Mei Mei back. The underling meaning behind this family oriented narrative is that of love and acceptance. Antonia eventually loves her sister and accepts her as she is, solving the plot of the story. The illustrations are portrayed in a real sense creating images that look like they are actually the characters. The author includes a photograph of the girls on the last page of the text and it is nearly identical to the illustrations of them in the book. The pages are very colorful and inviting to a reader. And finally the endpapers are done very well, showing the parents in the beginning adopting Antonia from China.The overall design of My Mei Mei is very inviting to a child, and most importantly it teaches children about loving one another.
This book would be useful when teaching....
My Mei Mei can be used in a classroom when teaching about different cultures and parts of the world. The teacher can use this book as a read aloud for the first part of the lesson so that the students can become familiar with the book. Ed Young incorporates Chinese words in the book such as mei mei that means little sister, and jieh jieh meaning big sister. The book teaches children about acceptance through adoption and it can also help children understand that aren’t always what they seem. After reading this book with the class the teacher can create an art lesson incorporated with a writing lesson for children in grade 3. The students can create a picture of them, and their siblings and then write a short paragraph about why they love and accept their brother or sister.