Cuba Diaries: An American Housewife in Havana

Book Description

Isadora Tattlin was accustomed to relocating often for her husband’s work. But when he accepted a post in Cuba in the early 1990s, she resolved to keep a detailed diary of her time there, recording her daily experiences as a wife, mother, and foreigner in a land of contraband. The result is a striking, rare glimpse into a tiny country of enormous splendor and squalor. Though the Tattlins are provided with a well-staffed Havana mansion, the store shelves are bare. On the streets, beggars plead for soap, not coins. A vet with few real medical supplies operates on a carved mahogany coffee table in a Louis XIV–style drawing room. The people adore festivity, but Christmas trees are banned. And when Isadora hosts a dinner party whose guest list includes Fidel Castro himself, she observes the ultimate contradiction at the very heart of Cuba. Vividly capturing Cuba’s simultaneously appalling and enchanting essence, Cuba Diaries casts an irresistible spell and lifts the enigma of an island that is trapped in time, but not in spirit.

Customer Reviews:

Havana without it.......2007-06-29

Last Christmas I send this book (Cuba Diaries...etc) to a friend from my office as a gift. Six months later we had an exchange on this book and we both agreed that it was poorly written. Isadora Tatlin is nothing but what the title of her book claims: An American housewife who happens to be of all places, in Havana. We understood the fact of her being just another fatty wife more concerned with taking their kids to the mall on Sunday than guiding them through the intricacies of life in a third world, more or less communist country. She failed to grasp the esence of life in Havana. In short she is, precisely, the best example of a our failed foreing policy toward the island.

A Reader's Escape to Cuba.......2006-12-04

I recently re-read Isadora Tattlin's "Cuba Diaries" to see if the magic of the first reading still held true. It does. This is an extraordinary book. Travel essay literature succeeds or fails by whether the author opens a doorway to discovery for a reader, or darkens that doorway with his or her shadow. Put another way, travel essay literature fails when the sound of the author's voice and the artiifce of the author's perceptions overpower the place that is the subject of the book. Travel essay literature succeeds when the noises and the smells of the place become real for the reader, and the story is the author's story about the place rather than the author's story about herself.

In "Cuba Diaries", Isadora Tattlin succeeds brilliantly. She never pretends to tell the reader all there is to know about Cuba. Instead, she strikes a balance that is as difficult to achieve as it is compelling once achieved. She tells you what she saw and what she heard, not as metaphor but as experience. She never forgets -- nor lets the reader forget -- that her language, her two passports, and her affluence are realities that present certain limits to full understanding of the Cuban experience as the Cubans she encounters know that experience. But her honesty about who she is, coupled with her skill as a reporter, allow the story of her family's sojourn in Cuba to come alive. Cuba unfolds with the intimacy of letters home from your favorite sister. Two feral cats are adopted to become beloved pets, the author has her purse stolen in broad daylight, Castro comes to dinner, preceded by an entourage of security men. Isadora Tattlin's scene descriptions convey the vividness and richness of details found in the corners of a large Renaissance painting. Lizards climb walls in the nighttime, algae forms in the swimming pools where her children take instruction, cuts of meat ooze blood in market counters, the pungent perfumes of the tropics mix with diesel exhaust. But among the most effective of those details are those she presents by way of documenting the tasks of managing a household and caring for her children. The things that cannot be purchased in Cuba, or that can only be found a day or so at a time in the diplomat's commissary; the threadbare facilities of the providers of medical care; the restaurants without menus; the hotel rooms without water; the collapsing masonry of the buildings of old Havana, including the cracked floors of the studio where her little girl studies dance.

Beyond the politics of Cuba and the politics about Cuba is the reality of an island country of heartbreaking beauty and hardship, and of people who daily confront that reality with pride, perseverance, pain and song. Isadora Tattlin's book will not tell you everything you may wish to know about that reality. But this book will introduce you to the reality of the place called Cuba, and I think you will find the introduction unforgettable.

Simple, funny, effective, informative and very readable.......2006-11-15

There are far too many 'doom and gloom' books on Cuba (not unlike books that discredit the entire Chinese Communist movement). In the Cuban diaries, the writer does not attempt to judge, but simply documents all her observations and her personal experience in the 4 years she spent there, and leaves the judgement for the reader. In one part, she describes an inccident of teenage car theives and explains the crime without including her opinion. Yes, her concerns and worries are small in contrast to the greater picture of Cuba, and yes, many might feel that she is just a housewife, her role of little or no political significance. However, she had never tried to play up her character nor promote herself to be anymore than who she is. I feel that those who thinks her experience are not worthy of attention have missed the point.

I mean, Cuba, like all country, has it's upside and downside. Isabella complains about the downside but she didn't fail to acknowledge the upside. She talks about what a relief to spend a week in Miami, then what a relief to be back in Cuba. I've read a number of books describing communist countries - and they often focus on how miserable lives are in those 'god-forsaken' countries. Isabella's book does not pass a verdict, it simply offers a tiny glimpse through her little life and those few years she spent there.

Still, while it's a good read, I won't say it's book of the year or whatever - I really would have given it 4 1/2 stars but this function is not available. So I thought I'll give her 5 for a magnificant effort from a non-professional writer.

sorry the book ended.......2006-06-27

This book is written in many short snippets of daily and weekly life in Cuba rather than long chapters. I enjoyed it immensely; this style kept me wondering what was going to happen next with the parade of characters introduced - from household help to visiting friends to political and diplomatic appointees. It also highlighted the beauty of the island while presenting a sad gloom of the reality most of the people live day to day. It made me sad to see the family leave at the end without knowing more of the fate of all the people the author brings to life so intimately for us to care about.

Bleech!.......2004-10-28

Truly is what it says it is: An American housewife whines about not getting fresh whatever daily from the servants. She could visit the south side of Chicago and whine, sans servants. Her Martha Stewart sensibilities are out of place in a poor country struggling with social issues, quite successfully, I would add, despite North America's stupid blockade.

Needless to say, this book was an aggravation and disrespectful of another place and culture.

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Story of longing, happiness and joy
I just found this book
A Good Story
"At the Crossroads"

At the Crossroads

Manufacturer: HarperTrophy
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0688131034
Release Date: 1994-02-18

Book Description

The children of a South African village eagerly gather at the crossroads to welcome their fathers, who have been away for months working in the mines. The children wait, but the men don't come. So the children keep waiting. And waiting. They wait all through the night, until the dawn brings both the day and the longed-for loved ones.A "lively portrayal of young children in a South African village eagerly awaiting their fathers' homecoming after ten months of working in the mines....A unique glimpse...and one that deserves a place in all collections."--School Library Journal

Customer Reviews:

Story of longing, happiness and joy.......2004-03-08

This book is beautiful touching story of childhood longing.

Six children wait for their fathers to come home after ten months away working in the mines.

We start their day with them as they wake in anxious anticipation. We follow them through their day with descriptive prose and amazing illustrations as they dress, go to school, make music and celebrate and wait and wait and wait.

They will not go home until their fathers arrive. The wait is longer than expected but the excitement remains high throughout this book until the beautiful end.

I just found this book.......2002-04-29

Wow! My family is from South Africa and we were thrilled when we found this book at our local bookstore. It is sooo true to life and so uplifting. It brought back all the memories we have of our home and even the colors brought back memories. I am sorry we had to leave S. Africa and I am happy that Rachel Isadora could bring back the sights, sounds and smells. I hope that by understanding the terrible situation of apartheid the country will become a better place and all the people can live together. I hope my children will understand all this someday! Thank you for such a wonderful book.....

A Good Story.......2001-07-19

At the Crossroads by Rachel Isadora is a made-up story. It is about kids waiting for their fathers to come home. They waited a long time. I think that this story is really cool and that other kids will like it. I liked the pictures a lot, except the one where the moon was orange.

"At the Crossroads".......2000-07-30

A wonderful book telling of the warmth and love, not only in a family, but in a whole community. Eagerly awaiting the return of their fathers the children prepare a joyous welcome. Filled with rich, beautiful colors "At the Crossroads" tells a story of the love children have for their fathers, even though they may seldom see them. I felt that this really spoke of how those still at home kept the fathers 'alive' for the children. This is a wonderful book for children to see how other children live and how happy they can be with, what we would consider, so little. I use this book every year with our unit on Families.

The Search for Isadora: The Legend & Legacy of Isadora Duncan

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The Search for Isadora: The Legend & Legacy of Isadora Duncan
Lillian Loewenthal
Manufacturer: Princeton Book Company Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0871271796

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I Adore Isadora
rereading the autobiography of a ghost
Isadora's life
patchy
her life-isadora duncan

My Life
Isadora Duncan
Manufacturer: Liveright Publishing Corporation
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0871401584

Amazon.com

Fabulous is the only adjective that comes close to doing justice to Isadora Duncan (1878-1927). Her awesomely self-assured autobiography depicts a woman who while still in her teens tells an eminent theatrical manager (from whom she desperately needs a job), "I have discovered the art that has been lost for two thousand years.... I bring you the dance." In Duncan's rendering of her life, composers fling themselves at the piano and compose new music for her on the spot. Men pine for her love (the book's sexual frankness, while hardly startling today, was considered quite scandalous in 1927). And the poor mortals who can never understand her need to be free can at least applaud wildly at her concerts. Duncan and her siblings sleep in a bare Parisian attic, then dance barefoot through the Luxembourg Gardens. They travel to Greece to worship "in the Sacred Land of Hellas," where they build their very own temple. Duncan is capable of seeing the humor in her rhapsodic immersion in art, but we don't really want her to be realistic and self-deprecating like ordinary mortals. It's her divine passion, her supreme confidence in her own genius that make My Life such fun to read. --Wendy Smith

Book Description

1927. An account of her life in her own words, Isadora Duncan's life is one containing the most illustrative content and value. She thought the story of her life was "fitted for the pen of a Cervantes, or Casanova." She made the purest attempt at the life of adventure. She states her art as a dancer is just an effort to express the truth of her Being in gesture and movement.

Customer Reviews:

I Adore Isadora.......2006-08-11

A dancer and visionary far ahead of her time, Isadora's story is told in such an intimate personal voice that you feel as if she's confiding in you. She lived her life so vividly that it takes on the color and bravado of a mythic odyssey. Isadora inspires me to fully inhabit my artist's soul and to allow the purity of my heart to infuse every breath, every step. Life is a dance to be danced, a charmed and poignant tale unfolding. Play the part in full heart, she seems to be telling us, play it well.

rereading the autobiography of a ghost.......2002-05-17

I first read this book after seeing Ken Russell's film "The World's Biggest Dancer" in the 1960's The film is, unfortunately, lost. I fell in love with the myth of this fabulous woman and was impressed with Vanessa Redgrave's portrayal of her in Karel Reisz's "Isadora" also hopelessly lost I believe. This is not a great work of art: it has episodes of naively underwritten material tailored into whole paragraphs of wonderful philosophy of a futuristic world when art and beaty supercede greed and material gain. The ghost of Isadora haunts this book; a woman broken by personal tragedy writing these words in the last years of a life that, by any standards, was extraordinary. I keep it on my shelf along with Nijinsky's "Life" both books testimony to the inability of words to express the emotions of genius

Isadora's life.......2002-03-29

Easily one of the best conversations I have had without speaking. Isadora speaks directly to her reader with a passionate and intense language. There were points when I was reading that my inner voice was yelling back in agreement, empathy or appreciation. I found this woman intelligent, hilarious and dramatic. I felt as though I had made a friend. Though she was not a trained writer, she has been able to share herself very openly in the written language. I think this is a must read for any woman (or man).

patchy.......2000-09-12

An autobiography is a way of looking inside a person's mind. We have no real right to expect objectivity or "the long view" on any given subject.

Isadora Duncan's autobiography is a terrific example of the above. She was a hugely talented, flamboyant individual who chose to march to her own drummer from an early age. She is passionate in her descriptions of her inner life, her career and her lovers and changed the whole concept of "The Dance", breaking away from ballet (which she considered ugly and contrived) and inventing what we'd call "modern dance".

She was a fantastic dancer, but as a writer she is far too interested in her own inner world. The people around her float by as a succesion of badly defined cardboard cutouts, and one visited city sounds much like any other. After a while this DOES get rather boring. The lack of dates (such as "that was in 1925" or whatever) or a neatly defined chapter structure means that it's pretty hard to keep track of the passage of time. In the end, reading this book becomes a bit of a struggle: it's like being stuck in a someone's rather boring dreamworld.

Her sollipsism is (at times) a bit of a hoot and her inability to perceive the world for what it is provide the reader with occasional bits of unintentional black comedy.

An example: after deciding that ancient Greece was the mother of all art, Isadora sunk a great deal of her money in trying to rebuild a Greek temple. Her family spoke no Greek but lived for months amid the ruins, performing dances and wearing togas while getting cheated by the local villagers. She also formed a chorus of Greek urchins to perform ancient music and was later disappointed when during a tour, the urchins begin growing up and staying out late and coming home drunk.

A more human writer would have managed a bit of irony, a touch of sympathy for these common, simple people caught up in the mad American artist's vision, but Isadora never quite manages it. Sadly, it is precisely this sort of self-centered and humourless viewpoint that makes this book so stodgy.

On the positive side, however, one DOES get a really good idea of what Isadora Duncan was like and how she saw her art and one can't really ask for more from an autobiography.

her life-isadora duncan.......2000-01-30

As a keen fan of autobiographys this book automatically appealed to me. although I had not heard of Isadora's profound infleunce on the world of art or dance, the reviews on the book sold it for me. I thouroughly enjoyed her abstract and sometimes perplexing stories about her up- bringing. However as her travels with her family increased i found her to be quite selfish and single-minded in regards to her career. This i felt led her story, although a biography, to become quite a monotonous and tedious read. In her favour I would say that the book is written in an honest and frank manner.

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Great Artistry - Poignant Story
Ben's Trumpet
Riviting and remarkable - a true classic
"Ben's Trumpet" is jazzy and modern
Ben's Trumpet

Ben's Trumpet

Manufacturer: HarperTrophy
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0688109888
Release Date: 1991-09-18

Book Description

The story of Ben is fiction, but it could be the story of more than one jazz musician who grew up in the twenties. Using the art-deco style of the period, Rachel Isadora not only captures the poignancy and yearning of a youthful talent, but in page after page of striking art seems to convey the very sound of music.

Customer Reviews:

Great Artistry - Poignant Story.......2005-10-19

I bought this book for the illustrations, but I found the story was just as beautiful. My grandson who has just started playing the trumpet loved it, too. In fact, he even made the effort to give me a call after he had read it to share his enthusiasm. I will definately purchase more of this remarkable woman's work,

Ben's Trumpet.......2005-02-18

Ben's Trumpet (authored and illustrated by Rachel Isadora) was named a Caldecott Honor book for best illustrations in 1980. Honor! These black and white pics are striking! I'll have to read the book that actually won that year. I can't imagine anything better than "Ben". But that's beside the point.

Summary

Ben has an imaginary trumpet and frequents the outside of the Zig Zag Jazz Club. He plays his "trumpet" for his mother, father, grandmother, and baby sister. But when neighborhood children see him playing, they laugh and call him crazy. Ben decides to quit playing his imaginary trumpet, until he meets with the trumpeter from the club.

Ben's Trumpet is a masterful with a simple text and "art-deco" that is remeniscent of The Jazz Era. Isadora is successful in conveying a cool, jazzy feel. A must-read with a satisfying conclusion. Play on!

R

Riviting and remarkable - a true classic.......2004-01-02

There are large and small crimes in the world. Small crimes includes little white lies and petty theft. Large crimes represent something much larger in the grand scheme of things. For example, it is a very large crime that it took the New York Public Library's 2003 100 Children's Books Everyone Should Know for me to discover "Ben's Trumpet". Have you seen this book? This is a gorgeous piece of work, particularly striking in its publication date (1979) but not dated. Not even a little. Following Ben, a young man living in a Harlem-esque neighborhood, the story depicts the boy's obsession with playing the trumpet. The plot is touching and has a happy ending that doesn't feel forced or tacked on. It flows just as smoothly as the book itself. Nice storylines aren't what push this book into greatness, however. Look at the illustrations a minute. Notice Isadora's use of line. Her clever placement of black and white. Look at the different drawing styles that emanate from the jazz musicians and their music. Now compare this to Ben's home, a simplistic realistic series of pictures. My favorite section comes after the trumpeter at the Zig Zag Jazz Club compliments Ben on his trumpet playing. The next two pages show the trumpeter walking away, his body curved, swaying to some internal music. On the opposite page there is a kaleidoscope of forms and images, possibly representing Ben's elation at the compliment. Possibly just serving as gorgeous filler. Please read this to your children. Teach this to your children. And give this book to everyone you know. Do I gush? I know I do. But trust me, this book is worth it.

"Ben's Trumpet" is jazzy and modern.......2000-07-24

In the age of computer games and 3-D animation, the simple imagination of a child to envision himself learning to be a jazz musician is refreshing. Unlike previous reviews, I feel the dramatic black and white drawings set off some of the cultural issues the illustrations portray. Obviously, young Ben does not live an idealized childhood at home. Yet, he finds that his passion for music can only be fulfilled outside of jazz clubs (which usually perform late in the evening and he is too young to enter). The point of the book is how he acts out THIS reality. He is looking "outside of the box" (hence the illustrations of his home life) and finds the attention from the father-figure (the trumpeter) who Ben wants to imitate. The book vividly illustrates the importance of role models in a child's life.

Ben's Trumpet.......2000-06-01

As an international music teacher we need to give all theencouragement we can give to keep the music programs alive in ourschools. Not just in the states but in the world. This short story relates to the young hopeful musican who hopes to be a contributor to the music world - Keep the dream.

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In the Small, Small Night
Jane Kurtz
Manufacturer: Amistad
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0066238145
Release Date: 2005-01-04

Book Description

In the middle of the night the world can seem huge and frightening, especially when you've just moved far from home. On Abena and Kofi's first night in America, it is late and it is dark and they are up worrying. What if a giant lizard or a slender-snouted crocodile crawled into their suitcases? What if the people in their new school laugh at them? What if they forget Grandmother and their cousins, now that they are an ocean away?

But Abena knows a secret to help them. It is a secret that can make the world and the night seem small again. She reaches for her new flashlight and turns it on. She says to her little brother, Kofi, "Pretend this is the moon. Close your eyes." And then she begins ...

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Go Lili Go
Pretty Pictures! (But don't expect a How-To or a story)
If you love ballet then you will love this book

Lili at Ballet (Paperstar Book)
Rachel Isadora
Manufacturer: Putnam Juvenile
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0698114086

Customer Reviews:

Go Lili Go.......2004-10-07

I just loved this book which I shared with my students at my ballet school. We had a joyous time going over every detail and I found it very helpful as a learning tool as well. I will give it as a Christmas present to my own children, who dance too. I think the illustrations were right on and I am so pleased with the book.

Pretty Pictures! (But don't expect a How-To or a story).......2002-02-25

The illustrations are gorgeous!

Unfortunately, in picture after picture (not ALL, but way too many) the arms are in the wrong position in relation to the legs, which is a very unbalanced thing for a young child to try to imitate... and the beautifull illustrations are so engrossing that it's hard to explain to a youngster that the picture is showing either the wrong leg forward or the wrong arm up...

The so-called story is lacking any real plot, but then, that isn't why you buy this book anyway. Any young child will really really love the artwork. And unlike many other books on ballet, this one shows children, so little girls relate to it in a more personal way.

Buy it for the pictures, but for a how-to of steps and positions, get a different book that is more accurate.

If you love ballet then you will love this book.......1999-07-11

I am an x ballerina and now my young daughter dances. She can't get enough of theis book and reads it over and over again. We loved the illustrations so much, that we wrote to Ms. Isadora and asked if she would sell us a piece of art from the book! The book simply but thoroughly explains ballet to a young child but to a novice as well. I am just thrilled that such a book is available!

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Sophie the Great
My daughter wants to follow in Sophie's footsteps

Sophie Skates (Picture Puffins)

Manufacturer: Putnam Juvenile
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0698119053

Book Description

Sophie Skates Sophie wants to be a professional ice skater when she grows up. To reach her goal, she knows she must work hard. It takes a lot of time and effort to master the skills and jumps. But all of her hard work is worth it when the time comes for Sophie's favorite part of ice skating-competing. With enough practice and dedication, one day Sophie may be the best! Woven into Sophie's story are many detailed pictures and pieces of information about the world of ice skating, from the clothing and equipment to the moves and jumps.

"A winning score for Isadora once again." (Publishers Weekly, starred review)

Customer Reviews:

Sophie the Great.......2004-10-07

I bought other Rachel Isadora books and was delighted to find this as well. I am very interested in ballet books and found this very well executed. I am very tickled to find all these books and wonderful artwork because it is difficult to find artists painting dancers and in this case, skaters, today. I, once again, want to thank Ms. Isadora for her pursuance of the dance...........keep up the great work!

My daughter wants to follow in Sophie's footsteps.......2000-08-07

I love finding books where the main character shares my daughters name. This book was excellent and will last a long time I think, as it covers general skating information, more specifics about skates, "moves", and competitions, and all from the viewpoint of 8-year old Sophie (she started when she was 3, the age of my Sophie). As usual the pictures are exquisite and I would recommend buying this for any Sophie I knew, as well as any budding skater.

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Beautiful keepsake for young and old
And a little child shall lead us...
The Little Match Girl
Everyone should read this book.
"The Little Match Girl "

The Little Match Girl
Hans Christian Andersen
Manufacturer: Putnam Juvenile
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0399213368

Book Description

Three-time Caldecott Honor artist Jerry Pinkney brings new relevance to the classic Hans Christian Andersen story

The wintry streets of an American city are thronged with shoppers, in preparation for New Year's Eve. But no one is interested in buying the matches and artificial flowers offered by one little girl. Wishing to avoid the cold welcome awaiting her at home, she lights her matches for what little heat they can provide. The visions that she sees in their flickering glow warm her spirit, even as the brutal cold of night destroys her body.

Three-time Caldecott Honor winner Jerry Pinkney's interpretation of this famous Hans Christian Andersen tale transforms the little Danish girl into a child drawn straight out of the American melting pot--a child who is of no easily identifiable culture, and so is of them all. The poignancy and immediacy of Pinkney's art draw the reader into the early twentieth-century streets, to witness how the poor can be invisible in the midst of the wealthy--a condition Andersen would instantly recognize.

Customer Reviews:

Beautiful keepsake for young and old.......2007-06-27

Fall in love with this timeless Hans Christian Anderson story all over again. I was originally searching for an old record of this story that included a book from the 1960's. Unable to find the storybook and record set I wanted, I came across this book. The illustrations are beautiful. The book makes a wonderful gift for someone you love or for yourself.

And a little child shall lead us..........2007-04-06

This simple little story is an old one that I first heard many years ago. The youngster in this book is saddled with several obstacles. Child labor laws are yet to come about - her father sends her out into the world to work. The family deals with poverty and hunger. Improperly clothed, the little girl is sure to succomb to frostbite. She knows that her father will surely abuse her if she comes home empty-handed. With no way out, this youngster turns to her own rich inner life to help her transcend her impossible situation. This is the story of the power of love - the love of her own late grandmother - that sustains her as she slips into her own death. It is a lasting parable about looking within to find the resources that sustain us.

The Little Match Girl.......2007-01-15

This fairy tale is a favorite from my childhood. It is a classic story of a little girl who is alone, poor, cold, hungry and afraid to return home becasue she has sold no matches. As she is freezing to death, she lights the matches to keep warm. As she lights them, she sees all the lovely scenes of life that she has missed...Finally she sees her loving grandmother who takes her to Heaven. The story's deeper meaning is that there are things worse than death, and with the little girl's death, she is no longer hungry, cold and unloved.

Everyone should read this book........2006-10-15

I know that for those who have read this book have found it be disturbing for little children. Honestly, I don't think Hans C. Anderson would have intended this book to be just for adults. I believe he had a heart felt message for all ages. Also, the fact that it introduces real life and after life for a child is very good. Plus, it can also teach a child many other lessons. I am definitely going to read this to my kids. When I first read the little match girl I was not expecting the ending at all. So when the ending did come I cried. It affected me so much. The heart wrenching story of this little girl really hits you hard. Please read this book.

~Mayuka

"The Little Match Girl ".......2005-10-09

"The Little Match Girl" by Hans Christen Andersen was the first book I read as a child that affected me profoundly. I was able to make a personal connection to the text because I too was a young girl who was impoverished at the time. I knew what it felt like to be cold and hungry and I related immediately to the main character.

I came away from reading this book with empathy, sympathy, and knowing the truth: Not everyone has been blessed with having their basic needs met. In addition, I experienced a great joy when her grandmother takes her up to heaven to a better comforting place.

I came away with the concept that death was not something to be feared or a bad thing, but something that might be comforting and
positive. I have always loved this book. Because even as a child who was struggling I too had many things to be thankful for in comparison to what the little match girl had. The underlying message is powerful and real.

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Great trek through "da hood"
yo!

Yo, Jo!
Rachel Isadora
Manufacturer: Harcourt Children's Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Henry's Freedom Box

ASIN: 0152057838

Book Description

While Jomar and his brother, Franklin, are on their stoop waiting for Grandpa, friends and neighbors come by--whizzing on skates, showing off their new treads, or bouncing a ball. Whether it's Whassup? or Yo!, Jo's got a greeting for everyone--until Grandpa arrives and only classic words will do: I love you.
With a fresh new style, Caldecott Honor-winning illustrator Rachel Isadora fashions an exuberant intergenerational celebration of language, neighborhoods, and family.

Customer Reviews:

Great trek through "da hood".......2007-08-02

Beautiful images, matched with contemporary slang (or, at least, contemporary for the time being), this is an engaging book for the young reader, exploring the goings-on in an inner-city neighborhood and the verbal exchange between young children.

There is a little bit of the generation gap when the young protagonist greets his grandfather but that, in turn, is touching.

All children's books should be as engrossing!

yo!.......2007-03-22

Jo is an African American preschool aged male. As he meets various people in his neighborhood they all address him in a different manner. Some of those greetings are Yo! And Whasssup! All of this slang is understood by his friends but when he uses it on his grandpa Jo has to explain it to him.

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