Blanca & Roja
By: Anna-Marie McLemore
I don't even really know what to say about this book.... 'eh.... It was not my favorite of the literature provided by the program. I enjoyed it, but at the same time, not really. I am not for sure if it was the overly flowery (trying too hard) language. I often found myself skipping over the redundant description words. We get that Barclay's eyes are blue AND brown... like mud and water... like.. like...
Now, when I read the authors notes and over all message behind the book made me enjoy it a little bit more. She wanted to tie in folklore into finding beauty and self identity. But the four main characters, which all tell the story, so you are constantly changing point of view (and they are short chapters), but the characters are also changing into animals or even claiming other gender identities (changing the pronouns). It was just a lot to keep track and at times, unnecessary.
The two main girls, sisters, are following the family curse when one of the daughters becomes a swan. But then they meet a boy that was a bear who has difficult family situations (and his grandmother who is more like a dude, is now living with his best friends' grandma....) and the bear/boy's best friend was at one point a cygnet but then was also non-binary/transgender. Both girls were to fall in love.... well have the boy/bear fall in love with them.... SPOILER... one sister falls in love with cygnet/they/them/their. Both girls turn into swans, but make the swans mad so they then become human (mid-flight) and get hurt and one girl then becomes part of earth.... or something. This is all happening while the boy/bear is discovering family secrets.
Again, the story is told from 4 perspectives. And each perspective changes form at least once if not more.
It was a lot.
The author is actually married to a tran/non man. Which I think it's cool to introduce characters. But I also feel like mixing it (gender identity) with folklore and shape shifting almost makes the characters less believable (of course you can be anything you want in a fairy tale).
******
After I posted this blog I realized I had a specific form to fill out, so I'm just going to post that here too! It is a checklist so I am going to use it as such.
Title: Blanca and Roja
Author/Illutrator: Anna-Marie McLemore
Does the story:Relate to children’s interests? ✅ It's a very niche market.
Provide various conflicts for readers to explore? ✅ yes, but some are not relatable... most
Provide age-appropriate content? ✅ very select audience
Encourage discussions/conversations? ✅
Distort history? maybe folklore
Comments/Insights: See above. Seriously a cute story.
Do the characters:Represent a variety of people within cultural groups, age ranges and sizes and disabilities? Sure, they are changing characters, regularly.
Are the “good” characters a reflection of a variety of backgrounds? ✅ I mean, they are Hispanic
Include females as well as males in leadership and/or non-traditional roles? ✅ yes... and animals....
Represent diverse people at the same “level” of the white characters? they make the Hispanic girls almost seem "witch" like
Are all characters depicted realistically and genuinely? I mean... it's foklore....
Tend to be depicted as stereotypical?
Comments/Insights:
Does the theme:Offer readers a variety of things to think about, question, and consider? ✅
Explore, instead of preach, values? ✅
Include lessons from which readers can learn? ✅
Tell the story of a diverse population in a condescending manner, whether contemporary or in the past? ✅
Comments/Insights: It would most definitely provide a discussion!
Does the story’s setting:Reflect a variety of places and spaces?
Represent urban, suburban, and rural settings realistically? universes!!
Represent cultural settings realistically? I think so. Most kiddos don't know what it's like to go to a school where students WANT to learn.
Comments/Insights:
Do the story illustrations (if there are any):
Include representation of diverse populations?
Contain diversity represented within cultural groups?
Include characters depicted realistically and genuinely?
Avoid reinforcing societal stereotypes?
Comments/Insights: not present
Book as a Whole
Would you be embarrassed to read the book to children of a different culture, and their parents? Almost embarrassed to read to parents.
What is the author’s background for writing the book? Married to a trans/non man. Hispanic herself and wanted to bring folklore to life.
What is the context of the book?
Comments/Insights:
Personal Insights
Your personal notes/insights about the book not covered in the previous sections: See blog!
