School Library Journal
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K-Gr 3-While spending the weekend with her dad, Yuriko confesses that she is teased by her classmates for her blond hair and Japanese heritage. Through talking with her father, Yuriko learns to appreciate her biracial identity as they visit her favorite sushi restaurant and Golden Gate Park. Say supplements his tender watercolor illustrations with family photographs. (c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publishers Weekly
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Yuriko's classroom is an uncomfortable place to be a biracial child. "The new art teacher called me 'Eureka,' " Yuriko tells her father. "I want an American name, Daddy." Fortunately, Yuriko's father adores her-hence the book's title, Say's nickname for his only child. His ability to mediate between Japanese culture and American reality helps turn a frustrating class art assignment into triumph; Yuriko uses a collection of chopsticks and some fluffy cotton to construct a replica of the Golden Gate bridge blanketed in fog. Caldecott-winner Say's (Grandfather's Journey) meticulous draftsmanship and openhearted honesty make this a memorable piece of autobiography. Family photographs of Yuriko dressed in Japanese kimono add to the story's intimacy; she's pictured first as a toddler, and then, on the last page, as a young woman, a bit self-conscious in her finery. As a bonus, Say offers an affirming portrait of a divorced father savoring every minute of his shared custody, and of an artist coaching his child through cookie-cutter art assignments: "They're fun if you think of them as puzzles," he tells her. Ages 4-8. (June) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
School Library Journal
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
K-Gr 2-Whereas Drawing from Memory (Scholastic, 2011) revealed a slice of Say's youth, this title is seen through the lens of fatherhood, although the narrator is omniscient. As the story opens, "Yuriko came to stay with her father on Thursday that week." Readers follow the flaxen-haired child through homework assignments that involve bringing a baby picture to school and, later, creating a model of the Golden Gate Bridge. A photograph of Yuriko clad in a red, flowered kimono becomes a source of confusion for her classmates, who associate Japanese appearance with dark hair. When the art teacher mispronounces her name, and the students follow suit, her day goes from bad to worse; miserable, she seeks a new identity upon arriving home. Father and daughter visit a familiar sushi restaurant, Golden Gate Park, and the bridge (shrouded in fog), all of which help the troubled girl process her feelings and inspire a unique response to the art project. Their banter pits paternal teasing mixed with loving support against childlike swings between melodrama and earnestness. Say's command of watercolor, ink, and pencil develops the visual narrative through a combination of uncluttered interiors; peaceful, restorative gardens; and emotionally complex portraits. The concluding photograph of Yuriko as a young woman in Japan (also wearing a kimono) conveys an acceptance and pride regarding her heritage and adds impact to the message. A sensitive addition to the canon of picture books about children coming to terms with being "different."-Wendy Lukehart, District of Columbia Public Library (c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Book list
From Booklist, Copyright © American Library Association. Used with permission.
Yuriko, who is staying with her father for the weekend, comes home upset after the kids in art class make fun of her name. She decides she wants to be called Michelle from now on, which her father humors with judicious stoicism. Over the next couple of days he takes her to her favorite restaurant for sushi, through the Japanese Garden in Golden Gate Park, and to an ink-painting demonstration, but things turn sour again when they visit the Golden Gate Bridge which is supposed to be the subject of a class art project and find it shrouded in fog. One stroke of ingenuity on Yuriko's part later, however, and things are set right again. Say's artwork, rendered in pen and ink and watercolors, is as classy as ever. Although the little girl stars in every illustration, this clearly autobiographical book is very much from the father's point of view. Still, the genuine warmth and nontrivializing look at childhood troubles should endear this to a young audience. And the emphasis on celebrating one's culture while finding common ground with others is universally handy.--Chipman, Ian Copyright 2010 Booklist