The American Wei [Hardcover]

Marion Hess Pomeranc (Author), Abby Levine (Editor), DyAnne DiSalvo-Ryan (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1998 | Age Level: 5 and up

When Wei Fong loses his first tooth while going to his family's naturalization ceremony many soon-to-be Americans join in the search.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 3AWei Fong thinks himself doubly lucky to have a loose tooth just before his family's naturalization ceremony, because he is sure that his first visit from the tooth fairy will happen on the same day he becomes an American citizen. To his great distress, Wei loses his tooth in the middle of the street in front of the courthouse. An international cast of willing helpers, all on their way to the ceremony, rush to his aid. After frantic searching, accompanied by polyglot exclamations (translated on the dedication page), the tooth is found. A solemn naturalization ceremony inside the courthouse and a supper of "dim sum and hot dogs" with neighbors of different ethnicities ends the day. Focusing on a problem that will engage children, the book accentuates the positive, resolutely ignoring any hint of ethnic conflict or the poignancy of forswearing one's birth country. Loosely realistic illustrations paint an appealing picture of a Chinese family and their multiethnic friends. Both art and text present a cheerfully idealized picture of an event that is important in the lives of America's many young immigrants.AMargaret A. Chang, North Adams State College, MA
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Ages 4^-8. An upbeat immigration story focuses on a Chinese American preschooler who is just as excited about his wobbly tooth as he is about his family's part in the naturalization ceremony. On the way to the ceremony, Wei Fong loses his first tooth on the sidewalk outside the federal courthouse. What will he do about the tooth fairy? People from everywhere stop to help him find the tooth--people speaking French, Spanish, and Polish as well as English; people from Kenya and Trinidad and Europe. Then they all go into the building to take part in the solemn ritual that makes them citizens of the U.S. The playful, personal focus will draw kids into the story, and Pomeranc includes a note about naturalization for those who want to know more. The gouache and pencil illustrations capture the child's viewpoint, including the hilarious double-page spread of Wei Fong spread-eagled on the sidewalk, nose pointed down, searching for that crucial tooth. The warm response from those around him is a lighthearted expression of the meaning of community and the pun of the title. It's the American way. Hazel Rochman

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Albert Whitman & Company (March 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0807503126
• ISBN-13: 978-0807503126
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 8.2 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #306,955 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Becoming an american citizen & loosing a tooth - a double lucky day for Wei, May 18, 2009

By 

KSL "emma-and-me" (Florida, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The American Wei (Hardcover)

Wei Fong was born in China but he and his family moved to America are now becoming American citizens! If that wasn't exciting enough Wei also has a loose tooth and hopes that he will also loose his 1st tooth because it will be double lucky day to become a new citizen and the tooth fairy will come that night! On the way into to the court house Mama and Papa look for Wei who is not there. Where is he? They find Wei lying on the ground Wei tooth had come out and he was looking for it on the sidewalk. Families from different countries who were also becoming American citizens stopped to help Wei. Finally the tooth was found and they all got into the elevator to the court room. Then all the families become citizens! They sing the Star Spangled Banner and the Pledge of Allegiance take lots of pictures! At home to celebrate they eat dim sum and hot dogs something from China and something from the US. And the tooth fairy does come that evening bringing Wei some money for his 1st lost tooth. It certainly was a double lucky day for Wei!

The very first page before the story starts talks all about naturalization and how thousands of immigrants become new citizens of the United States each year. And talks about what an adult must do to become a citizen and how children under the age of 18 do not have to take any tests because they become citizens when their parents do. It is does so a way that young children can understand.

I like that the people Wei meets during his double lucky day speak French, Polish, Chinese, Spanish showing how America is a melting pot of all kinds of cultures that truly make America so special!