Hannah is My Name [Hardcover]

Belle Yang (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 5 and up | Grade Level: K and up

With Chinese-influenced paintings in jewel-like colors, Belle Yang tells an immigration tale that reflects one of the many facets of the American dream.

Hannah is my name in this new country. It doesn't sound at all like my
Chinese name, Na-Li, which means beautiful.

It's a long way from Taiwan to San Francisco, but Hannah's family has made the journey because they want to make America their home. Here in America, Baba tells his daughter, people are free to say what they think, and children can grow up to be whatever they choose. And so Hannah takes a new name, begins a new school, learns a new language, and starts to adjust to a new way of life. Meanwhile, they all wait — and hope — for the arrival of the green cards that will assure they are finally home to stay.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 3–A girl describes her family's journey from Taiwan to the United States in 1967, explaining that she must give up her Chinese name, Na-Li, and adjust to her unfamiliar American name. Hannah relates how she and her parents try to adapt to a new way of life, observing the strange customs that they encounter and detailing the obstacles that they all must face. They immediately apply for green cards, a process that demands an interminable wait. Yang draws a parallel between Martin Luther King, Jr.'s dream of freedom and Hannah's family's quest for equal opportunity, but the narrative deals primarily with Mama and Baba's efforts to secure legal status and work. The significance of the green card, what immigrants must do to find employment, and the portrayal of the immigrant community's support for newcomers are all neatly presented. The setting–San Francisco with its skyline, bridges, hilly streets, and Chinatown–as well as elements of Chinese culture are nicely evoked in both the text and artwork. Engaging gouache illustrations comprised of vivid colors, dynamic perspectives, and stylized figures in two-dimensional views reflect the influence of the block print. Pair this autobiographical tale with Helen Recorvits's My Name Is Yoon (Farrar, 2003), a book that touches on similar themes about being a stranger in a strange land.–Marian Creamer, Children's Literature Alive, Portland, OR
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

K-Gr. 3. In an upbeat immigration story, Yang draws on her own experience of coming to America from Taiwan at age seven in the late 1960s. The bright gouache pictures of San Francisco draw strongly on Chinese and American traditions, with geometric cutout shapes depicting people crowding the streets, at school, and at the workplace--all from the child's viewpoint. This story isn't about missing the old country or being a stranger, and most people are friendly. Hannah learns to sing "This Land Is My Land," and she reads Curious George in Woolworths. The tension is in the threat of deportation as the family waits for green cards that will allow everyone to live freely in the U.S. Mama and Papa work, but they hide from the officials who come to check their papers; Hannah's friend's family is sent back to Taiwan. The struggle with documentation and the celebration when the green cards finally arrive in the mail is a drama many immigrant families will recognize. Hazel Rochman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Candlewick (August 19, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0763622230
• ISBN-13: 978-0763622237
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 0.4 x 11 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #556,607 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Belle Yang, subject of the PBS documentary, 'My Name is Belle,' is frequently asked whether she is primarily a writer or a painter. Answer: "When I'm writing, I'm a writer; when I'm painting, I'm a painter." She is also asked whether she is a children's author or of adult books. Answer: "I write for children, adults and everyone in between. Now I am also a graphic novelist."

Born in Taiwan, Belle Yang spent part of her childhood in Japan. At age seven she immigrated to the United States with her family. She attended Stirling University in Scotland, graduated from the University of California, Santa Cruz, in biology but went on to study art at Pasadena Art Center College of Design and the Beijing Institute of Traditional Chinese Painting.

She worked and traveled in China for three years and returned to the United States late in 1989 after the Tiananmen Massacre.

She returned with gratitude in her heart for the freedom of expression given her in America, certain she would firmly grasp this gift with both hands.

Illustrated, adult nonfiction:

Baba: A Return to China Upon My Father's Shoulders, 1994 Harcourt Brace

The Odyssey of a Manchurian, 1996 Harcourt Brace


Picture books:

Hannah Is My Name, 2004 Candlewick Press

Always Come Home to Me, 2007 Candlewick Press. Awarded Chinese American Librarian Association Best Picture Book of 2008

Chili-Chili-Chin-Chin, 1999 Harcourt Brace
Upcoming Works

Upcoming works:

A graphic with WW Norton. "Forget Sorrow: A China Elegy"

"Foo the Flying Frog of Washtub Pond," Candlewick Press

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An American story, June 23, 2008

By 

Sonshi.com "sonshi" (Atlanta, GA USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Hannah is My Name (Hardcover)

The first thing you'll notice about this book is the artwork. Like "Always Come Home to Me" the colors and lines seem to float over the pages; it's that vivid. They brightened my daughter's eyes as we turn page after page never stopping until we've reached the end.

The story itself is an honest one. Hannah is a cute little girl from Taiwan who with her two parents tries to assimilate to the US -- not unlike the many immigrants before her. I won't spoil the story but I will say I am thoroughly pleased this story is told and I feel my daughter will be better for it.

I can't recommend this wonderful book enough. Get it and you'll treasure this book for years to come.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Appreciation for what I have as a citizen born into the American society., September 2, 2007

By 

David E. Campbell - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Hannah is My Name (Hardcover)

Very insightful story of the author and her family as they entered into the American society. It was about their struggles to get their green card so they didn't have to hide, but could walk around in the open without fear.A very heart warming story for children and adults.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Family's American Arrival, August 3, 2006

By 

J. A. James "foreignwo" (Monterey, California) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hannah is My Name (Hardcover)

In this evocative children's tale of a Chinese family's arrival in California, Belle Yang traces her own roots. The Yangs came to this country from Taiwan when she was a young girl. As the author and creator of the the luscious color illustrations, the author has done a marvelous job of combining image and language. The story, set in San Francisco, conveys the pervasive uncertainty that colors the immigrant experience yet ultimately gives readers a story of triumph, as Hannah and her parents make their way in purusit of the American Dream. This is a children's story that is perfect for the whole family. Its message has never been more timely, nor more universal.