MY TWO WORLDS CL [Hardcover]

Ginger Gordon (Author), Martha Cooper (Illustrator)

Book Description

Kirsy Rodriguez enjoys a very special birthday in her Dominican Republic homeland far away from the bustle of New York City.

Editorial Reviews

From Kirkus Reviews

A straightforward color-photo essay depicting an attractive eight-year-old at P.S. 189, at home in N.Y.C. and on a Christmas visit to the Dominican Republic. ``I'm the only one born here,'' Kirsy Rodriguez explains. ``We all speak Spanish at home and English whenever we need to.'' Since her parents have jobs and her brother's in college, only Kirsy and her older sister make the trip. In Puerto Plata, children are shown at work scrubbing streets or carrying water, but Kirsy's grandparents live comfortably in the house they've had for 50 years; the emphasis here is on reunion with family and friends and holiday activities like going to the beach. Then it's back to loving parents and winter's snows. An upbeat picture that effectively contrasts the best of both worlds. (Nonfiction/Picture book. 4-9) -- Copyright ©1993, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Clarion Books (August 15, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0395587042
• ISBN-13: 978-0395587041
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,761,708 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent resource, November 2, 2004

By 

R. Ridge (New York, New York) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: MY TWO WORLDS CL (Hardcover)

This book provides a great depiction of immigrant life in the United States, especially latin culture in New York City. Furthermore, it describes it in a way that is easily understood by children in lower grades. It is an excellent resource for educating about diversity, multiculturalism, and/or immigration.

4.0 out of 5 stars Karen, the Book Lady, rates My Two Worlds, September 27, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: MY TWO WORLDS CL (Hardcover)

Oh! What a multicultural merengue*! Seven-year-old Kirsy Rodriguez takes us inside her two worlds, traveling from a snowy New York winter to the balmy Dominican Republic. We meet Kirsy's family, experience the sights and sounds of Puerto Plata, and see the contrasts and similarities between city life and life in the tropics. Martha Cooper's gorgeous photos colorfully capture the flavor and fun of Kirsy's adventures, documenting the lifestyle of Kirsy's extended family candidly and unobtrusively. Despite the exotic location, Kirsy's holiday festivities, day at the beach, and birthday party contain elements familiar to most. Short, simple sentences read as if our friend Kirsy were describing snapshots of her vacation. Unfortunately, the conversational tone assumes shared knowledge of the Spanish terms sprinkled throughout the text. Though this adds spice, the lack of a map or glossary make this a good, rather than a great resource. Nevertheless, My Two Worlds has much value as a tool to explore cultural or familial issues, is lots of fun as a read-aloud for younger children, and is likely to be enjoyed also by upper-elementary independent readers.

*Marengue: (ma-ren-GAY) A Haitian or Dominican ballroom dance or music

0 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Response to Karen Water's Review, October 28, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: MY TWO WORLDS CL (Hardcover)

I would like to point out that, in fact, the word is "MERENGUE" and it is pronounced "Mer-ren-GAY". Furthermore, it is the national Dominican music. It is not Haitian at all, since Haitian music is called "Compas". Please verify your information before you put it out there for others to read. Thank you.