Shy Mama's Halloween (Hardcover)

~ (Author), Leane Morin (Illustrator)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Gr. 2-4, younger for reading aloud. Recently arrived from Russia, Anya and her sibs are looking forward to their first Halloween. When Papa arrives home plainly under the weather, shy Mama consents to take them, and off they go. The concluding spread, with background information and discussion questions, reveals the didactic intent here, but the tale is told without lecturing, and by the end, Anya and her mother are feeling more connected to the culture of their new home. Morin's restrained, realistic urban scenes give this a 1940s or early-1950s feel; it's definitely an old-style Halloween, as the children's treats are all unpackaged goods. Halloween may not be the safest choice for a tale of this ilk: other books about acclimation through holiday celebrations, such as Elisa Bartone's American, Too (1996), will ruffle fewer feathers. But the holiday's controversial aspects are downplayed, and children who blithely assume that trick-or- treating is part of everyone's cultural heritage will get some food for thought. John Peters
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review

"...this is a book to cherish." -- Donna Gold, Maine Sunday Telegram, 12-10-00

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Tilbury House Publishers (August 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0884482189
• ISBN-13: 978-0884482185
• Product Dimensions: 10.4 x 9.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #2,298,961 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Much More Than a Halloween Book, October 12, 2000

By A Customer

SHY MAMA'S HALLOWEEN is more of a book about belonging than a holiday book. By exploring a Russian immigrant family's first experience of an American holiday, we see how through trick-or-treating with her children, Mama ("who was shy even in the old country") begins to feel that she belongs in this new country. Halloween, with its costumes and darkness, is a great equalizer. Accents and other differences don't matter. Mama's love for her children draws her past her own timidity about America and leads her into the Halloween streets, and into American life. One of the best parts of this book--rare in children's literature--is the section for parents and teachers at the back that gives discussion questions for further exploration: "Moving to a New Home", "Thinking about Anya's Life". "Thinking About Your Life", and "Halloween and Other Traditions" make the book a study guide in itself. Children and parents can learn together about these subjects on an emotional and intellectual level. For teachers, this will be a great help in discussing differences and promoting diversity, especially when it comes to welcoming students who come from other countries or speak languages other than English. SHY MAMA"S HALLOWEEN is a story that will be remembered for a long time because of the beauty of its story, and the gorgeous, rich paintings of a time long gone.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars New World Embraces Old, October 5, 2000

By	Katherine Row Spangle (Malibu, CA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

In their first collaboration, Broyles sensitive and insightful text and Morin's charming and detailed illustrations bring to life the tale of one Russian immigrant as she struggles to assimmilate into the melting pot of the U.S. A heartwarming holiday story that is perfect for year-round reading.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Grown-ups get scared sometimes too, February 1, 2009

By	Two Ships "(in the Night)" (Pacific Ocean) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Shy Mama's Halloween (Paperback)

Fun to read--aloud or alone--and fun to look at. Good for discussing afterward. Although this is not the experience of my immigrant family, it was familiar enough to resonate. I also had a mother painfully aware of being different. I could never be as strong as she, but I learned from her courage. In this story, kids will see Mama's "transformation" (physically and literally) as fun. Adults may realize that Mama has done something remarkable--go outside her comfort zone. Try it sometime.