Dia's Story Cloth (Paperback)

by Dia Cha (Author), Chiie Thao Cha (Illustrator), Nhia Thao Cha (Illustrator) "A long time ago, my ancestors lived in China..." (more)
Key Phrases: United States, Hmong Americans, Free People

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
A folk art masterpiece from a Southeast Asian culture stands at the center of this thoughtful book. Intricately composed, painstakingly stitched by hand, the "story cloth" of the title was created by the author's aunt and uncle, Hmong who fled their native Laos for a refugee camp in Thailand. The story cloth records their experiences-which are also the author's own. Using details from the cloth as illustrations, Cha retells her life story, a meeting of Hmong history and a classic American immigration tale. Now an anthropologist in Colorado, Cha spent her early years during the 1960s in a Hmong village in Laos, where her family worked long days growing rice and corn. War tore the country apart; Cha's father was killed and she and her mother made a dangerous escape to Thailand, emigrating to the United States in 1979. The text is subdued; it is the needlework that drives home the poignancy of this cataclysmic account. For advanced readers, a lengthy afterword, by Joyce Herold, Denver Museum of Natural History's curator of ethnology, sets out historical background and assesses the story cloth as an art form. Ages 6-up.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist
Gr. 3^-5. Based on a traditional Hmong story cloth, this picture book depicts the story of the author's family. It begins with their ancestors leaving China to settle in Laos and goes on to describe traditional Laotian life; the war between the loyalists and the Communists; the capture of Cha's father, and the remaining family's flight; their years in a refugee camp in Thailand; and finally, their immigration to the U.S. The colorful embroidered pictures illustrating the story are segments of a much larger story cloth, which appears in full on a double-page spread. Extensive notes describe the history and ways of the Hmong people and how their art, combining needlework and storytelling, continues in U.S. An unusual introduction to the Hmong. Carolyn Phelan --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Paperback: 24 pages
• Publisher: Lee & Low Books (January 8, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1880000636
• ISBN-13: 978-1880000632
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.4 x 0.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #505,862 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in this category: (What's this?)

  #26 in

  Books > Children's Books > People & Places > Family Life > Multigenerational > Nonfiction

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Looking for Excellent Hmong Literature?, May 18, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Dia's Story Cloth (Hardcover)

If you are an elememtary or middle scool teacher with a population of Hmong children, or if you are looking for literature that treats a "difficult" subject in a sensitive way this book is for you. It is beautifully illustrated, with pictures of a Hmong story cloth and the story is written by a Hmong woman. It is one of those picture books that makes wonderful reading and viewing for adults as well as children. Top notch!

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a powerful book, beautifully illustrated and well-written, May 15, 2000

By	an elementary school teacher "mlcavender" (USA) - See all my reviews

This is one of my favorite children's books. It tells the story of the Hmong people through the eyes of a child who lived in Laos during the Vietnam War, lost her father, escaped to Thailand and eventually came to America as a refugee. One of my third grade Hmong students declared it "THE BEST BOOK I'VE EVER READ! " I would have to agree.