I. BIBLIOGRAPHIC INFORMATION
Wong, Janet S. 2002. APPLE PIE 4TH OF JULY. Ill. by Margaret Chodos-Irvine. San Diego: Harcourt Inc. ISBN 015202543X
II. SUMMARY
The story begins with a young Chinese-American girl helping her parents open their Chinese store on 4th of July. She is convinced no one will eat Chinese food on this holiday. To her and her family’s surprise, however, many people come to get Chinese take-out for dinner. They keep serving until it is time to close the store, and the family enjoys fireworks and apple pie.
III. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
APPLE PIE 4TH OF JULY is an excellent picture from the unique perspective of a first generation Chinese-American girl. Her parents own a Chinese store, and the young girl laments their predicament on the 4th of July. She is convinced no Americans will come to their store on this holiday, and that they would prefer to eat apple pie. The writing style is simple and to the point. There is some repetition in the text. For example, as the parade goes by the store, first it goes “boom, boom, boom” and as it gets closer it goes “BOOM, BOOM, BOOM.” This use of repetition and all caps brings to life the parade and its noise. The text moves along at a quicker pace as the story continues, relating the passing of time.
There are a few cultural markers in the texts adding to the authenticity of this Chinese-American story. The primary cultural marker in the text is the author’s description of the foods prepared at the store. They include chow mein, sweet and sour pork, and egg rolls. In addition, the girl’s father mentions that it was the Chinese who invented fireworks.
The illustrations in this book add both color and liveliness to the story, but many elements that add to the cultural authenticity of the work. The illustrations are colorful and bright. They are not detailed, but instead appear somewhat sharp. They were created using a variety of printmaking techniques on Lana printmaking paper.
The illustrator has presented many cultural markers in the illustrations. For example, the faces of the characters are tan and their hairstyles could be considered typical of Chinese people. However, this is not to say that they are stereotyped images of Chinese-Americans. In fact, the most revealing characteristic of their ethnic background is their skin color. Without the accompanying text, the illustrations would not be as obvious to the reader. Other examples of cultural markers in the illustrations are the depictions of the food and the food containers. As is typical of most Chinese take-out restaurants, the illustrator has included the cartons for the food. They are displayed in three different sizes on the counter. There is also a container of fortune cookies depicted in the illustrations.
Overall, this book would be an excellent choice for an alternative to the typical 4th of July stories. It reveals the diversity of Americans celebrating the holiday and that we are not very different from each other after all. As is common in other Asian-American works, this story deals with culturally pluralistic themes. In particular, this story deals with the idea of cultural assimilation and questioning one’s own place in the culture. At the conclusion, the girl discovers that she may have underestimated what she knows about “Americans.” In fact, just as her mother loves apple pie, many Americans love Chinese food…even on 4th of July.
IV. REVIEW EXCERPTS
“The well-paced text heavily freighted at the beginning and swift by the end reflects the girl's changing emotions and moods. The art resembles cut-paper collage. Chodos-Irvine deploys sharply defined objects in a range of colors and patterns to construct harmonious, forthright compositions that will likely prove inviting to readers of many backgrounds.”—Publishers Weekly
“This simply told story explores a child's fears about cultural differences and fitting in with understanding and affection. A Chinese-American girl helps her parents open their small neighborhood grocery store every day of the year… Chodos-Irvine's illustrations are cheerfully bright and crisp, capturing the spirit of the day as well as the changing emotions of the main character.” –School Library Journal
V. CONNECTIONS** Include in a 4th of July storytime. Serve apple pie and fortune cookies as a snack.
Wong, Janet S. 2002. APPLE PIE 4TH OF JULY. Ill. by Margaret Chodos-Irvine. San Diego: Harcourt Inc. ISBN 015202543X
II. SUMMARY
The story begins with a young Chinese-American girl helping her parents open their Chinese store on 4th of July. She is convinced no one will eat Chinese food on this holiday. To her and her family’s surprise, however, many people come to get Chinese take-out for dinner. They keep serving until it is time to close the store, and the family enjoys fireworks and apple pie.
III. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
APPLE PIE 4TH OF JULY is an excellent picture from the unique perspective of a first generation Chinese-American girl. Her parents own a Chinese store, and the young girl laments their predicament on the 4th of July. She is convinced no Americans will come to their store on this holiday, and that they would prefer to eat apple pie. The writing style is simple and to the point. There is some repetition in the text. For example, as the parade goes by the store, first it goes “boom, boom, boom” and as it gets closer it goes “BOOM, BOOM, BOOM.” This use of repetition and all caps brings to life the parade and its noise. The text moves along at a quicker pace as the story continues, relating the passing of time.
There are a few cultural markers in the texts adding to the authenticity of this Chinese-American story. The primary cultural marker in the text is the author’s description of the foods prepared at the store. They include chow mein, sweet and sour pork, and egg rolls. In addition, the girl’s father mentions that it was the Chinese who invented fireworks.
The illustrations in this book add both color and liveliness to the story, but many elements that add to the cultural authenticity of the work. The illustrations are colorful and bright. They are not detailed, but instead appear somewhat sharp. They were created using a variety of printmaking techniques on Lana printmaking paper.
The illustrator has presented many cultural markers in the illustrations. For example, the faces of the characters are tan and their hairstyles could be considered typical of Chinese people. However, this is not to say that they are stereotyped images of Chinese-Americans. In fact, the most revealing characteristic of their ethnic background is their skin color. Without the accompanying text, the illustrations would not be as obvious to the reader. Other examples of cultural markers in the illustrations are the depictions of the food and the food containers. As is typical of most Chinese take-out restaurants, the illustrator has included the cartons for the food. They are displayed in three different sizes on the counter. There is also a container of fortune cookies depicted in the illustrations.
Overall, this book would be an excellent choice for an alternative to the typical 4th of July stories. It reveals the diversity of Americans celebrating the holiday and that we are not very different from each other after all. As is common in other Asian-American works, this story deals with culturally pluralistic themes. In particular, this story deals with the idea of cultural assimilation and questioning one’s own place in the culture. At the conclusion, the girl discovers that she may have underestimated what she knows about “Americans.” In fact, just as her mother loves apple pie, many Americans love Chinese food…even on 4th of July.
IV. REVIEW EXCERPTS
“The well-paced text heavily freighted at the beginning and swift by the end reflects the girl's changing emotions and moods. The art resembles cut-paper collage. Chodos-Irvine deploys sharply defined objects in a range of colors and patterns to construct harmonious, forthright compositions that will likely prove inviting to readers of many backgrounds.”—Publishers Weekly
“This simply told story explores a child's fears about cultural differences and fitting in with understanding and affection. A Chinese-American girl helps her parents open their small neighborhood grocery store every day of the year… Chodos-Irvine's illustrations are cheerfully bright and crisp, capturing the spirit of the day as well as the changing emotions of the main character.” –School Library Journal
V. CONNECTIONS** Include in a 4th of July storytime. Serve apple pie and fortune cookies as a snack.
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