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Yoko's Show-and-Tell

by Rosemary Wells
Yoko's Show-and-Tell by Rosemary Wells; illus. by the author Preschool, Primary Disney-Hyperion 40 pp. 7/10 978-1-4231-1955-5 $15.99 g
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Yoko gets a package all the way from Japan—her grandparents have sent her a little doll (like Yoko, a cat) named Miki to enjoy while she awaits their upcoming visit. Miki once belonged to Yoko's mother and, before that, to Yoko's grandmother and great-grandmother. Mama forbids Yoko to bring the precious doll for show-and-tell, but the idea proves irresistible, and soon Miki finds herself being tossed around on the school bus by—who else?—the Franks, those trouble-making brothers. Of course Mama still loves Yoko, and luckily she knows of a doll hospital where they can take the scuffed and damaged Miki. When Yoko's grandparents finally arrive, they ask, "Who is that outside, scrubbing the steps, raking all the peach blossoms, and pulling up the weeds?" The last spread shows the Franks busy at work, Yoko and a good-as-new Miki at the window, tiny smiles on their faces. As in the previous books about Yoko, Wells's incorporation of traditional Japanese patterns in her mixed-media art adds color and interest, and her illustrations of Yoko speak volumes about the little kitten's emotional states. Yoko's fans will especially enjoy this story with its reassurance of love and its satisfying meting out of justice. JENNIFER M. BRABANDER
PreS-Gr 2—Wells's adorable Japanese-American kitten introduced in Yoko (1998) and Yoko Writes Her Name (2008, both Hyperion) continues to share her Japanese heritage with her classmates in this culturally realistic and touching picture book. Yoko receives an antique doll dressed in a kimono from her Japanese grandparents with instructions to care for it until Girl's Day, a holiday that celebrates dolls and daughters. In her eagerness to share this special holiday with her classmates, Yoko, against her mother's explicit instructions, takes the doll to school for show-and-tell where it gets tossed back and forth in a game of keep-away on the bus. Yoko is heartsick over its destruction and realizes that she was wrong to take it to school. Her mother's calm reassurance that she loves Yoko even though she made a mistake is a heartwarming message. Wells's charming cut-paper collage illustrations are full of Asian decorations and patterns, including a Shoji screen, low tables, and beautiful kimonos. The Japanese terms for grandmother and grandfather are deftly introduced into the simple, conversational text. Children will identify with Yoko's excitement and heartbreak over having something special ruined.—Kristine M. Casper, Huntington Public Library, NY
Yoko's Japanese grandparents send her a doll (a cat, like her) that belonged to her mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. Mama forbids Yoko to bring the doll for show-and-tell, but the idea proves irresistible. Wells's incorporation of traditional Japanese patterns in her mixed-media art adds color and interest, and her illustrations of Yoko speak volumes about the little kitten's emotional states.
Reviewed by Kristine M. Casper , Sep 01, 2010

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