An American Face - Softcover

Czech, Jan M.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0878687181 ISBN 13: 9780878687183

Publisher: UNKNO, 2000

Synopsis

Adopted from Korea by American parents, Jessie excitedly waits for the day he will get his American citizenship and, he thinks, an American face.

About this title

From Booklist:

The naive premise of this noteworthy book begins with Korean-born Jessie's belief that when he attains American citizenship, he will actually receive a new face--an American face. Having been adopted by American parents, the five-year-old thinks he can't be American without looking like his idea of one. With eager anticipation, he counts the days until his transformation. When he sees other people who look different, like the man with a turban around his head, he assumes they are waiting for their citizenship day and their new faces, too. The soft, realistic illustrations surrounded by a border support the little boy's sometimes outrageous musings--the judge standing before shelves full of an array of American faces to pick from, or the woman, who resembles his dentist, preparing to replace his face. This selection, good for larger collections, will be useful for children sorting out the ramifications of changing their citizenship or for others trying to understand an immigrant child's difficult adjustment to a new life. Shelley Townsend-Hudson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

From School Library Journal:

Kindergarten-Grade 2-An endearing story of an adopted Korean boy becoming a U.S. citizen. Jessie believes that he will get an "American face" when he becomes a citizen and eagerly awaits the big day, constantly telling his cat that soon he will look like everyone else in his world. When the big moment occurs, Jessie does not get a new face, but he does get a nice surprise, which helps him reach an understanding and acceptance of his uniqueness. The text and accompanying illustrations on each double page are framed by wide colorful borders that link objects to where Jessie is at the time: a grocery-store page has food floating around its borders; the school page, crayons, paints, and books; and when he goes to a baseball game, hot dogs, etc. When Jessie becomes a citizen, all of these objects combine for a special All-American border. A compassionate book, with obvious usefulness.
Judith Constantinides, formerly at East Baton Rouge Parish Main Library, LA
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: UNKNO
• Publication date: 2000
• ISBN 10: 0878687181
• ISBN 13: 9780878687183
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 32
• Illustrator: Clancy Frances