"Tree of Cranes"

Tree of Cranes by Allen Say was an insightful book with beautiful watercolor pictures. This is a multicultural book that combines the Japanese and American culture. The little boy experiences his first Christmas in Japan, when his mother digs up a tree from the backyard. She places it in the house and decorates it with paper cranes and candles. She tells the her son about Christmas in America, where she grew up. His mother tells him that Christmas was a day of peace and love. That year their family celebrated their own peace and quiet Christmas in Japan. This is a great book to read to children because they can relate to the American culture and also learn about Japanese customs.

"The Feather-Bed Journey"

The Feather-Bed Journey, by Paula Kurzband Feder and illustrated by Stacey Schuet was a very touching book. It's a multicultural book about a girl who's grandma tells her the story of her special pillow that survived World War ll. The book tells of the destruction and devastation the grandma and many Jews faced during this time. The grandma' s pillow somehow survived after she escaped the ghetto the Nazi's placed her and her famiy in. She was lucky enough to be able to hid in a kind man's basement, while the rest of her family died in the ghetto, except for her mother. After much destruction and a fire, the man who hid the grandma in his basement sent what was left of the feather bed, now a pillow, to her and her mother after they escaped to America. This book lets the reader feel the pain and struggle the grandma went through during her younger year.