No Mirrors in My Nana's House
Written by Ysaye M. Barnwell
Illustrated by Synthia Saint James
No Mirrors in My Nana’s House is a delightful read-aloud or sing-along that will
inspire readers of all ages. In this poetic picture book Ysaye M. Barnwell
creates a rich experience that celebrates life and all it has to offer. The abstractly
expressive figures and the bold African colors are accompanied by rhythmic text
that embraces and enhances every scene.
In this story a young African American girl learns to appreciate life through the eyes of her Nana. Despite being underprivileged she marvels at the beauty in all things, including the extra large clothing she often wore, the cracks in the wall and even the trash strewn about. Most importantly, she developed self-confidence and did not judge herself based on the opinions of others. This is clearly evidenced when the young girl exclaims, “I never knew that my skin was too black. I never knew that my nose was too flat. I never knew that my clothes didn't fit. I never knew there were things that I'd missed, cause the beauty in everything was in her eyes.” Illustrator Synthia Saint James further intensifies the reading experience by selecting a palette of brilliant colors, which she uses to purposely paint characters free of all facial features yet powerful enough that one can still feel the emotions of each word.
Click on the link to enjoy an oral reading of No Mirrors in My Nana's House by Tia and Tamara Mowry.
Reader Response Questions
1. How would the world be different if mirrors did not exist?
2. Does a mirror show us the qualities we have inside us like kindness, funny, smart, etc.? What does it show then?
Motivational Activities
1. The teacher can pair each student with another and, after modeling a Venn diagram, have each group create their own diagram with their partner. They can be illustrated and hung up for display.
2. Students can create a self portrait using pre-cut pieces of construction paper. The teacher can then display them as part of a multicultural display.
Among her many talents and accomplishments, Yasaye Barnwell was recognized in 2008 with the Frances and Wesley Bock Book Award for Children's Literature.
Barnwell, Y. M., & James, S. (1998). No mirrors in my Nana's house. San Diego: Harcourt Brace.
posted by Unknown @ 11:51 AM
1 Comments
1 Comments:
Jessica, I love this book. I read it to my grandchildren and they sang the song for weeks afterwards. Your description of the story was very good! I like your idea of making a self portrait with cut paper. Children really respond well to this story.
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