Caldecott medalist, Ed Young uses both his memories and his artistic talent to create The House Baba Built. This memoir, written in picture book format, focuses on Ed’s childhood home in Shanghai during the 1930s and 1940s. The effects of the Depression and World War II are seen through the eyes of the memoirist.
Ed, one of five children, lived in a colossal home that his dad built near the Shanghai’s embassies. The story describes the interaction between his siblings, his parents, their guests, and the staff that maintained the home.
The foldout pages provide a panoramic view of the inner workings of the house and the lifestyle of the family. The intricate drawings, floor plans, and personal photographs add a special texture to his moving story.
Even though Ed is the recipient of a long list of book awards, he received assistance from Libby Koponei in the writing of the narrative.
Discussion topics:
- modeling memoir writing
- suggestions for illustrating memoirs
- Creating memoirs from distant memories- line between fact and fiction?
- family and sibling relationships
- Chinese history
- life in Shanghai
- a child’s perception of World War II
- rationing and hardships associated with war
- charity- helping others
- safety and security associated with one’s home
Questions:
At what age should war topics be introduced to kids?
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