32. The Lotus Seed

Sherry Garland wrote and Tatsuro Kiuchi illustrated this 1993 book about Vietnamese refugees who carry with them a piece of their heritage as they adapt to life in a new country. (So I guess I have now found immigration stories from a whole lot of countries...literature unit, perhaps?) Even though neither Garland nor Kiuchi are of Vietnamese heritage, I think that they do an excellent job of portraying the culture with sincerity and cultural accuracy.


For all of the crazy, busy, squished with detail illustrations I have been looking at in many of these books, this much more sedated style is almost like a breath of fresh air. Kiuchi's illustrations are always single page frames (alternating from the verso to the recto) opposite the text of the book. (A couple of times as the character goes on her journey, he takes up both sides of the book, showing the movement taking place.) He exclusively uses oil paints to create lush, emotional portraits. They remind me of something you would see in the 'classic' section of an art museum, right next to a Rembrandt or Van Gogh. Though there is a hint of impressionism, the images are usually realistic. Kiuchi uses subdued, emotional earth tones of browns, reds, and oranges to evoke a sentimental, thoughtful mood.


The text begins when the last emperor of Vietnam abdicates his throne. In order to remember him (and the ties to a past culture in her country), a little girl steals a lotus seed and hides it in her home. The story continues to follow her as she gets married, has children, and flees the country during war. We see her adjust to a new life in the US. As an old woman, when she thinks her seed is missing, she mourns the loss of the cultural tie she had to her home country. Luckily, things work out in the end, as the 'flower of life and hope' reemerges. In the end, her granddaughter receives a new lotus seed, carrying on the traditions of her culture.


Both the text and images are simple, yet elegant. With so few words, the story fills the reader with a multitude of emotions. It is a story of hope and continuity, even in the face of great change. I would love for my students to hear this and know that whatever comes in their way, life continues on.