Karen Lynn Williams

Co-authors Karen Lynn Williams and Khadra Mohammed spin an immensely poignant tale of two girls living in a refugee camp in Four Feet, Two Sandals. Lina and Feroza have both fled war-torn Afghanistan with their families, heading for the relative safety of nearby Pakistan. When relief workers pass out used clothing, Lina finds one yellow sandal with a blue flower on it, but discovers that its companion has been claimed by Feroza. At first each girl keeps her sandal to herself, but eventually show more they decide to share the pair, alternating days. From this beginning, friendship develops, but when Lina and her family are given permission to resettle in America, the two girls face being parted...

I found myself immensely moved while reading this story, which would make an excellent picture-book companion to books like Deborah Ellis's The Breadwinner and Parvana's Journey, which offer stories for older children about the turmoil in war-torn Central Asia, and the experience of Afghani refugees. The narrative is simple but immensely effective, painting a picture of two young children caught up in terrible events well beyond their control. Despite the losses they have suffered - Lina's father and sister were killed in the war, while Feroza's entire family perished, save for her grandmother - the girls find a way to be generous and loving with one another, modeling the best of the human spirit for young readers and listeners. The artwork by Doug Chayka, done in acrylic paint, has a soft impressionistic feeling around the edges, but utilizes bright colors that capture the tones of that part of the world. Highly recommended to anyone looking for children's stories about refugees in general, or the experiences of people from Afghanistan in particular. show less

I enjoyed this book for how authentic it was. It gives a clear description of what it is like to live in a refugee camp, to not feel like you have a home, to be waiting for a place to resettle, and to experience a trauma such as losing your father to war. It talks about transition to America. Calling automatic doors magic and being afraid to step on an escalator, not knowing how they worked.
Sangoel also mentions the sadness of losing his name in America because people could not pronounce it show more and then how he over came that by putting a sun and a goal on his shirt so the Americans knew how to say his name.
This is a great book for today's times where American students are more likely to be exposed to peers who may have a similar story. I like that it creates a positive outlook that differs from what children may hear from their parents or see on media. show less

Spirit of the Cheetah is the story of Roblay, a Somali boy who strives to “prove I am a man” by placing in a big race. Roblay is always running everywhere to the bemusement of his family and friends, but despite this he is unsuccessful in his first attempt. His grandfather, Awoowo, tells him he must put his thumbprint on the coat of a cheetah in order to succeed. Roblay spends many days observing a cheetah by the river Shebelle. By observing, Roblay learns traits that will help him in show more his quest.
The basics of the plot - a young athlete who must learn about himself in order to achieve his goals - is a familiar one, especially for children’s literature, and the story plays out in a familiar way. Nevertheless there are a few distinct beats in the story that are a little unexpected and make the story interesting. The overall goal of the plot - Roblay must finish in the top three of the race - is also interesting in that winning outright isn’t the goal. In fact, no one seems too concerned about whether he will win or not. This is somewhat refreshing, since it isn’t focused on strict competition, and instead Roblay works on self-improvement.
On the other hand, the lessons Roblay learns from the cheetah are pretty general and it is not obvious how they specifically pertain to running or the race. Roblay observes the cheetah, trying to figure out how to put his thumbprint on the animal’s coat as his grandfather instructed him. As he watches, he learns about the traits of the cheetah and how they will help him, but this part would have been helped by more illustrative action. Roblay watches the cheetah, and we are told what he learns, but actually seeing some more of the action might have been more effective in imparting the story. The big race itself is barely described, so it’s not obvious how Roblay’s lessons help him improve over the previous year. Even in the slower sections, however, the illustrations are compelling and the background details allow the reader to be absorbed. Sometimes the background is more interesting than the main action.
Spirit of the Cheetah is not an essential book, but it provides an interesting and slightly different spin on familiar children’s book dynamics. While the main focus of the book is the race, that story falls a little flat, and instead it is the cultural touches that give Spirit of the Cheetah its most interesting aspects. show less

Now eight years old, Sasifi is finally of an age when she can help her mother, carrying and selling their oranges at market! As they set out, early one morning, she asks if they can take a ride in a tap-tap - the brightly painted trucks that serve as buses in Haiti, so named because passengers tap on the side, when they are ready to disembark. Her mother explains that there is no money for such luxuries, but when all their oranges sell at the market, partly owing to Sasifi's hard work, and show more she is given a reward, she knows what she wants...

Tap-Tap is an engaging story that draws the reader into the world of rural Haiti, offering a gentle, non-didactic depiction of a child's life in the poorest nation in the western hemisphere. Although that poverty is evident throughout - Sasifi and her mother cannot usually afford to take the tap-tap, and Sasifi is excited to be given her very first brand-new hat - it is not the focal point of Williams' narrative, which concentrates instead on the joys of a new experience. Children will identify with Sasifi's longing for a treat, rejoice at the eventual satisfaction of that longing, and enjoy the tale of the (crowded) ride.

Catherine Stock, who also collaborated with Karen Lynn Williams on Painted Dreams (another picture-book set in Haiti), captures the colors of Sasifi's world, and her exuberant enjoyment of that world, in her lovely watercolor illustrations. Highly recommended to anyone looking for good picture-books set in Haiti! show less