Kam Mak

Everything about this book is fantastic. It is a serious of poems, broken up into season, that tell absolutely vivid stories about the author's childhood experiences growing up in Chinatown, particularly experiencing Chinese holidays and customs away from China. The poems don't follow a rhyme scheme so this would be a great book to use to teach about the various types of poems. The illustrations were captivating and hard to discern from photography, the painting was so realistic and vivid. show more What I like is that Third Culture students will be able to relate to the main character's feelings about immigrating away from home. I know that this would have made me feel less alone as a child. I hope that the way he observes his surroundings with an astute eye and turns them into beautiful poems will serve as a model for students to see the beauty around them despite their situations. show less

The book was fascinating because it is written in all poems. The point of view is a young boy. The theme of the book is that home is where you make it. The story goes through the journey of the different seasons and what is taking place in Chinatown. The little boy explains what it is like in Chinatown and how it is similar to China. The young boy also shows the different things that take place in certain seasons. The book does an excellent job explaining the culture of China. As the show more readers, we get a sense of what it is like to grow up in a Chinatown. The illustrations are beautiful in this book. The pictures make the book more vibrant and realistic. Reading the book and having the pictures to look at makes us as the readers feel like we are there. show less

Kam Mak records his first year in Chinatown through poems. Apprehensive and homesick, he notices everything as obscure, different, not home. He is reminded of China by the firecrackers, food, and traditions, but at first he is unsure of this new "home". As the year progresses, Mak becomes more familiar and comfortable in Chinatown. The place may be different, but he appreciates the familiarity with China and accepts Chinatown as his new normal. Change is hard and takes time to get used to, show more but Mak shows us that you don't have to forget the old in order to love the new. show less

A young boy describes the sights, sounds, and smells associated with where he lives. He gives very vivid descriptions.

The book would be useful in talking about cities within cities, communities, and moving to a new place.