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G is for Geography in the A to Z of Literary Maps

April 7, 2018 Claire Annette Noland 12 Comments

One of the most dramatic areas of geographic study is that of the movement of people escaping war, drought, and terrorism. This is not a new phenomena but goes back to the dawn of history. There so many gripping stories of refugees and today I’d like to share of of the most beautiful and emotionally stirring refugee accounts that I have read.

How I Learned Geography

by Uri Schulevitz (author and illustrator)   published by Farrar Straus Giroux 2008

How I Learned Geography is a perfect example of how important and inspiring a child’s picture book can be. It is beautifully illustrated and the deceptively short and simple text tells a powerful story of love and hunger that bread alone can’t satisfy. It is the true story of a young boy who flees with his family from their war ravaged home. They end up in a far away country where they live in a small room with another couple. His father goes to town to buy bread, but returns with a map instead. The boy is angry and hungry but the map fills the dark room with color and the boy’s imagination takes flight.

 

 

 

 

 

How I Learned Geography is the author’s autobiographical account of his story fleeing Poland in 1939 and then living in Turkestan. The author’s note at the end tells how the family moved to Paris and finally settled in Israel. This is a map that he drew as a ten-year-old. It was labeled in Russian which was the language he spoke at the time.

 

 

Uri Schulevitz eventually moved to the United States where he became an award winning author and illustrator. How I Learned Geography was a Caldecott Honor Book in 2009.

The book ends with these lines:

“And so I spent enchanted hours far, far from our hunger and misery. I forgave my father. He was right, after all.”

That’s the power of a map.

 

 

Well, I made it through the first week of the A to Z April Blog Challenge where bloggers write about a theme in alphabetical order. This is my fourth year participating and every year I wonder why I’m doing it.

One reason is that the challenge leads me to many wonderful and interesting blogs. I’m always excited to see people that I’ve followed in the past also joining the challenge. Stop by these blogs – you’re guaranteed to learn about

words in other languages:

Author Evelyne Holingue who shares chronicles, stories, and books by a French-American writer is featuring from A to Z, Twenty-six Funny, Weird, Vivid, French Expressions

Ellen Jacobson who blogs at The Cynical Sailor and His Salty Sidekick is highlighting a Spanish word each day

Places:

Hilary Melton-Butcher of Positive Letters…inspirational stories… is writing about Aspects of a British “girl” in Canada

and history:

Sara Zama is writing on her author’s blog, The Old Shelter about 1920’s Weimar Germany

Filed Under: Blogging A to Z, book maps, picture books Tagged With: a to z blog challenge, How I Learned Geography by Uri Schulevitz, Maps in Children's Books

Previous Post: « F is for Fairy Land Maps
Next Post: H is for Hobbit on an alphabetical journey through literary maps »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Hilary Melton-Butcher says

    April 7, 2018 at 11:36 pm

    Thank you Claire Annette for highlighting my blog … re Aspects of Canada. I’m loving this series of yours on literary maps … and this post on Geography … my favourite subject at school – still is … but I’d others know.

    Great to read about Evelyne and Ellen – I’ll be over to check in, while I totally agree re Sarah and her Weimar Republic series – so good to be informed more on that era …

    Love the learning I get – cheers and enjoy the rest of the weekend – Hilary

    Reply
    • Claire Annette Noland says

      April 10, 2018 at 5:43 am

      Thanks! I hope your weekend has been wonderful, too.

      Reply
  2. Eva says

    April 8, 2018 at 12:54 pm

    This one seems a very interesting one… Even with the spoiler! 😉

    I’m not participating in the challenge this year, because I knew I wouldn’t have the time during the first week. I did so last year and I discovered so many interesting blogs; some of them, I still read, like yours. Actually, I’m participating in a way: reading a lot of posts, if not writing them!

    Reply
    • Claire Annette Noland says

      April 10, 2018 at 5:42 am

      Your posts are always wonderful. Did you realize that your post on the Dormouse happened to be on day D? Thanks for reading!

      Reply
      • Eva says

        April 11, 2018 at 10:03 am

        Ha, ha… I hadn’t realised! Problably I could have organized some already schedule posts for the A to Z challenge. Just I didn’t have the time. I hope it will be next year!

        Reply
  3. Stepheny Houghtlin says

    April 8, 2018 at 3:06 pm

    Isn’t this fabulous! I am enchanted with your theme and presentation….again! Thank you.

    Reply
  4. Trine Grillo says

    April 8, 2018 at 9:25 pm

    Claire, what a fascinating story this is!
    Thank you for making me aware of it.

    Reply
  5. Mirka Breen says

    April 8, 2018 at 9:38 pm

    I’ve admired Uri Shulevitz’s work for a long time. But never more than in this undertaking, which most editors might think too ambitious for a picture book. A real artist for all ages.

    Reply
    • Claire Annette Noland says

      April 10, 2018 at 5:40 am

      It is such a good book to share with children to help them understand what it means to be a refugee. So thankful that the author, editors and publishers made this book a reality.

      Reply
    • Claire Annette Noland says

      April 21, 2018 at 5:21 pm

      This is an amzing book. Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment.

      Reply
  6. Evelyne Holingue says

    April 9, 2018 at 8:09 pm

    THANK YOU, CLAIRE FOR HIGHLIGHTING MY BLOG! I DO THAT POST-CHALLENGE, AND YOURS IS ON MY LIST:)

    Reply
    • Claire Annette Noland says

      April 10, 2018 at 5:31 am

      I am always intrigued by your posts and ant others to also enjoy them.

      Reply

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Hello. I’m Claire Annette - reader, writer, teacher, and field trip planner extraordinaire. Here at A Field Trip Life you will find ideas for adventures large and small and the kids’ books that inspire them. Sign your permission slip. Let's go!

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claireannettenolandbooks

Author | teacher | Field Trip Planner
books that take you places
Raven’s Gift
Nancy Bess Had a Dress
Evie’s Field Day
Out and About w George series

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Today’s the day! I’m the featured author on to Today’s the day! I’m the featured author on today’s Summer of Stories! Take a look and let me know what you think. The link is in my bio.

And then check out all the other great stories!

#summerofstories #floursackdresses #floursack #makedo #picturebookreadaloud 

@angelac.hawkins @gnomeroadpublishing @eringreneaux
I'm excited to share that the Crystal Kite Award v I'm excited to share that the Crystal Kite Award voting continues until July 18th for members of SCBWI. Our book, Nancy Bess Had a Dress, is in the Southwest Division (where illustrator @angelac.hawkins lives)

Members, you can vote for books in all of the regions.
Cast your vote at this link: 

https://www.scbwi.org/crystal-kite/CK8

I will be sharing Nancy Bess July 11th online for the Summer of Stories https://summerofstories.substack.com/

and I'll be doing story time and craft at the Three River Public Library on July 11th at 10:30

@gnomeroadpublishing @pbspree @eringreneaux @tularecountylib 
@scbwicencal #crystalkiteaward
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We are enjoying a lovely summer’s day with CARL’S SLEEPY AFTERNOON thanks to our friends @laughingelephantbooks who sent us a copy signed by Alexandra Day and Carl!
Happy 40th Anniversary, Carl! You are such a good dog 🐾❤️
Carl has an opportunity to have a quiet and sleepy afternoon but does he rest? Not our Carl!
We’re on our 3rd generation loving this noble good dog and look forward to reading about his adventures for many more years!

#gooddogcarl #picturebookdogs #summerreading @mrernierecommends @christinabeeghly @laurennolandhajik @roxannenoland @gn705
Summer is the best time to beat the heat by taking Summer is the best time to beat the heat by taking your young ones to a museum. And I suggest, before you go, you share the delightful picture book, MousterWorks, written and illustrated by @angelac.hawkins
Young mice, Cosette and Pépin, join Grand-mère on a splendid adventure through a mouse hole into a museum. They gaze at brilliant interpretations of well-known painting by famous artists such as Claude Monet, Mary Cassatt, and Edward Banister. Cosette excitedly engages with the art while her brother, Pépin, searches for cheese in the art and eventually realizes that he can be an artist and paint his favorite things.

The final photo is 2.5 year old Alice at the Crocker Art Museum in Sacramento. She was captivated by "Home Sweet Home" (after Seurat, Manet, and Pippin) painted by Wangari Mathenge

Art is for all ages.

To read my full review, visit my blog https://afieldtriplife.com/mousterworks-lets-go-to-a-museum/

@gnomeroadpublishing #mousterworks #artmuseumswithkids
@laurennolandhajik
Looking forward to simple unscheduled days! #july Looking forward to simple unscheduled days!
#july #afieldtriplife #summer
Look what we found featured at the library! #nancy Look what we found featured at the library! #nancybesshadadress 
Thank you @tularecountylib 
#summerreading #picturebooks #librarylove 
@angelac.hawkins @gnomeroadpublishing
Happy Summer! At the top of our summer "to do" lis Happy Summer! At the top of our summer "to do" list is visiting libraries where I love to see staff recommendations. SUMMER: A Solstice Story written by @kelseyegross and illustrated by @renataliwska is such a lovely picture book.
Owl, Squirrel, Raccoon, Bear, Sparrow, Rabbit, Woodpecker, and Deer gather to celebrate the arrival of summer with its gifts of light and new life. The friends share sprouts, fresh water, flowers, and fruit each accompanied by special wishes for the little ones to shine, glow, shimmer, gleam, and blaze bright with solstice light. They spend the day with festivities as they dance, splash, hop, and savor a forest feast.
I shared this with a group of children the night before the Solstice so that they understood how special this date is. Then, we read it again as the sun set on the longest day of the year after partaking of many of the same activities done by the woodland animals. They really enjoyed the center pages that fold out.
This is a soft, gentle, and breathtakingly beautiful picture book that should be enjoyed all summer long. @pbspree #summersolstice #summerasolsticestory
We have been Good Dog Carl fans for almost 4 decad We have been Good Dog Carl fans for almost 4 decades so we are excited to celebrate 40 years of our favorite picture book series! I love the book mom and Carl’s adventures are the best!
So let’s raise a toast to Carl, the very good dog, and to  @laughingelephantbooks Here’s to many more wonderful years of ❤️ filled stories.
#wewon #gooddogcarl #afieldtriplife #picturebookdogs @laurennolandhajik @christinabeeghly @roxannenoland
Military families are made up of heroes, those who Military families are made up of heroes, those who leave home to serve and those who stay behind. It isn’t easy to find books featuring military families, so I was excited to discover when AS MUCH as the STARS: A Story of Love Across the. Miles – A Child’s Goodbye/ AS MUCH AS THE STARS: A Story of love across The Miles: A Mother’s Farewell. I love flip books because they are clever and provide a fun way to read two stories told from different perspectives. AS MUCH AS THE STARS does an exceptional job of showing the love and emotions surrounding a deployment and then a joyous return. In this authentic, well-written story, one half follows a young girl and her relationship with her military father. The other half features the viewpoint of that girl, now grown, whose son leaves home to serve. warm and colorful illustrations add to the text showing the love that is shared even when they are separated by great distances.
This is a wonderful book for all families and will help everyone understand the sacrifices that our brave service members make. I just wish this book had been available when I was teaching children in military families.
Written by Forrest Zenone, Skyler Zenone, and Tricia Stone-Shumaker
Illustrations by Penny Weber
@poppysadventures1 @pennyweberart @laurennolandhajik #militaryfamilies #asmuchasthestars
#mrernierecommends
FYI… sweet peas are blooming on Old Creek Road a FYI… sweet peas are blooming on Old Creek Road around Whale Rock Reservoir
The story of how they got there reminds me of Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney “You must do something to make the world more beautiful.” 
Read how these delicate blossoms came to grace the highways in San Luis Obispo County: https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/johnny-appleseed-sweet-peas-planted-120000196.html

Lupine, poppies, and wild mustard are also blooming.

#sweetpeas #jackcreekfarms #roadtrip #afieldtriplife #missrumphius
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