Brothers

Week 6 Picture Book 3:
Brothers
Written By: Yin
Illustrated By: Chris Soentpiet
Published: 2006

Brothers was by far my favorite book I read for this week. It tells the story of two boys from different cultures and their unlikely friendship. The text and illustrations work together seamlessly to create a moving tale of friends supporting each other through the ups and downs that come with the roller coaster of life. Ming is a young boy who recently immigrated to San Francisco from China. He speaks little English, but his older brother expects him to contribute to their family store in Chinatown. During this time period, the Chinese immigrants were not highly thought of in society, so Ming was told to never leave Chinatown. Days passed at the store without any customers and the young boy grew bored. He ventured into town and met another little boy named Patrick who was playing in the schoolyard. Ming continued to visit Patrick at school and eventually the two became friends. They worked together to bring American customers into their failing store by teaching each other how to speak both languages. 

The illustrations in this book pack a serious punch. They are warm and vibrant, just like the story. It shows the excitement that comes with exploring a new place and learning new cultures. You can feel the strong, brother-like connection between Ming and Patrick through their facial expressions and the way they interact with each other. Brothers has a great message. Friendship can surpass all barriers. It also encourages the readers to remember that you do not know everything about everybody. Ming believes that Patrick is just an average American boy. It turns out that Patrick's family has overcome a multitude of hardships, as they had immigrated from Ireland. 

This book will definitely be present in my classroom library. It is an excellent example of friendship and acceptance. I look forward to reading the companion book, Coolies, sometime in the near future. I would love to use this as a read aloud to discuss immigration. I give Brothers four stars.