Susan Kuklin

Sanu is learning how to braid her hair and cook the same African meal her father makes. Eric loves to play baseball and dance the merengue with his friends and family. April works hard on her Chinese writing and tries to keep up with her family's challenging games.

This book invites readers to examine their own families - what makes them the same, what makes them distinct, and how this uniqueness is celebrated.

Children's Literature:
The rich variety of lifestyles and cultural heritage in the U.S. make it a treasure chest unmatched anywhere in the world. Photo-essayist Kuklin makes this point photographically. We meet 3 families from different parts of the world. Sanu's father is from Senegal, Eric's family is from Puerto Rico, and April's family is from Taiwan. The color photos show the families eating, shopping, playing games, or talking about their culture. The text is brief but the emphasis is on family life.

Children's Literature
In author/​photographer Susan Kuklin's colorful photoessay, kindergarten-age Sanu Dieng, Eric Cruz and April Lee talk about the daily activities through which they learn and practice the customs of their cultural heritage, respectively Senegalese, Puerto Rican, and Chinese. Among the traditions they share, Sanu describes a meal her dad prepared and the family eats sitting on the floor, African style; Eric tells of the Spanish dances he and his family enjoy together; April shows the calligraphy she is learning in Chinese School. Each of the children contributed a favorite recipe readers can try for a "taste" of the three cultures. Ms. Kuskin concludes with a note that she "hoped to create a book that simultaneously celebrated difference and recognized similarities." She's succeeded admirably.

School Library Journal
K-Gr 2-- A glimpse at how three families impart a sense of ethnic identity to their children. Five-year-old Sanu's father is from Senegal. Her mother grew up in Baltimore. Sanu and her father buy food for a traditional dish he will prepare and share with other relatives. Eric and his mother were born in New York City, while his father is from Puerto Rico. When relatives gather at their house, they like to dance the merengue. April's parents were born and raised in Taiwan. On Saturdays she and her siblings go to Chinese school to learn calligraphy. All three families live in middle-class urban settings. All three children have sensitive, caring parents; two of them have strong ties with extended families. Each child's first-person narration is simple and uncomplicated, with occasional humorous touches. One can almost hear them speaking.