Leo enjoyed writing about the cultures of Los Angeles and other areas of California. California, with its rich immigrant history, is a microcosm of the melting pot that is the United States. I especially have enjoyed seeing these cultures through Leo's eyes - how they were during his lifetime. Maybe that is one reason I enjoy his work so much - being the granddaughter of immigrants, I am fascinated by the traditions and cultures of the immigrant cultures of this country. He was very innovative as a children’s author in this way.
When Leo began his career, stories set in America took place "in the city" or "in the town" or "on the farm," not within a specific ethnic neighborhood. Leo's decision to set stories in the barrio, or in Chinatown, or in Little Tokyo was, for its time, a significant change. Although "multicultural" is a common word and idea now, it wasn't when Leo first started writing books. And his sprinkling of foreign language words and phrases throughout his pages, that too was a concepto nuevo - a new idea. ~From Leo Politi Artist of the Angels by Ann Stalcup
Leo's life's work - both at home and in his books - was to make sure the small and large wonders of the world were appreciated. Says (his son) Paul, "Dad experienced life, and he wanted to share with people, especially children, things that he thought they might not see for themselves - a flower, a culture, a moment." ~From Leo Politi Artist of the Angels by Ann Stalcup
Here is a breakdown of his books by culture in case you are interested in including them in a study of that culture.
Mexican American Culture & Traditions
Pedro, the Angel of Olvera Street (1946) - Christmas, las Posadas
Juanita (1948) - Easter, blessing of the animals
The Nicest Gift (1973) - Christmas
Three Stalks of Corn (1976) - foods and legends
Italian American Culture & Traditions
A Boat for Peppe (1950) -fishing, festivals
Little Leo (1951) - autobiographical
Chinese American Culture & Traditions
Moy Moy (1960) - Chinese New Year, dances & parades
Mr. Fong's Toy Shop (1978) - Moon Festival, puppet theater
Japanese American Culture & Traditions
Mieko (1969) - Nisei week, Ondo parade
We will be studying immigration next week and I'll have to add some of these books to my reading list! Thanks for this great post. :-)
Posted by: Dana | April 23, 2010 at 12:52 PM