Two Mrs. Gibsons

In alternating passages, a young girl tells about two women she knew in her past, one an elderly African-American, the other a younger Japanese. Both of them are named Mrs. Gibson, and with each turn of the page, the suspense builds: Exactly who are these women? Even if older readers guess, younger readers will have the satisfaction of discovering that the narrator has been describing her Japanese mother and her African-American grandmother, Nanny, pointing out the differences in their cultures, yet showing the commonality of their love toward the girl. With a reassuring repetitive structure, this gentle book is both a memoir about Igus's real relatives and an understated tribute to the ability of people from widely different cultures to live together. Wells's colorful pictures have a matching warmth of spirit, along with an awkwardness of figure and perspective that gives them the look of folk art. (Picture book/nonfiction. 5-7) -- Copyright ©1996, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Kindergarten-Grade 3?A narrator describes her life growing up with her African American grandmother and Japanese mother. She contrasts the women's habits, attitudes, and personalities, and the activities she shares with each. The story is a loving mood piece, telling of strength through difference as together mother and grandmother provide a loving and nurturing environment. Igus's simple, affecting prose speaks directly to the heart and is well matched by Wells's warm, lush paintings. An aura of the suburban America of a few decades ago pervades these folksy illustrations, mirroring the text in both tone and detail. Multicultural in the best and most basic meaning of that much-abused term, Two Mrs. Gibsons will be prized for independent reading and group sharing.?John Philbrook, San Francisco Public Library
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.