My Two Blankets

A. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Kobald, I., & Blackwood, F. (2017). My two blankets. ISBN 0544432282


B. PLOT SUMMARY

My Two Blankets is a story about a girl named Cartwheel that is forced to leave her homeland to escape war. Everything is so unfamiliar to Cartwheel including the language, land, people, and even animals. This made her uncomfortable and she began to isolate herself. The only thing that comforted her was being wrapped around her native blanket. Although she feels safe in her comfort zone, she still feels lonely and embarrassed until she meets this friendly girl. At first, Cartwheel was hesitant in talking to this girl because they didn’t speak the same language. But that soon changes, they begin to create an inseparable bond as they get to know each other. The friendly girl starts to teach Cartwheel about her culture by bringing her words to learn. Eventually, Cartwheel becomes more comfortable in this new country creating her second blanket of the words that she learns from her new friend.  At the end, Cartwheel learns a valuable lesson of accepting both her new and native culture.



C. CRITICAL ANALYSIS

This is a  heartwarming story of two girls from different cultures accepting each other for who they are. There are many cultural markers, but the one major marker that stood out to me as I read is diversity. The beautiful illustrations of the main character’s patterned blankets introduce readers to her African culture and her new blanket reveals what she is learning about the new English culture (Ice Cream, Birthday Cake, Clothing, etc.). After reading this book, readers will have an insight into the life of a refugee. Many readers will connect with the multiple themes in this book including friendship, acceptance, and diversity. After reading this book, students will learn that friendship has no boundaries.



D. REVIEW EXCERPTS

Horn Book Guide (Fall 2016)

“In this Australian import, Cartwheel and her auntie leave their war-torn home and immigrate to the safety of a new country. Evocative, motif- and metaphor-filled watercolor and oil illustrations visualize Cartwheel's difficult adjustment to a new language and landscape ("Even the wind felt strange"). An emerging (though oddly one-sided) friendship, which is compared to a comforting blanket, eases her transition.”


Kirkus Reviews starred (July 1, 2015)

“The text is exquisitely simple, and the watercolor-and-oil images complement, expand, and illuminate the words with magic and delight. Cartwheel is always brown and orange and gold, as is the blanket she weaves in her imagination of the words and sounds of home. Loneliness, cultural displacement, tentative friendship, and an explosion of sharing and kindness are accessible even to very young readers. The final image of Cartwheel teaching her friend how do a cartwheel tugs at the heart with joy. An amazingly lovely import from Australia.”


E. CONNECTIONS

Here are books for students that want to read about belonging or homesickness!


Sileo, F. J., & Fisher, E. S. Bug bites and campfires: A story for kids about homesickness. ISBN 0929173546

Muller, R. Badger's New House. ISBN 0805063838

Donwerth-Chikamatsu, A. (2017). Somewhere among. ISBN 1481437860