When I read the book The Name Jar. I was swept away in the wonderful illustrations and story. I definitely think it is a good book for children because it teaches them to love themselves and their culture. It also raises awareness for those who have different backgrounds from our own.
Looking at this book through a cultural lens we see and experience the difference between Unhei’s old life and new one. Her mother still keeps their culture alive by preparing traditional meals from the local Korean shop. Unhei’s main struggle in the book is trying to keep her name and culture alive in America. She debates whether to pick a new name so she won’t get teased or keep her original name. This shows what some immigrants face when coming to America.
Looking at the book through a feminist lens we see that Unhei’s dad is not in the majority of the story. He is off at work when Unhei is telling her mom about school. This reinforces the gender roles that the mother figure is the one that takes care of the kids while the father earns money to support the family. I am a little disappointed that we didn’t get to see Unhei’s dad more because he could have helped her with her problem but overall it was still a great book. If you haven’t read it yet I highly recommend doing so.
-MP
A Novel Idea 
I’ve never read this book but I’m definitely going to check it out! It’s very important for young kids to have examples of their culture in the literature they’re reading. Although, it does suck to hear that there are some gender stereotypes present throughout. I think books for children are slowly getting more progressive and diverse, but there is clearly still a long way to go.
-SG
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