Maya
and Filippo Show Aloha is about a family who stops in Hawaii while
cruising around the world by boat. They stop in different places and learn
about the culture and traditions of that place. The family stops in Hawaii and
gets a life- lesson on the different meanings of ‘Aloha’. This series is
written by world traveler, Alinka Rutkowska and it is illustrated by Konrad Checinski.
This work is of the biography and memoir genre. Rutkowski writes these stories
based on her travels on a cruise boat so these books could be considered a
biography of the author’s life. The illustrations in the book are very child friendly
and ‘straight to the point’. What I mean by this is that the pictures depict
exactly what the person is saying. I would also call this book an informative
picturebook.
I love this book because it has its own reader response
questions at the back of it. Mini quizzes and additional information called ‘Did
You Know?’ is at the back of each book in the series. In addition to using the
book resources I would suggest creating a ‘Culture Scrapbook’. Our text
suggests a “Character Scrapbook” that can be used for each character in a book.
So, to target cultures and traditions, I would use this great suggestion as the
Culture Scrapbook where students can write down interesting facts and useful
information about the culture. Another activity that can stem from this book
could be a recipe book! Students can create a recipe book that includes recipes
from different cultures and even create one of the traditional meals! The
recipes would target whatever culture they were reading about. These ideas are great
for furthering knowledge about different cultures. Plus, the hands- on aspect
works extremely well for some learners.
Alinka Rutkowska
travels around the world just like the characters in her books. Wherever she
goes, she tries to create a book that depicts her adventures and new cultural knowledge.
Her other books include : Maya and Filippo Visit San Franciso, Maya and Filippo
Visit a Glacier, and Maya and Filippo Talk Business in Seattle. She also has
coloring book versions of her picture books! I’m sure kids love reading the books
and then coloring afterwards. Also, she is the recipient of the International
Readers’ Favorite Book Award and her books are also mom- approved!(Mom’s Choice
Award)
Rutkowska, A. (2014). Maya and
Filippo Show Aloha. NY, New York: Whiteside Publishing.
Galda, L. (2010). Literature
and the Child, 7th edition. Belmont: Wadsworth
