Jayme Prisbell-Hultman's Reviews > Yasmin's Hammer

Natural disaster can strike a family at any given moment. Often families are left struggling with poverty, despair, and the feeling of abandonment. The 2010-2011 (APALA) Asian Pacific American Librarians Association Picture Book Winner, Yasmin’s Hammer, written by Ann Malaspina, transports readers to the busy streets of Dhaka, Bangladesh; where Yasmin and her family are trying to adjust to city life. Yasmin spent the majority of her young childhood in a small village. When a cyclone hit her community, she and her family were forced to relocate to the city in hope of new opportunities. The encouraging tone delivered from a child’s point of view allows readers to connect/identify with the topic of poverty and despair. Yasmin's father takes a job pedaling customers around the city in a rented rickshaw, her mother finds domestic work for the rich, and Yasmin and her sister Mita are sent to hammer bricks in Dhaka's brickyard. Working conditions are harsh and Yasmin dreams of going to school and learning how to read. She believes if she and Mita could learn how to read, they could grow up to achieve the jobs of their dreams.

This book is geared for children (male and female) grades 1-5 and offers young learners a revealing look at the working and living conditions of one young girl forced to work to help provide for her family. Doug Chayka’s illustrations capture the hustle of the city streets, family living, and the emotional expressions each character contributes to the book. Realistic bright colors and attention to detail that invite readers into this story. The author provides additional information in the back of the book has for the reader to help the children in underdeveloped countries. The author also provides additional reading recommendations and a Bangla glossary. This is a great book that allows the reader good story at face value that exposes children to other educational situation in different countries.