Father's Chinese Opera Mini-Unit
Andrea Barnes and Anna Liu-Gorman
Mini-Unit created July 2017
This mini-unit was developed at the Doors to the World 2017 Summer Institute sponsored by the Five College Center for East Asian Studies and funded by the Freeman Foundation.
Title: Father’s Chinese Opera
Author: Rich Lo
Illustrator: Rich Lo
Publisher: Sky Pony Press, 2014
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Summary:
Author and illustrator Rich Lo shows us the components of the Chinese opera as seen through the eyes of a young boy. In Father’s Chinese Opera we learn about the boy's desire to perform after watching his father conduct the opera, and see the steps the boy takes towards his goal.
About the author and illustrator:
Rich Lo is an Asian American artist, author, and illustrator who currently resides in Chicago, Illinois. He was born in Canton, China in 1957. His father was a well-known Chinese opera composer. Due to the turmoil of the Cultural Revolution the family escaped to Hong Kong where Lo’s father quickly found work with the opera. Eventually, the family immigrated to the United States in 1967.
Sources of inspiration for the author/illustrator: His and his family's experiences around the Chinese opera.
Geographical Region/Time Period: China in the mid-20th century.
Cultural Themes: Traditional art, father/son relationship, teacher/student relationship, perseverance.
Media of illustrations: Graphite, watercolors, and digital.
Awards and other recognitions: Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature 2014, Picture Book category.
Analyzing the Picture Book
Culture is intertwined with everyday life. In many American school communities, authentic knowledge of Chinese culture is relatively sparse or unknown. Rich Lo’s Father’s Chinese Opera offers an opportunity to introduce young readers to the traditional art of Chinese opera, as well as the father/son relationship and the teacher/student dynamic from the perspective of a Chinese boy.
Framing this picture book for a particular audience is helpful and necessary. As Maria Jose Botelho and Natalie Sowell suggest in their blog, “Books as mirrors reflect the worlds and experiences of children back at them, acknowledging and affirming their lives.” This book can be used as a mirror for students, and can be viewed partly as a mirror for author/illustrator Rich Lo as well. By telling this story Lo sheds light on his personal cultural background and traditional Chinese culture; he presents and acknowledges his own life experience. Students can learn how to reflect upon their own culture through experiences they have had, and as expressed and preserved through the arts. Students may also realize the dynamics of their own relationships with adults in their lives. This book can also be used as a window with a view outward to discover new content. Some students may have little or no knowledge of Chinese culture or Confucian beliefs; some students, including those of Chinese descent, might be learning about the Chinese opera for the first time. Lastly, the book may launch readers to engage in new experiences: learning a new interest, searching out and developing new mentor relationships, and using perseverance to attain a goal.
Strategies such as the Whole Book Approach (WBA) and Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS) may be used to discover the layers within a book such as Father’s Chinese Opera. The WBA supports students’ comprehension of a book by analyzing every component of that book with purpose. Whether individually or in a group setting, students share how they perceive the images and text in an attempt to create deeper understanding. As they explain and share with their peers, their own understanding becomes deeper. Unique perspectives may be illuminated, and a collective meaning can surface or be created.
Starting with the cover, students can anticipate and inquire how the sensational watercolors, composition, and text relate to the content of the book. When observing and thinking critically many things may be noticed and questions arise. Megan Lambert, a literacy educator from Simmons College, believes “…the cover of a picture book is often an integral part of the narrative.” What does it tell us? and How does it make you feel? become the leading questions for the teacher/facilitator to ask students. What will students share and why do they notice particular elements? Do they take notice of the rich black ink-like font that spells out the title as if it were painted by hand? Does it remind the viewer of something they may have seen before? Perhaps to some it may be slightly reminiscent of Chinese brush painting while others note how it stands out against the light background. Who is prominently positioned in the middle of the cover surrounded by negative space? Is there a purpose for the illustrator to frame the figure within the deeply colored curtains? Curtains—what does that suggest? Does the title help us figure out why the figure’s back is to the reader? Perched on top of different shaped boxes, is he waiting, watching, or both? Why? How can the surrounding details of the picture help us fill in the information? By asking questions like these, the teacher/facilitator is able to help student readers express their own cultural knowledge with and within a group.
The first pages of the story allow the reader to discover what the boy is doing, where he is, and his relationship to the figures in the illustration. As students reflect back upon the cover image, they might have an “aha” moment as the front of the boy’s face is revealed. His location to the side of the stage tells us that he is not a participant but an observer, just like us. We see him sitting on the same boxes but now can surmise what those boxes might be used for. The full bleed double page spread illustration gives us a sense that we are observing, and we begin to learn some of the components of the Chinese opera.
Simple text aligns with images that pique the reader’s curiosity throughout the book. Vivid watercolor washes fill in and, at times, overflow sketched graphite lines that define and emphasize the importance of the actors, acrobats, and props seen on the stage. What are these objects and how are they used? Who are these people? What will they do and why are they revered by the boy? How will the audience react? It is easy to imagine that these images may lead to research about Chinese operas and the stories they tell. What stories are shared and why? Who tells them and who decides? As the questions delve deeper and deeper, the reader is drawn into an examination of Chinese culture and may begin to wonder about their own culture and the stories that are told.
In this way, it is critical that the educator carefully and purposefully thinks about the selection of the books they share with their audience and how the content might be used. Multicultural books like Rich Lo’s Father’s Chinese Opera can be examined and used to meet many different types of objectives. And the use of WBA and VTS, alone or with additional activities—including but not limited to those suggested in the following pages—can complement and support meaning making.
Suggested questions
Cover
After observing the cover, ask:
- What do you think is happening?
- Why do you think that?
- How does it make you feel?
- Where do you think the figure is and why?
- What do the colors convey?
Turning to the inside of the book:
- How do the end pages relate to the cover?
Title Page
- What is the significance of the man?
- What is he doing? Does it relate to the cover?
- Why are both figures pictured alone?
First Spread pages 1 & 2
- What do you see happening?
- How do the images on the cover and title page relate to the first pages?
- What relationship is established?
- What is the father doing?
- How does the use of the double page spread enhance the idea of place?
Pages 3 & 4
- What does the movement/action on these pages tell us?
- Are there contrasting images?
- How does the image help you understand the text of the story?
Pages 7 &8
- What is the boy thinking and why?
- What do you think the boy will do next?
Pages 11 & 12
- What does this image say about teacher-student relationships? How?
Pages 16 & 17
- Based on the image how are the boy’s peers responding to his movements?
- How does this image make you feel?
- What decisions do you think the boy will make next?
Pages 18 & 19
- How does the author use the gutter of the book?
- What does this image say?
- How does the boy’s expression show how he is feeling?
- How does this image change your feelings about the student-teacher relationship?
Pages 20 & 21
- How does the image spread help to convey space?
- Why is that important?
- How is the boy’s body language different on this page from the previous one?
Pages 22 & 23
- What does this page say about father-son relationships?
- Why do you think the father did not intervene earlier?
- Why do you think there is so much space between the father and son?
Hook Learning Experience
Students will create an original art piece using various mediums to visually represent a musical piece.
- Begin with breathing/focus activity.
- Students listen to an original Chinese opera piece (with eyes closed).
- After the first listen students will not discuss what they heard. Students will silently select the supplies they need for the construction of their art.
- The students will listen to the musical piece a second time. While listening to the Beijing Opera students will interpret the music they hear through the visual art piece they make.
Students will begin questioning the text by only looking at the cover art. Students will also have the opportunity to physically move to the rhythms of the Chinese opera.
- Opener—Begin a KWLQ (Know, Want to Know, Learned, and Questioning) chart for the book. For the K of the chart ask students: Based on the cover what do you already know about the book? For the W: What do you want to know about this book?
- Students will move their bodies while listening to a piece of music from the Chinese opera. Have students use colorful flags and scarves and move in response to the music.
- Prior to reading teacher should show this introductory video that explains the Chinese opera.
Read the text aloud asking the VTS questions listed from the analysis
After reading and utilizing WBA, complete the KWLQ chart by asking:
- What have you learned from reading this book?
- Do you have any more questions about this book, the Beijing Opera, or Chinese culture?
Reader’s Theatre/Writing:
Students will be broken up into groups of four and each group will be assigned 3-4 pages from the text Father’s Chinese Opera. Students must re-read their pages and create dialogue representing the characters’ words and actions from the text. After completing the written component of the theatre activity, students will create sock puppets to represent the characters in the play and masks, utilizing paper plates and tongue depressors, to represent the masks of the Chinese opera.
On Post It notes students will write their goals and list three steps they will take to reach that goal. The students will take the Post It notes and hang them on a classroom chart and throughout the year they will acknowledge when they have accomplished each goal.
OR
Students will share an artistic expression from their culture (dance, music, food, painting) that they consider themselves experts on and teach their peers how to do that activity.
Connecting Picture Book to Family, Community and Current Events/People:
Father’s Chinese Opera not only gives the reader a glimpse into a traditional Chinese art form, but it also allows the reader to see the development of a relationship between the father and son and the development of the child’s aspirations to become an acrobat. Readers can connect with this text by thinking deeply about their own relationships and how they interact with the adults in their lives. Some of the concepts explored are: How do the adults support learning and development? and How does the protagonist continue to persevere? The text helps the reader to understand that there is a process to accomplishing a goal. It also emphasizes the respect that a student should show a teacher, and the reverence a child must show to a parent.
The Chinese opera is an expression of traditional culture. Readers can find traditional cultural experiences within their own communities through plays, concerts, and by visiting local libraries and community centers.
Juxtaposing Texts:
Fun at the Opera by Susanna Goho-Quek
Fun at the Opera is a light-hearted and fun text about siblings going to see their oldest brother’s performance in the Chinese opera. The book utilizes hand drawn images as well as photographs from the Chinese opera.
When Marian Sang by Pam Muñoz Ryan
When Marian Sang is an introduction to the life of Marian Anderson, an opera singer who was the first African American soloist to perform in the New York Metropolitan Opera House. This text demonstrates how Marian was able to persevere and overcome racial divides.
Celia Cruz, Queen of Salsa by Veronica Chambers
Celia Cruz is considered the Queen of Salsa music and her voice is well known across musical genres. Celia Cruz, Queen of Salsa is an informational text about the renowned salsa singer from Cuba. Cruz had to overcome gender and racial bias and leave her beloved country of Cuba to settle in the United States. She was able to spread Cuban culture and music with her captivating voice.
Kamishibai Man by Allen Say
Kamishibai Man focuses on the Japanese performance art of kamishibai storytelling and the preservation of traditional culture.
The texts can be used to support the concept of preserving culture through art.
Compare/Contrast Essays
Compare/contrast:
- styles of music
- cultures
- modern traditions and activities to traditional ones
- the individual student’s culture with the culture(s) represented in the texts
English Language Arts Standards:
Speaking and Listening
Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas
Purpose, Audience, and Task
CC.1.5.3.D Report on a topic or text, tell a story, or recount an experience with appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details, speaking clearly with adequate volume, appropriate pacing, and clear pronunciation.
Reading: Integration of Knowledge and Ideas Sources of Information
CC.1.3.3.G Explain how specific aspects of a text’s illustrations contribute to what is conveyed by the words in a story (e.g., create mood, emphasize aspects of a character or setting).
Writing: Narrative Writing
CC.1.4.3.M Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or event.
Content
CC1.4.3.O Use dialogue and descriptions of actions, thoughts, and feelings to develop experiences and events or show the response of characters to situations.