Review of YANG THE YOUNGEST AND HIS TERRIBLE EAR

Namioka, Lensey. 1992. YANG THE YOUNGEST AND HIS TERRIBLE EAR. Illustrated by Kees de Kiefte. New York: Little, Brown and Company. ISBN 0316597015.

PLOT SUMMARY
Yingtao, also called Fourth Brother by his Chinese family, is the youngest child in his musical family. His older brother and sisters are all accomplished musicians, but Yingtao is tone deaf. No matter how hard he practices, Yingtao will never become a good violinist. As a recent immigrant, his father is trying to recruit more string students by hosting a recital. The finale will be the four Yang children playing in a string quartet, only Yingtao’s terrible pitch is ruining the ensemble. With the help of his best friend and sister, Yingtao concocts a plan to save the performance and possibly show his parents his own true gift in not music.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS (INCLUDING CULTURAL MARKERS)
Lensey Namioka has drawn upon her own childhood memories of living in a musical family. Like Yingtao, Namioka also has a terrible ear. She switched to the oboe to avoid pitch problems. Namioka successfully uses her own Asian Pacific American background to create an accurate and authentic story of adjusting to a new culture and finding one’s gift.

One of Namioka’s primary strengths is her characterization. All of the members of Yingtao’s family are individuals, struggling with their own unique problems as they learn how to be Americans while maintaining their Chinese culture. Particularly touching is the mother, a celebrating pianist in China, who now searches for cost-cutting deals to feed her family while waiting for a piano position to open. Second Sister is also depressed about the move. She was considered popular and beautiful in China, but has trouble connecting to her peers in Seattle. On the other hand, Third Sister easily adjusts to her new American lifestyle. She is the only one to give herself an American name, Mary, and eagerly embraces trendy clothing. Mary also wears an American hairstyle, while her older sister keeps her traditional braids. Even though there are only a few black and white illustrations in this story, de Kiefte is careful to make the members of the Yang family distinct and true to their character descriptions. None of the children appear to be identical, although Yingtao’s features are the most realistic.

Even though the Yang family is learning how to speak English, Namioka does not use any kind of code-switching. The only Chinese words are the characters’ names. When Yingtao encounters an English word or phrase he doesn’t know, he either uses a dictionary to look up its meaning or asks his friends to explain the definition. Most of the difficulties arise from confusing terms like “laid off” or “baby sitting.” Third Sister’s lists of interesting English words help Yingtao learn new phrases, as well. It appears that the family has gained a conversational level of English through immersion, and they do not refer to their surroundings, furnishings, food, or clothing with Chinese names.

The author’s description of cultural values plays a more prominent role in this story. Yingtao frequently explains to his new American friend how important it is to his family that he continues violin lessons, even though he dislikes practicing music. Other children in his class assume he must be a musical genius, presumable since he is Chinese and his parents are musicians. At the conclusion of the story when it becomes apparent that Yingtao will never be a good musician, his family feels sorry for him and gentle breaks the painfully obvious news to him. Yingtao goes along with this act, which allows him time to pursue baseball, an area where he naturally excels. Since his Chinese school was more advanced in mathematics, Yingtao also appears to be a math prodigy, fulfilling another common stereotype. Namioka explains the reason behind Yingtao’s supposed superiority and allows readers to understand that positive stereotypes can also be damaging and just as incorrect.

Namioka has created an authentic view of an immigrant Chinese family adjusting to life in America. Even though Chinese language and terms for food and objects are lacking, the strength of the story lies in the cultural values portrayed by the characters. By contrasting Yingtao’s family with the family of his best friend, Matthew, the author allows readers to understand the differences and the reasons behind them. Ultimately, children realize Asian Pacific Americans are not so different after all.

REVIEW EXCERPTS
School Library Journal writes, “Namioka uses their growing friendship to explore cultural differences and the problems of adjustment to a new society with a light but sure touch. Warm, humorous black-and-white sketches illuminate each character with casual, but astute, perception. Simpler and less incisive than Bette Bao Lord's In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson (HarperCollins, 1984), which is set in an earlier era, this multicultural music and sports story will have a broad appeal for young readers.”

Publishers Weekly comments, “Peppered with wry commentary on the often baffling experience of adapting to a new country and a new language, Beijing-born Namioka's fresh and funny novel serves up a slice of modern, multicultural American life. Her comic timing and deadpan delivery are reminiscent of Betsy Byars, and her book will leave readers begging for more.”

Reviews accessed at: http://www.amazon.com/Yang-Youngest-his-Terrible-Ear/dp/0440409179/ref=pd_bbs_2/102-1567234-0148948?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1185499920&sr=8-2

CONNECTIONS
Other books by Lensey Namioka portraying members of the Yang family:
YANG THE ELDEST AND HIS ODD JOBS. Illustrated by Kees de Kiefte. ISBN 0316590118
YANG THE SECOND AND HER SECRET ADMIRERS. Illustrated by Kees de Kiefte. ISBN 0316597317
YANG THE THIRD AND HER IMPOSSIBLE FAMILY. Illustrated by Kees de Kiefte. ISBN 0440412315

Submitted by Kim