In one double-page spread, Yoon imagines herself as a cupcake floating above the students in her class. Luminous full-bleed paintings depict Yoon’s lively imagination as she struggles to find her comfort zone in the new country.

One day, she wants to be CAT so she can “hide in a corner.” Then she wants to be BIRD so she can “fly back to Korea.” Each choice further depicts her emotional state. At school, friendless and lonely, Yoon tries out other names. Recorvits’s rich, spare text, touched with light humour, relies on symbolism to propel the story. Each standing alone”-while in Korean, “The symbols dance together.” It takes a patient teacher and a new “ponytail friend” to help her see that “Maybe America will be a good home.” To top things off, she doesn’t like how her name looks in English-“Lines. She doesn’t fit in at her new school in the United States and she just wants to go back to Korea. Picture book, friendship, homesick, immigration, loneliness, multicultural heritage, names, new students, self-acceptance The Name Jar, My Name Is Blessing Mots-clés How does your name suit you? Make a class poster with the names and information of all the students. Research the origin and meaning of your name. What problems does she have? Why does she want to be a cat, a bird, a cupcake? How do the teacher and a new friend help her feel at home? What can you do to help a new student or neighbour feel welcome?

Talk about what you see and describe what you think is happening in the story.ĭiscuss how Yoon feels in her new country. What does your name mean? How did your parent(s) choose your name? Design a large name card for yourself, and include drawings and words that represent you.Įxamine the cover and the illustrations. Why did Yoon move to America? What do you think she misses most about her home? Brainstorm a list of things that you would miss most if you moved to a different country. Why do you think she didn’t want to write her name? What changed her mind?ĭiscuss the ways in which Yoon and her teacher were able to communicate, even though they did not speak each other’s language. Discuss the reasons why Yoon was lonely at first.

My name is yoon