Little Cricket

This book was labeled for children but it packs so much in it that all ages will enjoy and benefit. I am in my upper 40 and I read every page carefully. As I get older, I come to appreciate and respect my Hmong heritage. I feel humble of how numerous authors (not of Hmong heritage) want to preserve our stories by putting them in writing (for whatever reason that drew them to do it). I have observed that many Hmong who want to preserve our ways but don't know how to write and those that are able to write seem to have no time or passion. One of the surprising things that the author told in the story was that the grandfather sew paj ndaub. Though, paj ndaub was traditionally the work of women/girls, it was not uncommon for Hmong men to be very good at it as well especially in the refugee camp experience where the men found few things to do to fill their time. In addition, one of my uncles was famous for making the tab (the woman dress of the Blue Hmong). If one knows how complex, intricate, and the skills with great patience require in making such a masterpiece, one would appreciate its art. I love the flashbacks, which the narrator tells each time Kia encounters a situation in her new home in Minnesota that caused her to make the comparison. Our experience, whether good or bad, becomes an integral part of who we are. A great lesson for us all is that we need one another. We all need a little lift in some point in our lives like Kia, Hank, and especially Sam (at the end of the story). The author did not mention the presence of a dad in the Hank & Sam household, so I can only assume that Hank is a single mom raising a special-need son. While Donald Trump or Bill Gates may not need Kia and grandpa's help but for people like Kia, grandpa, Hank, and Sam and the rest of us need each other (no matter what heritage they're from). There is a Hmong song that part of it says, "...the poor lift the orphaned..." It seems that the majority of the rich is so busy getting richer and forget the one important thing that defines the true humanity of the human race--recognizing and aiding those who truly need it. "...Kia would smile, not because she understood what was funny, but because these good neighbors made her happy with their joyous and quick laughter." I have found that Americans are the most cheerful of all peoples. I watched the summer Olympic on TV not long ago and I could tell which athlete is an American and which is not just by the sense of freedom and joy in their eyes. It was also interesting that the author chose poker (why not gang, drugs, etc.), which got Xigi into trouble. I understand that casino gambling problem is rampant among the Hmong population in St. Paul/Minneapolis and surrounding. I believe the author wants us to learn a lesson here. It may be too late for the older people that are addicted to gambling and they may have to hit bottom before they "wake up" but our children must be taught that making an honest living by honest

For a girl of twelve Kia has been through much in her short life. She has experienced the horrors of war, the confinements of a refugee camp, and the sorrow of leaving loved ones behind to travel to a distant and very different country. Here she discovers that by trusting others she is better able to adjust to her new life, and is soon able to help her grandfather adjust as well. Author, Jackie Brown weaves a thoughtful historical fiction that is as beautiful as the stories told by Grandfather's pa ndau (Hmong embroidered story cloths).