PICTURE BOOKS - Yo! Yes?

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Raschka, Chris. 1993. YO! YES?. New York: Orchard Books. ISBN 0531054691

PLOT SUMMARY
Using only 19 different words, author and illustrator, Chris Raschka, details the burgeoning friendship of two boys who meet and talk on a city street. The drama between the characters plays out through the exchange of punchy one and two word phrases. A theme of diversity is woven into the book in the portrayal of the boys’ differing ethnic backgrounds and personalities. The initial uncertainty, developing trust, and ultimate joy experienced by the characters closely follows the stages of all budding friendships.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Raschka’s media for this book are charcoal pencils and watercolors, and the effectual use of this media is startling in its simplicity. The expressions that Raschka manages to capture lend a sense of authenticity to the story. All manner of emotions are touched upon as the reader views the faces, posture, and movement of the characters as their story plays out. Another tool of paramount importance to this telling is the author’s clever use of punctuation. The questions, exclamations, and straightforward statements each add to the development of the characters. “Well?,” questions one boy, hands on hips, leaning forward, and expectantly awaiting an answer to his query.

While the text is meager, it does form a sort of cadence that flows easily along: “Yo! Yes? Hey! Who? You! Me?” The rhythm is especially apparent when the book is read aloud. A final device used by Raschka is the color of the text. All of the words are hand lettered, and the vast majority are colored black. However, Raschka changes the text color to red in a few key places. For example, one boy is replying to a question about why he isn’t having any fun. His reply is, “No friends.” This phrase is written in red, indicating the central conflict in the story. The last word of the picture book is also written in large red letters: “Yow!” This signals an exuberant resolution to the conflict once the two boys have decided to become friends.

REVIEW EXCERPTS
* Winner of the 1994 Caldecott Honor Medal
* PUBLISHERS WEEKLY: “Like a two-character play with no scenery and minimal dialogue, the story relies on the expressiveness of the "actors" and the raw energy of the artwork to hook the reader. At least in the small realm of this cheeky picture book, less is definitely more.”
* SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL REVIEW: “Against pastel backgrounds, in vibrant, colorful images, an African-American boy and a white boy meet on the street. With a beautifully balanced, economical style, the book illumines the peaks and pitfalls of getting acquainted, and puts in a good word for brotherhood as well.”

CONNECTIONS
* Talk about the various feelings portrayed in the book. What are the different emotions felt by each boy? How do you know? Why do they feel this way?
*Allow the book to serve as an introduction to the topics of diversity and multiculturalism. Read aloud and then discuss the differences and similarities between the two boys.
* Encourage young readers to continue the story. What happens next?
*Other children’s books dealing with multicultural friendships and/or diversity:
1) Hooks, Bell. SKIN AGAIN. ISBN 078680825X
2) Yolen, Jane. MIZ BERLIN WALKS. ISBN 0698118456
3) Katz, Karen. THE COLORS OF US. ISBN 0805071636