"I, Doko: The Tale of a Basket" by Ed Young

Image Courtesy of: http://covers.openlibrary.org/w/id/259934-L.jpg

Bibliographic Citation

Title: I, Doko: The Tale of a Basket

Author/Illustrator: Ed Young

Year of Publication: 2004

Publisher City: New York

Publisher: Philomel Books

ISBN: 0399236252

Author/Illustrator Website: http://edyoungart.com/

Media Used for Artwork: Gouache, Pastel, Collage

Awards

·         New York Public Library, 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing, 2004

Annotation

From the perspective of a basket, readers learn about the generations of one family.  Even with many the many tragedies the family is forced to endure they still stay together, along with the basket.

Personal Reaction

                Readers have to be mature to read this book.  They must have an understanding of what death is.  Doko, the basket, spends its life seeing the many generations of one family.  While the basket remains the humans do not.  The basket sees many tragic deaths and injuries, but also many births and joy.  This book would be useful to understand the longevity of family.  How one generation affects the other, how death occurs no matter what, and also the importance of family.  The most impactful part of the story is when Yeh-yeh’s grandson tells his father,” I won’t need to buy another Doko when you are old and it is time to leave you on the steps.”

                The illustrations are similar to what is seen in Asian artwork, which works quite well with the setting of the story.  The mixture of collage, pastel, and gouache work very well together.  Every media used melds together to create one comprehensive piece.  The speckles of gold paint on all illustrations adds a curtain over the images, giving the feeling that readers are looking at a mysterious, foreign world not many get to see.