1. Allen Say Allison Emma’s Rug Stranger in the Mirror
Elle
Emily
Jan

2. Introduction Why do we choose it? What did we do in the report?
What is the purpose of the report?

3. About Allen Say

4. Allen Say Born in Yokohama, Japan, in 1937
His parents got divorced and he lived unhappily with his grandmother and his sister lived with his mother.
He later attended military school for a short time.
His first children’s book as an illustrator was published in 1972.

5. Say’s books often deal with the lives of young American Asians and focus on looking for identification, the multicultural experience and respect for the environment.
Being influenced by the well-known cartoonist, Noro Shinpei as a youth.
His father hoped that he would become a successful businessman.
After years, his work finally brought him contact with art directors and designers.

6. Allen Say’s Works

7. The Bicycle Man
1982
How My Parents
Learned to Eat
1984
A River Dream
1988
The Boy of the
Three-Year Nap
1988
The Lost Lake
1989
El Chino
1990

8. The Ink-Keeper’s Apprentice Under the Cherry Blossom Tree
Tree of Cranes
1991
The Ink-Keeper’s Apprentice
1994
Stranger in the Mirror
1995
Emma’s Rug
1996
Under the Cherry Blossom Tree
1997
Allison

9. Grandfather’s Journey
Tea with Milk
1999
The Sign Painter
2000
Grandfather’s Journey
1993
Home of the Brave
2002
Music For Alice
2004

10. Allison
By Allen Say

11. Summary
Allison is a Japanese girl adopted by American parents. She did not feel strange until she finds that she is not the same with other classmates. She feels lonely and starts to doubt her self-identification. Therefore, she breaks her parents’ favorite things. Finally, she gets a lost cat, and knows her own self-identification. She knows no matter what her face looks like. She is here.

12. Character
1.Allison: She is the main character, the protagonist and also the round character. She doubts her self-identification and feels she is lonely. Finally, she finds out what’s the best way through her own doubts.
2.Parents: They are flat characters. Parents do nothing and only stand away from Allison until she gets a cat home.

13. Analysis of Setting Plot:

14. Conflict
(A)  Against Society
(B)  Against Self
The conflict is when Allison starts to feel she is different from others around her including her own family. She doubts her self-identification, and doesn't know where she belongs.

15. Style
Allen Say uses lots of conversations to narrate this book. It makes us more closed to Allison’s thoughts.

16. Tone
Allen Say uses a subtle, sensitive searching of interracial adoption. He also uses the ironic tone to express. Allison’s parents don’t quite know what she really wants, and say nothing even when Allison destroyed their favorite things.

17. Emma’s Rug
By Allen Say

18. Summary
Someone gave Emma a rug when she was born. Thought the rug was plain, she loved it very much. She carried it everywhere she went, and only stared at it rather than stepping on it. Then she began to draw and paint. Her paintings were very special that even her classmates or adults would be attracted, and she won many prizes in the art competition. Her parents were very proud, but Emma only worried about what the next thing she should draw by looking at her rug. One morning, her mother found the shaggy rug and put it in the washing machine. Though it was very clean, Emma got mad and did not draw or paint and even say a word for several days. Then she threw all paintings and prizes away. All afternoon she sat in her empty room, and found something different inside her small world. She gave a cry, but then she suddenly understood something when she rushed outside. At last, she began to draw again.

19. Character Round Character: Emma
From the beginning of the story that Emma tends to be more like a girl’s personality and thinking, until she has experienced adults’ world. Afterwards, she begins growing up both in her mental and physical condition.
Flat Character:
1. Parents: nurturing Emma, finding her talent and even giving her talent a chance to glorify.
2. The teacher and classmates at the Kindergarten
3. The Mayor

20. Setting
external omniscient narrator’s position
Plot:

21. Conflict The Protagonist Against Society:
1. Emma treats the rug differently with others.
2. Emma’s own desire vs. others’ expectation in drawing.
The Protagonist Against Self :
Searching for self-identification

22. Theme A child’s changing into a teenager
A metaphor to show the process of creation in art.

23. Style The using of words is closed to children’s lives.
Short sentences so that children can read and understand easily.
Dialogue

24. Tone
Ironic tone:
1. It is only because of a shaggy rug that gives Emma inspiration.
2. Adults’ ignorance for that they do not truly appreciate the talent. It becomes a tool to get pride, and to win reputation.
Melancholy tone:
Illustration seems a little dark, and dialogues are usually without responses or interactions. The whole story seems unhappy until the ending.

25. Stranger in the Mirror
By Allen Say

26. Summary
Sam does not want to get old, but the next morning he wakes up with an old face. All of his family, friends and teachers are all surprised. Some of them even make fun of him and his sister keeps calling him “grandpa.” Nobody knows him anymore and even his parents think he is somebody else.

27. Characters The main character is Sam.
He is the protagonist and also the round character.
There is no difference between “old Sam” and “young Sam.”
The character is revealed by what the narrator says.

28. Setting
It is neither integral setting nor backdrop setting.
The story happened between family and school.

29. Plot

30. Conflict
The protagonist is against society and self.

31. Theme
The social reactions toward age and how we are shaped by the perceptions of others.

32. Style 1.The sentences are quite short when Sam’s
parents found him old.
2.The continuous dialogue while Sam was in the
waiting room.
3.The serial dialogue happened in the classroom
also made readers feel they are just in the
classroom hearing all the questions and
commotions from the teacher and classmates.

33. Tone
1.Sensitive tone
2.Emotions and attractions are changing dramatically between every single line.

34. Comparison Table

35. Name and published year Narrative point of view
Covers of the books
Name and published year
Allison, 1997
Emma’s Rug, 1996
Stranger in the Mirror, 1995
Characters
Allison
Emma,
and parents
Sam
Setting
Home,
and school
Narrative point of view
All-knowing
Plot
Dramatic plot
Dramatic plot
Dramatic plot
Dramatic plot
Dramatic plot

36. Covers of the books Conflict Theme Style Tone Illustration
Against society
Against self
Theme
Belonging
Self-identification
Child in teenager
Creation in art
Age
Style
Dialogue is important
Tone
Ironic
Ironic, melancholy
Sensitive
Illustration
Watercolor
Warm and bright

37. Thanks For Your Attention