Dia’s Story Cloth: The Hmong People’s Journey of Freedom

Dia’s Story Cloth: The Hmong People’s Journey of Freedom. Dia Cha. Illus. by Chue and Nhia Thao Cha. New York: Lee & Low Books, 1996. 24 pages. $14.95 (Hardcover). ISBN 1-880000-34-2. Grades 3-5.

My Thoughts...

I had only ever head of the Hmong people in Clint Eastwood’s film Gran Torino, and trust me, that is not a film I would recommend to people for learning about other cultures. While the Eastwood’s character in the film was incredibly racist toward his Hmong neighbors, I did learn a little about their culture from this film. Needless to say, this book was much more educational, not to mention reliable. One of my first thoughts was holy cow; I can’t believe these illustrations are actually a cloth that has been hand stitched. Not only does this artwork speak to the skill and talent of the Hmong, but it also says loads about their dedication to their heritage, their determination, their devotion, their pride, etc. I definitely think the story cloth speaks volumes more than the text of this book, but since we do not know the history the text is required in order for us to interpret the cloth. I did enjoy how the story was told in a very conversational style, much like I would imagine she would tell it out loud. I think this simple writing, as well as the large white pages make it much easier to pay attention and observe the story cloth.

I think readers as young as five could appreciate and learn from this story, but I think the real information included at the end of the story would benefit an older target audience. That being said, I was reminded of When My Name Was Keoko as I read this book because that novel tells the story of how one culture was forced to abandon their ways (not flee) due to political turmoil that is often omitted from our classrooms. I felt that the trials of the Hmong are also often forgotten, so these two books could work together to expose children to the vast amount of history out there. This was an interesting, informative book that I think could be worked in to a program or classroom lesson easily.