Abstract
Drawn Together, written by Minh Lê and illustrated by Dan Santat, depicts the story of a grandson and grandfather spending time in the afternoon together. Lê and Santat’s shared experiences and cultures influence the picturebook’s construction. The greatest strength in Drawn Together is the inclusion of family in the creation process. Lê’s meaningful words and phrases complement Santat’s colorful and energetic illustrations. The setting is in the grandfather’s house and away from the site of Thai restaurants and Thai Buddhist temples, to which most of the existing research on Thai Americans hones it on (Bao, 2015; Padoongpatt, 2017). Drawn Together is a humanizing experience for readers to witness the developing relationship between the grandfather and grandson. The two have nothing in common, speak different languages, and find a connection through drawing. This book review discusses the cultural and lingual ties that make reading Drawn Together worthy of critique.
Recommended Citation
Boonsripaisal, Simon
(2024)
"Book Review of Drawn Together by Minh Lê and Dan Santat,"
Journal of Southeast Asian American Education and Advancement: Vol. 19
:
Iss.
1,
Article 6.
DOI: 10.7771/2153-8999.1327
Available at:
https://docs.lib.purdue.edu/jsaaea/vol19/iss1/6
Included in
Asian American Studies Commons, Children's and Young Adult Literature Commons, South and Southeast Asian Languages and Societies Commons
