Reflection One for Skippyjon Jones: In the Dog House

Analysis Summary

The theme of this story is how a Siamese cat imitates a Chihuahua and believes he is one. In the series, there is this repetition of the theme where Skippyjon Jones's mother disapproves of this and Skippyjon continues to go on these adventures where he is poor and misrepresentation as a true Mexican.

Some quotes from the book:

“I can not believe you covered the walls with those cockeyed chihuahuas”
“A chihuahua as old as Montezuma popped out of the holey boulder and PT-OO-EY brought forth three beans. A three-beaner”
“Faster than you could say, “chili-chewing chihuahuas”
“He blew past a boulder, chugged up a hill, and arrived alongside a shack perches two bones shy of the end of the world” “The house was chockfull of chihuahuas”

Impact Assessment

My focal student is Hispanic and an ELL student. This series and stories show a really poor representation of Spanish speaking. The entirety of this is made up of Spanglish and adding it to the end of every word. Aside from the language it is also the entirety of the themes and plot of the story. The dog house in this story can imitate immigration homes. This entire series is a cruel reflection of what some may view Hispanics as.

Alternative Texts

If a teacher or student still wants to read a cat adventure series, Pete the Cat has been really popular. If the Hispanic culture is what a teacher intended to portray a better and more appropriate alternative would be, Mango, Abuela, and Me. This gives a quick look into some Hispanic practices and even has the correct Spanish literacy written in the book.

Guiding Questions

1. Mirror: Does the book accurately represent any relatable experiences or identities you can relate to?
2. Window: Does the author have authenticity when writing this boo? Does the author's knowledge make you see clearly through the windows of the Hispanic culture?
3. Doorway: Does the text make you feel as though you can enter a world you might want to?