Month: May 2025

Bridging the language barrier

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Tíos and Primos by Jacqueline Alcántara (Nancy Paulsen Books, 32 pages, ages 4-8). A girl is nervous about visiting her father’s relatives in Honduras, especially since she doesn’t speak much Spanish. As they go from one tío’s house to the next, she feels more and more shy as she sees things she wants to ask about but doesn’t know how. Finally, they get to the home of her abuela, who has invited all the relatives over for a party. Before long the girl is playing soccer with her primos, and they’re teaching each other words in English and Spanish. By the end of the trip, she is ready to say “Nos vemos, familia!” (“See you soon!”) to all of her family.

This warm family story shows the ways people can communicate that don’t necessarily involve language. Kids who sometimes feel torn between two cultures or countries will find a lot to connect with. Older readers can move from this book to the two graphic novels I reviewed just a few weeks ago.

Little Bird Laila by Kelly Yang, illustrated by Xindi Yan (Dial Books, 40 pages, ages 4-9). Laila’s mom calls her her little bird, because Laila is always whispering in her ear, telling her (and her dad) what people are saying in English. Laila enjoys having such an important job, but sometimes it’s exhausting, and she doesn’t like it when other kids make fun of her parents. Her parents want to take English classes, but they can’t afford them (“People say America is free, but it’s actually really expensive,” Laila explains). Finally, Laila comes up with a solution: she’ll teach them herself. Even though she is still learning English, she does the best she can, making flashcards and surprising them with pop quizzes. It’s an uphill battle, but in a few months, her parents are starting to learn. At a parent-teacher conference, when her teacher says that Laila is becoming a better speller and teaching other kids Chinese, she starts to translate, but her mom replies in English, “Laila is a wonderful teacher.”

This cheery picture book with its themes of perseverance and hard work makes an excellent complement to Kelly Yang’s chapter books about the immigrant experience. The story and illustrations incorporate both Chinese and English, showing examples of what a difficult language English can be to learn. Pair it with Olivia Abtahi’s The Interpreter, which covers similar themes. I was disappointed that there wasn’t an author’s note at the end tying this story to Kelly Yang’s own experiences of being an immigrant from China.

Disabilities

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Whale Eyes: A Memoir About Seeing and Being Seen by James Robinson, illustrated by Brian Rea (Penguin Workshop, 304 pages, grades 6 and up). James Robinson was born with strabismus, or misaligned eyes. He shares with readers how this affected him in school, both his struggles with reading and the reactions of others, whom he addresses as “Starers.” He grew up to be a documentary filmmaker, and the book is based on a short film he created for the New York Times to help people understand how he perceives the world. The book has some visuals and activities from the film, giving kids an opportunity to get some idea of how James sees things. The last part is more of a memoir, telling how his mom creatively homeschooled him and his older brother who had dyslexia, helping them to pursue their passions and succeed. Includes a list of citations.

Readers will learn a lot about what it takes to succeed when you have a disability, and James (and his mom, who sounds amazing) offer inspiring lessons about persevering when it feels like there is little or no progress. The illustrations are very cool and an excellent aid in understanding James’s condition. The book felt a little disjointed, with the last part feeling quite different than the rest of the story.

We Are the Scrappy Ones by Rebekah Taussing, illustrated by Kirbi Fagan (Carolrhoda Books, 32 pages, ages 4-8). This celebration of people with disabilities portrays a diverse group of kids and adults with all kinds of disabilities. Whether they’re in a wheelchair, walking with a white cane or a guide dog, or getting some sort of medical treatment, they are shown dancing, playing, making art and music, and always surrounded by others, sharing a sense of belonging. They are celebrated for adapting and overcoming difficulties and accepting help without thinking of themselves as a burden. All of this can be exhausting, and resting and taking care of yourself are also encouraged. A two-page spread near the end portrays several inspiring disability activists, with information about each in the back matter. There are also notes from the author and illustrator, who both drew on their experiences growing up with disabilities to create this book.

I was glad to find this book just as I was finishing up Whale Eyes, and it seemed like it would have been super helpful to James Robinson after hearing of his struggles with the label “disability” to describe his vision. This beautiful poem will inspire and reassure kids with disabilities, as well as their peers, but I think they will be especially drawn to the illustrations that portray so many different types of people living life joyfully and in community. The notes at the end about the author’s and illustrator’s experiences add an extra dimension.

Catty Corner Lands on Her Feet (Catty Corner, book 1) by Julie Murphy (Union Square Kids, 128 pages, grades 1-4). Like her mother, Catty is half-cat, half-human (Dad’s just a regular person), and she’s been homeschooled all her life, never having to worry about containing her feline instincts. But when her mom gets a job, it’s time for Catty to try school. She’s nervous, but also excited about the possibility of making new friends. Her first day is something of a disaster, in which she shreds a map when her teacher uses a laser pointer and bites a potential new friend when someone steps on her tail. Back home, Mom shares her mother’s and her own childhood diaries, which show some of the cat-astrophes they experienced. Catty’s able to return to school the next day with new confidence and learns that she can fix her mistakes and contribute with her own unique talents. Book 2 was published simultaneously.

This may seem like a strange choice for this post–and honestly, it’s one of the more bizarre premises for a book series that I’ve come across–but I was struck when reading it how Catty is different from her classmates in ways that are similar to kids with disabilities. She faces stares and mean teasing and has to work extra hard to fit in with a body that’s different from her classmates’. It could make an excellent starting point for some interesting discussions with primary elementary kids.