School Library Journal

K-Gr 2-A young boy named Dat and his mah travel to a new country. As Dat prepares for his first day of school, Mah explains that when the people around him speak, the words will "sound like gibberish," and that he should listen and do the best that he can. Throughout Dat's day, he struggles to understand his bus driver, teacher, and classmates. He spends the majority of his day alone, until "someone unexpected" reaches out to him, first on the playground, and then again on the bus ride home. This new character, who readers soon learn is named Julie, extends a warm invitation of friendship to Dat, who eventually begins to "hear words" instead of gibberish. Vo's heartwarming immigration story is beautifully told, with multimedia illustrations that shine on each spread. For instance, when Dat first arrives at school, his classroom and fellow students are all portrayed in a black and white, cartoonish way, and the unfamiliar language depicted as unintelligible symbols. However, when Julie takes the time to communicate with him in a new way, the symbols become words and the black and white scenes transition to color. Pair with Debora Pearson's My Words Flew Away Like Birds, and Jacqueline Woodson's The Day You Begin for fruitful discussions on empathy, friendship, and feelings of otherness. VERDICT This uplifting story is a welcome addition to any collection.-Olivia Gorecke