Sabine Little - Editorial Expert

Angie’s reality in the book is one shared by many children who grow up multilingual – on a daily basis, she is the go-between her Dad, who speaks Cantonese, and the English-speaking society around them. Being an entrepreneurial soul, Angie decides to turn her translation skills into a business, translating signs for other members of the community, which gets her into trouble when she gets it wrong – and it turns out that her Dad’s language skills are the very things she needs! This books is a lovely homage to the lives of many children the ... View Full Review

This book is a little gem – starting with “there are 11 words for love, and my family knows them all”, each spread introduces a different word, in Arabic and with pronunciation, and a short two-liner that explains context. Whether the love between long-standing neighbours, the love between two soulmates, or a love for the home country, the book introduces each with colourful chalk illustrations. On a second level, the book highlights the family’s journey – arriving in a new country carrying little apart from a suitcase full of love. On the next spread, a “welcome ... View Full Review

I found this book in Australia, but I hope the review will still be of interest to people, because this is a lovely book, that deserves wider recognition. Each double-spread has a simple four-letter verse in English, describing a child’s life around the world, with the final word being the word for Dad in the language of the child. A simple premise, but by the end of the book, children have encountered 13 words for Dad, and the final few pages give cultural and linguistic context. The illustrations are cololourful and engaging, and the international spread of countries and ... View Full Review