“Before we moved away, my mother taught me some words in a new language. She said we would need these words …. But when we came here, my mother, my father and me, all my worlds flew away like birds.” A young immigrant child from an unnamed place describes the before and after of her life—the details of her old home and of relationships with people lost since coming to a new country, as well as the confusion of words that she faces in her new home. “Everyone spoke so fast, their words tumbled and swirl.” She watches, waits, observes, even sees things that she recognizes (trees, sky, park) but they aren’t the same as home. But time brings a new friend, and eventually, slowly, she gets more comfortable speaking and understanding the new language, new words that “are here to stay.” This look at an immigrant experience featuring a younger child deftly captures both feelings and concrete experiences, such as a helpful janitor assuming another immigrant is from the same country, leading to an awkward exchange. Jaunty pen-and-ink illustrations with digital color show the characters as light/white-skinned. Creative use of font size emphasizes the importance of words, sounds, understanding, or not understanding, adding to the ultimately optimistic story’s impact. (Ages 3-7)

A powerful and poetic immigration story. A girl learns words in a new language to prepare for her move to a new country. But when her family arrives, everyone speaks so fast and “all her words fly away like birds.” The girl waits, and watches, and listens, trying to figure things out. Only, it’s hard. Then one day the girl meets someone who needs her help. And as she makes a new friend, the new words start to come easier — becoming her words, at last. A perfect read-aloud, this poignant story offers a powerful lesson in empathy for children everywhere.