Publishers Weekly
06/27/2022
The creators behind The Paper Kingdom reunite in this clunkily paced story about finding a new friend in a new place. Jae, who has light brown skin, is “new to the country, the city, the building,” far away from “his old village, his old home, his old friends,” and worried about forgetting “my new words,” writes Ku Rhee. But with encouragement from his mother, he soon meets downstairs neighbor Rosa, portrayed with brown skin, whose parrot, Pollito, accompanies her everywhere. The children become fast friends as Rosa imagines the aspects of life that Jae is missing (when he comments, “No mountains” about the window’s view, she climbs the sofa: “I’m heading for clouds!”). Campion’s sparsely finished digital illustrations combine reality and imaginative landscapes—as when the children explore their complex for “golden Incan treasures, and a rainforest with parrots—like where Rosa was born.” When Rosa’s family must abruptly move away (“They didn’t have a choice,” Jae is told), she leaves Pollito behind, precipitating a moment of anguish followed equally suddenly by the opportunity to welcome new neighbors. Ages 4–8. (June)
From the Publisher
★ "Striking and raw…. Readers will share the sadness of Jae's loss, but only after seeing Rosa and Jae's joyful playing—a happiness that's distinct to childhood." —Booklist, starred review
Kirkus Reviews
2022-03-30
New to the country, a boy finds solace in friendship.
Jae, a boy cued as Asian, moves into a new apartment with his mother. Bored, lonely, and worried about not knowing words, he meets Rosa, a tan-skinned girl of boundless energy who goes everywhere with her pet parrot, Pollito, on her shoulder. Not only does Rosa’s vivid imagination take Jae back to his home, where the mountains were in view and the streets were full of vendors, she also whisks them to the rainforest of Rosa’s homeland to find llamas and “golden Inca treasures.” She and Pollito sing a song: “When I fly away, my heart stays here.” One morning, Jae wakes to discover that Rosa’s family has moved. “They had to leave quickly. They didn’t have a choice,” Jae’s mother explains to the heartbroken boy. But after a good cry, there is a knock on the door: Two brown-skinned kids stand in the hallway, ready to find a friend. This is a familiar narrative of finding a new home while honoring one’s past home, with the unique angle of addressing the transient nature of immigrants and apartment dwellers in general. However, Campion’s digital illustrations offer little nuance, depicting the children with expressive faces but leaving everything else crudely drawn. Combined with text that flows awkwardly in places, the message loses some impact. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A distinctive take on the immigrant experience that suffers upon execution. (author's note) (Picture book. 4-7)
