La roca en mi garganta

Gr 1-3–Yang shares her childhood, when she stopped speaking at school, in this moving Spanish-language picture book. At home, she can speak freely in Hmong with her family. But at school, where she works hard and makes sure to pay attention, she has stopped speaking completely. Yang and her family are learning to speak English, and the experiences she has had with people who are rude and impatient when her family cannot communicate perfectly in English, have left her with a heavy sadness. She compares the feeling to a rock in her throat that leads her to stop speaking English altogether. A kind substitute notices and speaks to her family. The author poignantly presents a child’s process of learning, not being able to communicate very well with peers, and the painful rudeness kids experience even when they are trying. The lovely, sometimes muted digital artwork pairs perfectly with the poetic text, sharing the world from the child’s point of view as she focuses on the beauty of her surroundings, tries to drown out the outside, and enjoys loving moments with her family. An author’s note further explores her experience with selective mutism and gives more background on the work’s hopeful conclusion. A photo of the author and a short Hmong pronunciation guide are also included in the back matter.