New

K-Gr 2–This picture book opens with a beautiful dedication: “To every ‘new’ kid braving a new world. I see you. You belong.” Mata forges boldly into the territory of being the new kid, teaching young readers the importance of hope, persistence, and empathy. A girl whose family is from the Philippines imagines what her first day in a new school will be like, expecting to meet friends and to have a wonderful time. When she gets there, she finds no one who looks anything like her, and her unfamiliarity with the school’s culture immediately marks her as a stranger. The school setting is initially bereft of color. Muted tones paint a cold, bleak outlook. The use of color is reserved initially for the protagonist and her family, while the diverse cast of classmates are shown in gray-white tones. When a Latinx student arrives, the setting itself becomes full color once more. The girls don’t understand one another verbally, but other forms of communication allow them to become fast friends. The language shifts to poetry as the friendship blossoms: “New is a hop, a skip, and a giggle./ New is the hand that brings us together.”