Words to Make a Friend

July 19, 2021
Spare, dialogue-only text by Napoli allows Stoop’s detailed textural vignettes, done in mixed media on plywood and finished digitally, to take center stage in this simple yet heartwarming picture book, showcasing two children bridging the language barrier on a snowy day. As a Japanese child in a Fair Isle sweater unpacks boxes in a new bedroom, they see a brown-skinned child in a light fuchsia puffer coat running out into the falling snow outside. After the first child dons snow gear as well, an enchanting spread surveys the duo from above as they approach each other over a layered white expanse of snow. Color-coded speech bubbles distinguish Japanese words, including “Konnichiwa,” “Gojira,” and various onomatopoeia, from their English counterparts as the duo builds a snow creature—and a friendship—in this sweet bilingual tale. Ages 4–8.

October 1, 2021
Preschool-Grade 1 There are lots of picture books about the challenges of moving to a new place, but this one impressively gets to the heart of the experience with very few words. A little Japanese girl moves to a new house and spots her new neighbor playing outside in the snow. She bundles up and heads out to meet the girl, and as they build a snow creature, they exchange words, each in their own language, and bond in the wondrous snowy setting. Their common interests help them bridge the language divide, and soon, they're peas in a pod, having a blast. Napoli manages to tell the story only in the girls' exchange of words in speech balloons, and Stoop's soft, pleasant artwork expands on those words, helping young readers grasp the concept in both English and Japanese. This sweet read about finding a sense of belonging in a new place emphasizes openhearted friendship and how learning and teaching a language can build connection. A great choice for group storytimes or one-on-one reading.

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October 15, 2021
A day in the snow for two kids in two languages. Readers might be tempted to flip past the frontmatter to the start of the story. But take time to linger over the evocative endpapers that show a big yellow moving truck parked outside a blue and white house in a snowy landscape. An adult and a child, both with pale skin and black hair, are standing on the porch, about to open the door. Turn the page, and there is another adult-and-child pair, both with brown skin and dark hair, bringing their new neighbors a gift of food. Like many friendships, this story builds slowly, one interaction at a time, urging readers to savor each moment. The first child speaks Japanese and the second, English; yet their intent and interactions are seemingly understood, facilitated by snowy-day play and bilingual conversation. Eventually the cold pushes them inside to enjoy Japanese tea, a treat, and origami. Stoop's captivating mixed-media illustrations depict dramatic perspectives even in the kids' first meeting, their bold, bright figures striking against a pastel snowy scene. Napoli's spare text trusts primarily English-speaking readers to derive sufficient meaning from the bilingual spreads while lacking the scaffolding to facilitate deeper cultural comprehension for both kids. Notes from author and illustrator each offer depth and background as well as insight into their artistic partnership. A simple tale of building a friendship and good memories using few words and luminous artwork. (Picture book. 4-7)

COPYRIGHT(2021) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

December 1, 2021

PreS-Gr 1-This deceptively simple book celebrates communication and friendship through luminously detailed illustrations and a sparse bilingual text. A little girl (presumably Japanese) and her mother move into a new home during a snowstorm. As the little girl unpacks, she sees the neighbor girl outside playing. She puts on her coat and boots, and heads outside. "Konichiwa," she says. "Hello" the girl responds. The two play together outside, each communicating in simple words of their own language, finally heading inside for origami and snacks, ending with their sharing of the universal language of laughter. The text consists entirely of one to two words in each word bubble, symmetrically, first one girl and then the other. The illustrations tell the rest of the story here. Mixed-media illustrations, created on plywood and finished digitally, depict a beautiful snowy scene. Stoop strategically allows the texture of the wood to show through. The neighbor has darker skin and brown curly hair, while the protagonist has straight black hair framing her paler face. The girls are painted simply, in a style reminiscent of the work of Ezra Jack Keats, with oval eyes, rosy cheeks, and colorful clothes. VERDICT The story is universal, celebrating diversity and friendship despite differences. A lovely book.-Amy Lilien-Harper, Wilton Lib., CT

Copyright 2021 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2022
In this bilingual book, a child moving into a new home sees the girl next-door frolicking in the snow and joins her. Speech balloons (the book's only text) contain their simple conversation, starting with "Hello" and the new girl's "Konnichiwa" in response, followed by "Let's play!" and "Asobou!" Many of their words are onomatopoeic: they hear a woodpecker and reply, "Peck peck" / "Kotsu kotsu"; while packing the snow for a snowman they say, "Nade nade" / "Pat pat pat." When they "Shiver shiver" / "Buru buru," it's time to head inside. The girls dry off, fold origami, and have some tea ("Huu huu" / "Blow blow"). Back to playing, they laugh together, and their final words are fittingly the same: "Ha ha ha!" Stoop (Sun and Moon Have a Tea Party, rev. 7/20) uses mixed-media on plywood to create cozy pictures of the children's play, both indoors and out. Inside, the wood is cleverly left bare and used to depict floors; in outdoor scenes the woodgrain, lightly covered, looks like clouds. The characters' perfectly round heads, with simple dots for eyes, resemble those in the books of Gyo Fujikawa, known for her early inclusion of non-white characters; Stoop's Japanese child here befriends a brown-skinned curly-haired girl. Both author and illustrator include notes at the back on their own experiences with language and friendship. Minor quibbles: a pronunciation guide would have been helpful, and the Japanese word hashi appears incorrectly as haji. Jennifer M. Brabander

(Copyright 2022 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

January 1, 2022
In this bilingual book, a child moving into a new home sees the girl next-door frolicking in the snow and joins her. Speech balloons (the book's only text) contain their simple conversation, starting with "Hello" and the new girl's "Konnichiwa" in response, followed by "Let's play!" and "Asobou!" Many of their words are onomatopoeic: they hear a woodpecker and reply, "Peck peck" / "Kotsu kotsu"; while packing the snow for a snowman they say, "Nade nade" / "Pat pat pat." When they "Shiver shiver" / "Buru buru," it's time to head inside. The girls dry off, fold origami, and have some tea ("Huu huu" / "Blow blow"). Back to playing, they laugh together, and their final words are fittingly the same: "Ha ha ha!" Stoop (Sun and Moon Have a Tea Party, rev. 7/20) uses mixed-media on plywood to create cozy pictures of the children's play, both indoors and out. Inside, the wood is cleverly left bare and used to depict floors; in outdoor scenes the woodgrain, lightly covered, looks like clouds. The characters' perfectly round heads, with simple dots for eyes, resemble those in the books of Gyo Fujikawa, known for her early inclusion of non-white characters; Stoop's Japanese child here befriends a brown-skinned curly-haired girl. Both author and illustrator include notes at the back on their own experiences with language and friendship. Minor quibbles: a pronunciation guide would have been helpful, and the Japanese word hashi appears incorrectly as haji.

(Copyright 2022 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)