Young Saida, an immigrant from Morocco, arrives at school in tears: her Arabic words don't work in her new country. A helpful classmate looks everywhere for them, to no avail; finally, the two decide to teach the other their respective languages. Redondo's lyrical text, first published in Spain, approaches the concept of immigration from a linguistic perspective, certainly a major challenge in many instances. Satisfyingly, language acquisition becomes a shared pursuit for both Saida and her new friend. Wimmer's acrylic-paint-and-crayon art has an airy, whimsical feel. Many illustrations are rendered in pastel shades, although vivid reds and blues appear as accents. The style is mostly realistic, with fantastical elements interspersed. (An opening spread depicts a crying Saida, with the narrator searching drawers in Saida's head for her words.) As well, letters and words often have wings, flying across spreads. Vocabulary is presented in English, Arabic, Arabic pronunciation, and illustrations. Appended with English and Arabic alphabets, this offers a reassuring look at immigration and new friendships.

When Saida, an immigrant, arrives in her new school, she doesn't say any words because she doesn't speak the language, in this Spanish import.Determined to be Saida's friend, the narrator, a classmate, searches for the new girl's lost words everywhere: in the park, "inside the pockets of all the coats," and between the curtains. She draws her a welcome sign, and the newcomer draws a smile back. The narrator's parents tell her that Saida comes from Morocco, a land of bazaars and colorful tiles, where people speak Arabic and where their family's language "wouldn't work either." The girls embark on a mutual learning journey, of words, letters, and sounds. The dreamy, sometimes larger-than-life illustrations portray their creative and playful explorations. Arabic and English words and letters they're learning fly around on laundry, in the wind, and through strands of hair, accompanied by helpful English transliterations of Arabic texts. Remarkably, the exchange between the two new friends presents the two languages and cultures as equal and the learning as reciprocal, offering a great resource for learning about immigration and cultural difference. Standard Arabic is used for the words presented rather than the Moroccan spoken dialect, which is probably not what a real-life Saida would have consistently employed to teach her new friend. However, it is the more helpful version for Arabic language learners. Saida has brown skin and long, wispy dark hair; the narrator has pale skin and a red pageboy.A lyrical, playful book about immigration, respect, learning, and friendship across cultures. (Picture book. 4-9)

Author Redondo focuses on the jarring experience of being plunged into a new linguistic environment in this ideological picture book. Saida, who has recently moved from Morocco, arrives at her new school in tears; she speaks Arabic, but doesn-t speak her new country-s language (English, in Schimel-s natural-sounding translation). The narrator, Saida-s classmate, thinking that the new girl-s words are lost, looks for them everywhere (-under the tables, the blackboard, and the desks-) until her father explains that Saida-s words aren-t so much lost as situationally inoperative: -In Morocco... yours wouldn-t work either.- She decides to teach Saida -our words, and to ask her to teach me her own.- Dreamy artwork by Wimmer (Bogo the Fox Who Wanted Everything) uses surreal imagery to explore the children-s exchange: words float, fly, hang from a clothesline, and appear written on the hide of a hippopotamus. Each child-s knowledge and competence is equally valued as the two embark on a balanced friendship, one that involves shared meals and laughter in addition to shared language. Includes Arabic and English alphabets, and offers transliterations for Arabic words throughout. Ages 3-7. (Sept.)