A boy has some unexpected encounters in his neighborhood in this
wordless book about celebrating differences and building bridges.
In this wordless picture book, a Deaf boy and his mother enjoy a walk
through their community. Together, they greet their neighbors, stop by
the playground, spy a bird's nest in a tree and buy cookies at the
grocery store. Later, they visit their new neighbors, a woman and her
daughter, who have only recently immigrated from another country.
Although the girl is shy, and the two kids speak different languages --
American Sign Language (ASL) and Arabic -- find a way to communicate and
become fast friends.
This sweet story by critically acclaimed author Deborah Kerbel explores
the art of appreciating the world and the people around us and finding
points of connection. Deaf illustrator Isaac Liang lends his lived
experience to the visual story, choosing details and perspectives that
reveal the world as it's experienced by the boy. At the heart of the
story is a timely message about breaking down barriers and finding
common ground, no matter our differences. Wordless picture books engage
children's attention to detail as they follow the narrative of the story
in the pictures, building their visual literacy and critical thinking
skills. This book has curriculum connections to social studies lessons
on community building and immigration, as well as to the character
education values of empathy and kindness. It also models the practice of
welcoming newcomers to our communities. A few ASL signs are demonstrated
and translated within the story.
