Have you ever tried to communicate with someone who doesn't speak the same language as you? It can be very difficult, however if you both try you can usually get the general thoughts across. Today we are sharing two new picture books about communicating with someone who only speaks a different language, and they are very different situations. We will start with
Love in Every Language by Anoosha Syed. It is recommended for ages 3 to 7.
Publisher's Summary:
A companion picture book to Anoosha Syed’s critically acclaimed debut, That’s Not My Name!, about expressing love across language barriers and the universal message that actions speak louder than words.Mirha speaks English and her nani (maternal grandmother) speaks Urdu, so Mirha’s parents bridge the gap by translating for the two of them. Despite the language barrier, Mirha loves her nani because she oils her hair until it shines and always keeps her purse full of sweets.
When both of Mirha’s parents have to leave early for work one day, Nani takes Mirha to school instead, but she misunderstands Mirha’s breakfast request and forgets to pack her favorite stuffie for show-and-tell. And worst of all, she doesn’t say “I love you” back to Mirha at the bus stop.
Mirha is not only frustrated by the miscommunications, but she’s also afraid that her nani doesn’t love her because she doesn’t say the words out loud. So Mirha’s parents explain that not every language has the words for “I love you” the way that English does. But the feeling is universal, and in many cultures, actions will always speak louder than words.
From Me:
Mirha is trying to communicate with her grandmother. Unfortunately Mirha speaks English and nani speaks Urdu. On top of the language gap, Mirha is adjusting to having her mother around to both of her parents working. Without her parents interpreting for them, Mirha and nani have many miscommunications. There are some unfortunate mistakes like Mirha not having her stuffie for show and tell and Mirha thinking nani doesn't love her because she doesn't say it back to her before she gets on the bus. Her parents explain to her, that in Urdu, there isn't an expression for "I love you," but people show their love in their actions and special nicknames. As time goes on they learn how to communicate better though their time together is still quieter than when Mirha was with her mother.
I love how this book shares a problem that occurs in many families. Since people move from various countries, extended family does not always know the same language. It can be hard to communicate with grandparents or aunts and uncles. However, family is family and they all love one another. This book is wonderful at teaching a bit about the Pakistani culture as well as the Urdu language. Under each Urdu sentence is the same sentence in English. There is an author's note at the end of the book explaining Anoosha's own experience with growing up and the Urdu language. This book is great to show kids that there are different cultures, and many people struggle with communicating with others in other languages. It is also a great example of why we study other languages.
Our second book is not about family, but rather families from different countries whose people usually do not get along. The book is Ege and Ávra by Evgenia Mantikas and Elifgül Büyükoral and illustrated by Nazlı Tarcan. It is recommended for ages 3 to 7.
Publisher's Summary:
The sea gives us what we need.While fishing in the Aegean Sea with her grandfather, Ege, a girl from Türkiye, crosses paths with Ávra, a girl from Greece, who’s also fishing with her grandfather. Their countries have a long history of conflict. At first, the girls ignore each other, but when their fishing lines cross, an unlikely kinship sparks! Ege and Ávra share laughter, food, and prayer in this story about cultural connection.
For every reader who’s ever felt divided by differences—or discovered that understanding can turn strangers into friends.
From Me:
In this book we have two girls who go fishing with their grandfathers. Ege is in Turkey and Ávra is in Greece. Residents of Turkey and Greece do not normally like one another. However, when both boats end up in the same spot for the fishing, the girls get upset. They get even more upset when their fishing lines get tangled. Ege ends up in a bucket and Ávra gets tangled in the fishing net. The grandfathers laugh at the girls. Eventually both girls begin laughing too. Then the girls begin working together and there are plenty of fish for both families. Then the grandfathers and granddaughters share a meal together. Even though the girls speak different languages and cannot understand each other, the girls become friends and hope to see one another again.
I love that the girls are from countries that do not get along and at first get upset about the other girl, but they find their similarities and discover they can be friends. It is a beautiful story about how despite our differences, we are all humans and have many similarities. At the end of the book there are the author's note as well as information about the history of the countries and a glossary for both languages that are used in the book. This book is perfect to teach that despite the society's beliefs, individuals can overlook the differences and discover the similarities and celebrate with one another. It is truly a book that teaches what I love about diversity! I highly recommend it for any classroom as it will begin the discussion about celebrating diversity and accepting differences.
