A little girl learns some words in a new language to prepare for her move to another country. But when she arrives, “all her words fly away like birds.” Then one day, the girl meets someone who needs her help. As she makes a new friend, she begins to use the words she hears around her – and they become her words, at last.

Kids Can Press
Illustrated by Shrija Jain

A Junior Library Guild selection

Reviews

“This warmly illustrated picture book adeptly captures the experience of moving to a new country and learning a new language.”
– Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review

“This is a nuanced, tender rendition of a child’s isolation due to being in an unfamiliar place where everything is different.”
– Booklist

“This endearing picture book offers a close look at emigration and language acquisition. Pearson elucidates the child’s struggles in poetic prose…”
– Publishers Weekly