Illustrated by Xindi Yan
5 stars
A touching story filled with sweet moments and delightful humor. Laila is used to translating things from English to Chinese for her parents. But one day, she decides to do something bigger. She sets out to teach them English. Together, the family learns from one another, figuring out all the nuances of a new language together.
What a sweet story. Nicely told without being too wordy. I love all the little touches of humor and how the story points out some of the confusing aspects of an unfamiliar language (silent letters, homophones). I also love how Laila learns from her parents as she is teaching them, and how it motivates her to teach her classmates some Chinese as well.
Wonderful illustrations. They perfectly capture the joys, frustrations, and confusions Laila and her family experience.
A truly heartwarming book. Nice representation that shows children who help translate for their parents that they are not alone. I love that the story showcases the power of children to do great things and empowers adults by showing that they aren’t too old to learn something new.