For kids, daunting treks become doable
Everyone is on a heroic journey, whether they realize it or not, because life is a big journey. In three gorgeous new picture books, the authors and illustrators take readers — especially those who are stuck at home, waiting out the pandemic — on courageous trips around the world, to a new home, and to school on the first day.
“Nathan’s Song” by Leda Schubert, illustrated by
Maya Ish-Shalom. (Ages 4 to 8. Dial Books for Young Readers. $17.99.) Nathan was born in Russia, with a voice too beautiful to ignore. When he and his family saved up to send him to Italy to become a singer, his life took a detour: Nathan boarded the wrong boat and landed in New York City, but somehow he managed to thrive. “He rented a tiny room and learned English, but every night he missed his family more.” As he strived and learned, he succeeded as a singer (and a hat maker), but “Nathan’s fame did not fill the loneliness in his heart.” He does find a way to ease those pangs — at long last — by making his new country a home in the way that matters the most.
“Home Is in Between” by Mitali Perkins, illustrated by Lavanya Naidu. (Ages 3 to 6. Farrar, Straus and Giroux. $18.99.) Shanti waves goodbye to the warm monsoon rain of India and hello to the chilly rain of the United States, a place full of strange words, strange foods and strange manners. At home, she learns Bangla letters and how to dance Kathak; with her friends, she learns English, ballet and American traditions. At first, the back and forth of crossing between cultures feels like too much — but eventually Shanti begins to see that “she was good at making anywhere feel like home. Especially here. In the space between cultures.”
“My First Day” by Phung Nguyen Quang and Huynh Kim Lien. (Ages 4 to 8. Random House Children’s Books. $17.99.)
Making it to school on the first day is an epic journey by any measure — but for An, a young Vietnamese boy, it is an especially intimidating trip. Alone in a wooden boat, facing huge waves, a looming jungle and all sorts of creatures, he finds his way. “I get to trace the edges of my path — do it for myself, write my name across the blackboard of the river.” An ode to a very different way of life (echoing the journey many children in the Mekong Delta make) as well as an evocative tale of a brave odyssey, “My First Day” is a vivid introduction to the universal experience of going to school.