• Age: 4 to 7
• Grade: p to 2
• Reading age: 4 to 7

“A must-buy.” —School Library Journal

A young girl helps her dad navigate life in a new country where she understands the language more than he does, in an unforgettable story about communication and community by Boston Globe–Horn Book Award-winner Jack Wong.

Angie is used to helping her dad. Ever since they moved to Canada, he relies on her to translate for him from English to Chinese. Angie is happy to help: when they go to restaurants, at the grocery store, and, one day, when her dad needs help writing some signs for his work.

Building off her success with her dad’s signs, Angie offers her translation skills to others in their community. She’s thrilled when her new business takes off, until one of her clients says he’s unhappy with her work. When her dad offers to help, she can’t imagine how he could. Working together, they find a surprising solution, fixing the problem in a way Angie never would have predicted.

A gorgeously illustrated picture book from Boston Globe–Horn Book and Governor General award-winning creator Jack Wong (When You Can Swim, Scholastic) that is at once a much-needed exploration of the unique pressures children of immigrants often face, a meditation on the dignity of all people regardless of their differences, and a reminder of the power of empathy.

“Beautifully written and illustrated. . . . I am so glad this book exists in the world.” —Bao Phi, author of the Caldecott Honor and Zolotow Award-winning A Different Pond

JACK WONG a créé un chef-d’œuvre inspiré de son expérience vécue avec une grand-mère qui a passé son enfance dans les rivières de Bornéo et une mère ayant grandi dans la Chine de la fin des années 1950, à qui l’on a interdit d’apprendre à nager. Né à Hong Kong et élevé à Vancouver, Jack est titulaire d’une licence en beaux-arts du Nova Scotia College of Art and Design de Halifax, au Canada, où il vit aujourd’hui avec sa femme et leurs deux chats.

JACK WONG has created a masterpiece drawn from his lived experience of growing up with a grandmother who spent her childhood in the rivers of Borneo and a mother — growing up in late 1950s China — who was forbidden to learn to swim. Born in Hong Kong and raised in Vancouver, Jack holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Nova Scotia College of Art and Design in Halifax, Canada, where he now lives with his wife and two cats.

Jack Wong's profile page

• Joint winner, TD Summer Reading Club
• Winner, Ann Connor Brimer Award
• Joint winner, Bank Street College Best Children’s Books of the Year
• Joint winner, Cooperative Children’s Book Center Choices
• Winner, Best of 2023 Picture Book Award, Bookstagang
• Winner, Community Favorite Best Biography Books, Bookstagang
• Nominated, Blue Spruce Award, OLA

“[A] heartwarming tribute to multigenerational immigrant tenacity—of the young child with mature responsibilities, the polyglot parent struggling to adapt, and the community supporting its members. Love proves understandable in every language.”

Shelf Awareness, *starred review, 07/08/2024

“This tale presents a hopeful perspective on immigrant life, vividly portraying resilience, a spirit of community, and the enduring bond of family, making it a poignant and uplifting read.”

Horn Book Magazine, 11/23

“[A]n expressive and compassionate glimpse into the struggles immigrants face.”

Kirkus Reviews, 07/25/23

“This joyful story is about the power of speaking more than one language, the safety of having caring adults around, the confusion of living somewhere where you’re not a native language speaker, and a reminder that adults who have yet to master their new homeland’s primary language are still adults, with skills, proficiencies, and knowledge.”

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Youth Services Book Review *starred review, 08/15/23