THE WORDS WE SHARE

Angie uses her English skills to help her dad and other Chinese immigrants in their neighborhood.

When Angie and her dad arrived in Canada, they knew very little English. But now that Angie has been going to school, she is able to help Dad, who still speaks only Cantonese, talk to strangers, read menus and labels, and even create signs for the office building where he works as a janitor (“Please do not carry your coffee up and down the stairs,” “Please don’t leave food to rot in the fridge”). This ability inspires her to start a sign-making business for the Chinese-owned shops in the neighborhood. But when the owner of the laundromat complains that the instructions she wrote for the machines are wrong, it’s her dad’s turn to use his language skills to help Angie. Cartoon-style art in natural colors and fine detail offers an expressive and compassionate glimpse into the struggles immigrants face but most clearly shows the love between Angie and her father and their mutual respect for each other’s skills. While Angie’s first-person narration is in English, Cantonese speakers’ dialogue is printed in Chinese as well as in italicized English, giving readers an authentic experience of what the conversations feel like. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A sweet story of immigrant connections.