NEW

A young Filipino immigrant adjusts to life in the United States.

The unnamed narrator excitedly gets ready for the first day of school. The child may be wearing hand-me-downs, and Taytay (Dad) packs the youngster a lunch in “recycled containers,” but even so, “I am new.” Walking to school with Taytay, the protagonist observes, “New is exciting. It’s sharpened pencils and blank notebooks in my backpack” and “imagining how many friends I’ll meet.” Approaching the building, however, the narrator begins to feel unsure. The charming cartoon illustrations, rendered in softly blended textures and a playful, vibrant palette, are sapped of color as the youngster realizes that “new can also feel far away from home.” The child is the only spot of brightness on the now-muted page. Homing in on well-chosen concrete details, Mata cleverly demonstrates how newness can be a double-edged sword: New is “not knowing all the rules yet and standing up when I hear my name…New is the first time I notice my eyes and when I discover I have an accent.” “New can feel lonely,” the child laments. But color is deftly integrated back into the illustrations as the child meets a brown-skinned, curly-haired, Spanish-speaking classmate. Despite the language barrier, the experience is a reminder that “new can also be inviting,” and the book comes to a satisfying close as the friends find “a joy that knows no boundaries.”

A loving and gentle guide for those navigating the strange and unfamiliar.