Hello!: A Welcoming Story

by Gina K. Lewis, Maria José Campos (Illustrations)

Meet Habiba, Aleksander, Malee, Elisa and Dinesh. They have left everything they have ever known and arrived in a classroom in a new country. Meet Grace, Jaylyn, Cameron, Miguel and Yu. They have never lived anywhere else. Hello! A Welcoming Story is the journey through the challenges that young refugees must navigate to find a sense of belonging in a new place. Flip it over and this two-books-in one also tells this story through the eyes of the students who welcome them in. In this Welcoming Story, all discover the power of embracing differences. Young refugees have traversed the world, escaped violence, and yet still struggle with the sense of identity forged in the way they dress, the foods they eat. The youngsters in this book encourage each other to be their unique and authentic selves. It is powerful for children to imagine themselves on both sides of this shared experience. It will elicit complex and important conversations with students of any age. Share this diverse book with your children and grandchildren, with your students and their teachers, and with your new neighbors. Experience the joy of feeling accepted and remember the power of a simple Hello!

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens

62 pages, Paperback

Published October 1, 2021

Reviews

[Bonnie DeMoss · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hello: A Welcoming Story is a wonderfully illustrated children's book about welcoming children from different countries into your school or neighborhood. It is a flip book, containing two stories. The story on one side is from the perspective of the child coming into the US or another country after having to flee. On the flip side is the perspective of the child in the US or another country who is meeting this refugee child for the first time.

The book is well done. The illustrations are engaging and colorful. They will be captivating for younger kids. The message is that other cultures may dress differently or eat different foods, but we can still all be friends and learn from each other. I liked the fact that the book remained apolitical and focused on relationships and acceptance.

I would recommend this to schools or parents interested in teaching interpersonal relationships to 5 - 7 year olds.

I received a free copy of this book from City of Light Publishing. My review is voluntary and my opinions are my own.

[Kirin · Rating 2 out of 5]

This 62 page early elementary story is told from two perspectives, you flip the book to read each parallel story from two points of view, the refugee children's and the children welcoming them.  Overall, I feel it is very well-intentioned and gets a lot right, but I found myself not feeling comfortable with some of the messaging regarding the visibly Muslim character included.  

I love that there are characters of all skin tones both welcoming the refugees and the refugees themselves. And I love the vague universalness that binds all the refugees together being expressed:  that they love their home, they had to flee, the journey was dangerous, they left everything behind, etc..  

I also love the warmth and genuine compassion that comes from the welcoming children.  They are reassuring, open, and seem to truly want to provide confidence to their new classmates.  The simple text really conveys a lot of emotion albeit very idyllic, that provides ways that readers in similar situations can also mimic when welcoming anyone new.

On one of the two story sides a map is included showing that the refugee kids come from all over the world, the side that did not have the map I worry might confuse young readers.  They might not realize that the five children do not all come from the same country.  There should be a map on both sides, ideally.  

The illustrations that show how the welcoming kids understand the refugee stories is clever in the showing of their understanding.  The images are similar, but the different style is a great emphasis on how we process from our point of reference facts that others have lived.

The concept of a new kid finding everything so different and not fitting in, is a great concept to explore in terms of clothing and food and language, but for some reason I didn't like how the girl in hijab was presented.  I'm ok that she took off her hijab to fit in, and that her classmates encouraged her to be herself, and put it back on, but the text is too over reaching, to an erroneous end.

It says on one page, "No one looked like me, but most people smiled."  Really, NO ONE? No other Muslims exist in your new home? It then says, "I was afraid to wear my real clothes to school.  The other kids didn't dress like me."  In the illustration her clothes are EXACTLY THE SAME, the only thing that changes is she has a scarf on. Hijabs are a religious article of clothing, they are not unique or country specific.  And what does real clothing even mean?

I also didn't like the text reading, "This is my journey's end."  That seems to imply that you leave the horrors behind, you build bridges, this is your home now, and that is it.  This is a children's book, the message should be that there is so much more to you and to your life, and you will find welcoming people and be the one welcoming in the future.  I don't like that it seems to carry the weight of finality to a person's story.  People, all of us, are more than just a label.

[Kris Dersch · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is such a shortage of books on this topic for a preschool/primary audience, and this one works great. The illustrations are engaging, the focus is on what inclusion looks like, and the kids are relatable and real. One side tells the story from the perspective of a refugee child, one side from the perspective of an American-born child into whose classroom the refugee child comes, and they meet in the middle most appropriately on a bridge. (My kid especially loved that part.) The stories speak to each other in a second person (you) voice, which confused my kid at first but once he understood that he liked it. I like that kids in BOTH stories represent a variety of races and colors, as both refugees and American kids in real life don't all look the same. The focus of both stories is on empathy and it works great.
There's not a lot of detail here but room left to talk more and a downloadable teachers' guide available. Would be best for about ages 3-7.
A couple of nit picks dinged this from five to four stars: the map that tells where the refugee children are from is only on one side of the book and is not labeled with the names of the kids (they are named on the other side of the book.) Having that little detail of where they are from would give the storytelling a more concrete place to hang. I also wished there was a mention of refugee resettlement camps or something because their story goes right from war torn countries to an American classroom, which isn't realistic and makes their travels feel like anyone else coming off a plane.
I received a free copy of this book from City of Light Publishing for review. My review is voluntary and all opinions are my own.

[MookNana · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVE this book! I absolutely adore that it's told from both the perspective of a new immigrant/refugee and from the members of the community that welcome them. It's such a great way to encourage empathy and help young people imagine different perspectives.

While it doesn't shy away from the trauma of being forced to leave one's home, the story is told in kid-friendly terms and the overall tone is very hopeful and kind. This is a great way to model the behavior we'd like to see from students as they welcome anyone new into the classroom. The story affirms differences as good things that enrich us and make us special.

This would be a wonderful circle time read for pre-K through elementary and should spark some great conversations. It would be an awesome addition to school, classroom, and community libraries.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review!

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

*This book was given to me for a review. This is my honest and unbiased review*


Hello Fellow Readers,

So Children's books are typically hard for me to review, mostly I determine the rating by whether I would read this book to my child, the answer? Yes, I would love to read this to my little Gremlin. With this book you get 2 in 1, both stories are similar but still fun to read. The illustrations are eye catching and definitely colorful enough to keep a child's attention. This book sends a very important message of struggle and acceptance. I like how they don't try to hide the reasons why these children had to flee and go to their new home, of course they do this in a way that makes it easier for children to understand.

Overall, a fun and educational book that parents should read to their kids.

[donna backshall · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was gifted a copy of this book from the publisher, and I was so excited to see something for children that embraced different cultures and immigrant refugees. The message of "welcoming", both from the perspective of the refugee newcomers and then from the American locals, was inspiring and heartwarming.

However, this utopian scenario is not the USA of 2025. Sadly we no longer live these words inscribed at the Statue of Liberty, but I hope one day we will once again:

"Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

[Israa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy. This picture book was longer than I expected, but it was a welcome surprise. I appreciate the diversity of children and refugees shown. The author focused on the positive experiences and feelings immigrants have when coming to a new country. I was happy that the other children in the book were so welcoming, since I know this is often not the case in real schools. The children themselves worry they are different, without anyone else doing something to make them feel that way. I feel like this would be a good book to use when welcoming new students to the classroom and teach empathy, so I will recommend it for our classroom libraries.

[Mateusz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This beautiful two-in-one flip picturebook about the importance of acceptance and empathy can be read with different groups of children (Pre-K-Grade 2). I highly recommend it.

[Andréa]

Note: I received a digital review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.

[Andréa]

Note: I accessed a digital review copy of this book through Edelweiss.