In this wordless graphic-format picture book, a boy discovers a world where everything is different.
Striking cartoon color panels tell the story of a family who leave their homeland and encounter foreign sites and sounds in a new country. In one early frame in the busy airport, the boy halts and spreads out his arms; readers can almost hear him screaming, "No! Stop!" But people and events continue to move onward. He carries a token in his pocket, a round red seed that brings him comfort and unleashes memories of his old home while he adjusts to his new one. His facial expressions and body language convey his moods as he observes activities in his neighborhood, travels underground (a subway map indicates he's in New York City) and sits alone on the steps at school. When the boy accidentally drops his special red seed out the window, he runs out to find it and, in doing so, begins to open up to the world around him. He and a new friend plant the seed together.
In the end, all the challenges he faces give way to positive experiences. On the final two-page spread, we see a peaceful scene, with his smiling face reflected in the water, and the book's only words: "Here I am." The universal themes in the story speak to a wide audience. Creative use of color, cartoon panels and graphic design make this story of adjusting to a new home a knockout. --JoAnn Jonas, children's librarian, freelance book reviewer