We don't get much books based on this concept for young readers.
Hello! A Welcoming Story , not only tells about the happy side of the immigrants but also the terrifying side as well. It's heartbreaking and sensitive to read, but that's the truth. I believe that this book will teach young children to understand that each child is different( -they dress different, look different , practice their culture different, etc). and that we have to learn to accept the difference, and make them feel like home.
Excellent concept. I believe that this book is a must -have in our bookshelves!

⭐️Arc from Netgalley-

Screening: images of bombs/violence/scary creatures

This book is made of two books: one in the view of refugee kids and one in the view of those welcoming them. I liked the uniqueness of this book, although I would need a hardcover to see how it fully looks.

The refugee side tells the story of a few refugee kids, among whom is Habiba, a little black Muslim girl in hijab. I liked that the refugees were varied and had no specific color or religion.

The story shows how the refugees were once happy, before bad guys came and their home turned violent. They had to flee for their lives and arrive in their new home. Their new home appears to be a western city, and although it appears different, the refugees have hope. But at school, the words are different, the kids clothes are different than theirs, and lunch was different food.

But when the refugee kids change their food, clothes, and in the case of the little girl, takes of her hijab, the other kids speak up and tell them they don’t have to change. And hijab is specifically pointed out as a positive dress, which I appreciated!

The kids play and dance together, and build bridges in their new home.

For the other side, the kids that are not refugees are open and welcoming. They mention that they like the differences of the refugee kids, and they touch on Islamaphobia and how its wrong. They welcome the new kids and mention that they can learn from them too. And the stories merge together to be a positive story.

I did appreciate this book’s intention is to teach kids to accept refugees, which is much needed. I liked that the book mentioned that it is a positive thing when refugees make their home in a new country and that they have a lot to offer the communities.

The positive representation of hijab, as well as the caring mother in niqab, is a wonderful thing to see in books and it was beautifully illustrated for young kids and easily explained.❤️

I do think its weird the hijabi girl says no one looked like her, since hijab is not exclusive to eastern cultures, but I understand that some areas might not have any muslims.

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, refugee or otherwise..

There is a lack of books that discuss refugee children. I love how this topic is brought up in this book. The book mentions the diffuculties refugee children go through when they leave their homes and move to a new country. The trauma is discussed in child friendly terms. I love how the refugees are welcomed by their classmates and peers and how accepting they are of their culture and traditions which is not always the case in real life. Good book to introduce inclusion in the classroom.

Regarding the illustrations, I did not find the illustrations attractive.

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.

This book is a good intro for young kids about refugees and their stories. It's written by an English teacher who has worked with many refugees, but is not writing from personal experience. There is a disconnect between the story (which sounds like the perspective of one child) and the illustrations (which show many children going through similar things) - that might make this book a bit confusing for younger readers,

The story is told from the perspective of the refugee kids and from the perspective of the kids from the country the refugees move to (presumed Canada or the US). This is a cute idea, but the perspective of the North American kids doesn't add much to the story.

A pretty good entry in an important genre.

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!