Add this to your back-to-school lists & pair with Your Name is a Song and other books about names and the importance of pronouncing them correctly. Could also pair with The Many Colors of Harpreet Singh around the Sikh religion and making friends.

What a great book! We read this to our toddler who highly enjoyed the dialogue, the illustrations and the color choices. Would recommend.

A must have for any library and classroom. Saajin loves his name and all it represents, but when his teacher mispronounces it, he is forced to make a decision about whether to correct her. A heartwarming story about identity and reclaiming the self.

This a great book that shows both the importance in asking how to pronounce someone's name and speaking up if your name is not being pronounced correctly. Saajin is a very relatable and well written character. It was a pleasure seeing him learn and grow and gain the confidence to correct his teacher's mispronunciation of his name.

Saajin is so excited to go to school, but when attendance time comes his teacher pronounces his name incorrectly. Saajin is confused, but thinks that if the teacher said it, it must be how it's supposed to be. He goes along, but it doesn't feel right. Luckily, some loving guidance from his parents helps him find his voice and claim his name.

This is a very relatable tale for kids, many of whom may have experienced the same issue as Saajin. Not only does the book address the importance of owning and honoring one's name, but it also makes the great point that adults can make mistakes too. Further, it models easy acceptance and willingness for adults and peers to learn how to pronounce an unfamiliar name. The tone is very positive and reassuring. The illustrations are lively and colorful and support the text well. This would be a great classroom read for pre-K and early elementary and could start some awesome conversations!

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

This picture book tells the story of Saajin (pronounced Sah-jin), a little boy whose first experience at school is also his first experience with his name being mispronounced. Saajin doesn't know what to do when his teacher mispronounces his name, which leads to all other members of the school mimicking the mispronunciation. As a teacher, this story hits very close to home because so many young people come into my classroom and take their cues from me, so the importance of getting a name pronunciation right from the first day is not lost on me.

As the story continues, Saajin begins to come to the conclusion that his name is pronounced differently when he is in public. When he meets a new neighbour and introduces himself with the incorrect pronunciation his parents are surprised and later question him on it. His response is heartbreaking. He explains that Say-jin is just how his name is pronounced outside the house. This shows the thought process that must go through some children's minds as they begin to make sense of this new pronunciation and how unsure children must feel when they want to correct someone but also don't know how.

I absolutely could see this book in my classroom library and plan to purchase a copy to share with my Grade 3s once it is published, but even more than being an important part of my library, I think this book should be in my school library because, in my opinion, it is a must read for teachers of all students. I would recommend this book to teachers, librarians and families of children in the 4-10 age range, as well as any adult or child who wants to learn about the importance of pronouncing names correctly. I highly recommend this book. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read a complimentary advance copy of this book, I look forward to purchasing a hard copy in August 2022.

Saajin Singh is super excited to attend school but is deflated when the teacher incorrectly pronounces his name “Say-Jin.” The other students naturally also call him this and it goes on for some time, making him feel sad every time. Finally, he introduces himself to a new neighbor with this pronunciation within earshot of his parents. Later, his parents help him to understand that adults make mistakes and that his name loses its meaning when it’s not pronounced as it should be. I appreciated their gentle parenting and that they didn’t tell him what to do. Saajin comes to his own conclusion and the next day politely corrects his teacher and also tells everyone that “Sah-jin” means “loving friend” in Punjabi. A few more traditions of Sikhs are explained in the end notes as well as depicted in the illustrations. This picture book for preschool and elementary ages is a lovely way to empower students while also introduce a culture and religion.

This was wonderful! The inclusion of Punjabi culture (with the dinner being roti and daal, the Karaa the family wore, the mom wearing a suit, and Saajin's patkaa) warmed my heart. Even as a grown adult it was so incredible to see Punjabi Sikh rep. It's so nice to know that little Sikh kids will have this book to read and see themselves and their culture in. The message of the story is portrayed in such a concise and light-hearted way that is easily digestible to kids while also stating why its so important that we say our names correctly. I still to this day often mispronounce my name to make it easier for non-Sikh people to say it and am trying to get better at that but again its great to see that the younger generation will have a book to know that they don't have to change their own name for it to be better suited for the tongue of others.

I really enjoyed this children's book. The book is about a young Sikh boy; his teacher mis-pronounces his name on the 1st day of school and the young boy does not know if, or how, he should correct the teacher because "teachers know everything." The boy's family tells him his name has a special meaning and he learns that it is okay to correct people when they say your name wrong.

As a person who constantly has his/her name mis-pronounced, I loved this book. it presents young kids with a strategy for how they can nicely correct people when their names are mis-read or mis-spoken. I also liked learning more about the Sikh identity and customs.

I hope we have more Saajin Singh books!

Correct name pronunciation is important, especially for young children. This book, My Name is Saajin Singh by Kuljinder Kaur Brar, addresses this issue in a straight-forward way. Saajin (pronounced Sah-jin), a young boy, goes to school for the first time where his teacher mispronounces his name. Saajin doesn't correct the teacher thinking that the teacher never makes mistakes and this must be how his name is pronounced outside the home. Of course all the students also call him the mispronounced name, furthering the problem since Saahjin does not like the mispronunciation. It isn't until his parents attend one day and hear the mispronunciation that it all gets worked out. Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC of this book.

This was a lovely book. I grew up with a sister named Kirsten who has spent her life correcting people when they call her Kristin or Keirsten and I saw how frustrating that is.

This book will help kids, parents, teachers, and care givers see the importance of pronouncing names correctly.

I love that Saajin wears his favorite clothes and food to school, I think kids will appreciate the humor. The illustrations were fun, vibrant, and engaging.

A little boy with a wonderful name (in Punjabi) went to school for the first time. When the teacher pronounced his name wrong, he reluctantly accepted it, thinking teachers don't make mistakes.

Saajin (sah-jin) thought he could get used to everyone except family calling him Say-jin. But it didn't feel right. And being a joyous, creative boy, it didn't "sing" to him like his real name.

His parents reminded him what his name means; loving friend, and left the choice up to him. Their support gave him the confidence to tell everyone what was important to him.

Bravo, to the author for not making an innocent mispronunciation into a bigger issue than it needed to be! Everyone has a problem like this at some point. A polite correction is all it takes. (I haven't counted how many times my common name has been said wrong.)

I also appreciate that Saajin's parents let him decide what to do, and didn't step in when he didn't need help.

It is so refreshing and empowering to read books where children are treated as thinking, aware people, who can handle choices confidently--after consideration--and with their parent's guidance.

In addition to the subject, the book is written with humor, the illustrations are cheerful and attractive, and readers will find they are smiling.

5/5 Stars

Thanks to Annick Press, Annick Press Ltd., and NetGalley for the free preview of this ebook pdf; the review is voluntary.

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This was a great book about the importance of pronouncing people’s names right. I think this would be a great resource for teachers to teach them the importance of making sure their students are seen. This would also be good resource for parents to teach their kids the importance of their names and how to appropriately correct the mispronunciation of their names.

Representation: 10
Story: 10
Illustration: 10

I appreciate when books empower children to be proud of their name and not be afraid to correct others. In Canada, there are so many immigrant families that it is important to reinforce that we should try our hardest to pronounce others' names as correctly as possible.

I loved the blurb at the end sharing about Sikhs' naming ceremony. I learned something new from My Name is Saajin Singh.

** Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for the ARC in return for an honest review. **

This colorfully illustrated story about the importance of properly pronouncing names is really well done! It's a great book to share with kids, it's all very relatable to kids & adults, & offers good scenarios, explanations & solutions. I'd easily recommend this to everyone, to every library! It's a real good, positive book!
I received a complimentary e-ARC of this book from Annick Press via NetGalley, after offering to read it & post a fair & honest review.

This is a great picture book that I would recommend for classroom teachers/educators, and anyone who works with youth. The importance of pronouncing students' names correctly, especially our BIPOC students, allows them to be seen, valued, and respected as their authentic self.
The illustrations were perfect.
Thank you Netgalley and Annick Press for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was absolutely adorable and covered SUCH an important topic that so many young people go through. It's also amazing to see Sikh Punjabi representation, something very often lacking in literature of all types/age ranges. Four stars only because there were a couple of times that the sentence flow didn't really go well together and the "wear my favorite drink" and "wear my favorite food" thing kind of threw me off. I did love the mention of the Guru Granth Sahib and the explanation of the naming ceremony where more Sikh kids get their names though. Such interesting information for those who do not know already!

I think this is amazing and I'll definitely be picking it up for my future kiddos.

Thank you to NetGalley and Annick Press Ltd. for an advanced copy. All thoughts and opinions are my very own.

This book clearly showcases a dilemma common to kids and adults alike: how to stand up for yourself. I love how author Claire Alexander embodies a way to stand up for yourself calmly and kindly while ensuring that your boundaries are expected.

It's an important lesson that the Ploofers manage to convey, encouraging all ages and types of readers. My personal feedback would be that it can be difficult to tell which character is speaking, which could serve to confuse some younger readers.

Thanks to Netgalley and Annick Press for a free digital copy.

A wonderful book about a young Sikh boy named Saajin (Sah-jin) and his first experience at school. His teacher pronounces his name wrong and he doesn't realize he can correct her, but then all his new friends say his name wrong and it doesn't feel right to him. I love this book for children who have names who might be difficult to pronounce, but I also love this book for kids to learn how important it is to work to pronounce the names of your friends correctly.

This is a book that should absolutely be in every classroom and every library. Many children can relate to this book. Being the new kid, having their name mispronounced, having a hard time making new friends.
This is a beautiful book looking into settling into a new place.
The illustrations are bright and vibrant too.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!