I actually want a sequel. I can feel that this book came from the heart of the author. I love the multicultural representation and love the good neighbor concept which I feel is challenging in today’s fast paced, high tech super connected but a very lonely world.

I love the illustrations so much! It is a wordless picture book and it is almost like a great graphic novel. Not much words are written which I can understand is quite important in representing one of the main characters here.

Just get this book and read it with the kids. It will help them in understanding how we can start interacting or communicate with people who are differently abled, in this book a deaf character is being represented. I feel it is being done so well in just a few pages.

More power to the author. And more, more power and support for the illustrator, Isaac Laing. You are shining!

Thank you, Kids Can Press, for the advance reading copy.

Sometimes you can say a lot with few words. This book proves that you can also say a lot with no words at all! The little boy in the book is deaf and uses ASL (American Sign Language) as his primary form of communication. His lack of hearing does not affect his ability to have a wonderful time while out with his mom and making a new friend in his neighbor. The ASL examples in the book provide a wonderful chance to introduce children to ASL and even teach a few signs.

This wordless picture book is about a young Deaf boy who becomes friends with his Arabic immigrant neighbor. The story is very simple, and there are subtle details in the illustrations to show how the boy experiences things through other senses. However, there isn't much of a story at face value. Wordless picture books typically give kids opportunities to imagine and invent different stories based on the pictures, but this is very much a message book, and I think it would be stronger if it had expressed the message in words. As it stands, the wordless element represents the Deaf character's silence, but adults will need to actively guide children to help them understand the story and absorb its messages.

A very sweet picture book. While wordless picture books don't tend to be my favorite, it actually worked very well in this story. Since the boy in the book is deaf, it further highlights the impact of communication. It shows that even between cultures or languages, we can always find a commonalities.

This was a cute wordless picture book following a day in the life of a deaf boy as he goes around town with his mother and meets their new neighbors. I thought this was a great concept, that could have been executed a little better. The diversity of characters was good, though I wish we had learned more about the neighbors other than what language they speak, and clothes they wear. I love the inclusion of the boy’s hearing aids, as well as some ASL translations. However, there could have been more ASL translations, as well as one sign was missing the translation. I also felt like the story was just missing something. Overall, it was a cute book, that many kids of different ages would enjoy. Thank you NetGalley for this ARC.

This was a beautiful book to experience!

Things I loved:
- The concept of a "wordless" story to center the representation of the deaf main character and how he moves through the world
- The diversity in characters represented
- The story
- The illustrations were created by a deaf artist

Things I would have liked to see more of:
- I wish the story could have been developed a bit more between the neighboring families, I feel like there was more story of the boy and his mother moving through their neighborhood than actually interacting with the family next door

4.25⭐
Genre ~children's fiction
Publication date ~ October 3, 2023
Page Count ~ 32

An unnamed boy and his mother are on a journey to town to purchase a gift for the new neighbor. Along the way they're seen waving to people and enjoying nature. It's marketed for ages 3-7 and I think that's perfect for this story.

What I liked:
~ how his hearing aids we visible
~ when they used ASL there was a picture showing the hand gestures as a neat lesson for those that are not familiar with the language, however there were only 3 and I could have went for more. There was one instance where it was used, but not written out and I can only assume she said 'thank you'.
~ how the children found a way to communicate, share and work together to create a picture

My thoughts on the illustrations (none of which affect my review):
Isaac Liang is a deaf illustrator and I thought he did a good job.
~ the similarities with the family's features was clear
~ not groundbreaking, but Mom's cross-body purse is not consistently on one side of her body
~ I thought it was odd that the apartment doors swing out and not in.
~ I liked how the moving boxes were all around the place to give it more of a realistic feel, but it seemed a little too soon for pictures to already be hung on the walls
~ the crayon color in hand did not always match up with what they just drew

What I would have liked to have seen:
~ Mom's eyes were almost always on her son or she was holding his hand when they were out and about, but there were a couple of scenes where this was not the case
~ the family next door is Arabic and I liked how she provided an Arabic/English picture dictionary for him to look through, but there were only pictures and I would have liked there to be at least some scribbling to show how that item is written in Arabic

Overall, a cute little, mostly wordless, picture book. There is a beautiful author's note, which states how this book is dedicated to her late sister, Kim, who was born profoundly deaf. I like how she added a picture of them when they were younger.

Thank you to NetGalley, along with the publisher for the eARC. This book is set up like a graphic novel- but with a max of 3 pictures on a page. This book has diverse characters- love the sign language that is in the book! Because this is a wordless book, young readers can make their own story based off the pictures. A fun diverse read!

I love this wordless book. Young boy (who is deaf) befriends a new neighbor who is Arabic.

The illustration on page 22 is ADORABLE!

Author is Deborah Kerbel and Isaac Liang is a deaf illustrator based in Singapore.

Many thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to review the advance read copy of Next Door in exchange for an honest review. My 4 year old nephew visits in a couple weeks, if I have time to get his thoughts, I'll update my review. Thank you to publisher Kids Can Press for approving my NetGalley advance read request.

Such a beautiful unique story with a very simple meaning. No matter what boundaries stand between people, you can always choose kindness and friendship.

A very inspiring wordless book on friendship and awareness. A series of pictures reflects a deaf boy who befriends a young girl from a different culture. Children do not have barriers. They tend to have barriers when they are made aware of those barriers. A simplistic lesson that tends to get complicated. It makes a great read for parents whose children are starting school to remind everyone to take down those barriers.

A special thank you to Kids Press and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.

Wow. So much said in so few words. A picture is worth a thousand words, indeed.

This book is about a deaf boy moving into a new neighborhood. Without his hearing, his other senses are heightened. Through only visuals, you see the story through his eyes, the details of all the new things around him. Truly fascinating. He and his mom meet the neighbors, who are recent Arabic immigrants, and the little girl only speaks Arabic.

Despite being from different cultures and speaking different languages, the two kids become friends. This is a beautiful story, and shows the power of connection and acceptance, building bridges between people who are different, and welcoming them into our communities. The illustrations are beautiful, and tell the story poignantly without using words. Fantastic book for kids of all ages!

Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this eARC in exchange for my honest review on the book!

What a great book to think about the depths of not being able to hear well.
I found this book to be very engaging and there was so much to look at on each page. You also get the chance to create your own story along with the characters as the explore a new neighborhood.
A beautiful beautiful book.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC.

What a lovely book! I appreciate any book that explores diversity, especially when it's for children. It being a picture book really adds to it as I felt like I was living through the deaf boy.

Thanks NetGalley for a preview of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this beautiful picture book. It provides opportunities for many stories about diversity and acceptance of others. It is beautifully presented. Thanks #NetGalley