When Angie and her father move to Canada, neither of them speak much English. Her dad gets a job where not much talking is needed, while Angie picks up English in school. She is pleased to help her father when he does not know the necessary English words, even making signs that he needs at work. But when she offers to help neighborhood businesses, one of her signs causes trouble. Dad offers to help, but what can he do when he doesn't speak English well?
The illustrations show father and daughter in a swirl of new sounds as they arrive at the airport in Canada, as well as portraying the situations in which Angie helps out. She translates for her father when deliverymen come to the door, when they eat out, and when they shop. Chinese characters are used on some pages to show what her father says and to give readers a sense of how different English and Cantonese are. Angie points out the ups and downs of serving as her father's interpreter. She gets to order dessert when they eat out, but she also has to watch and make sure he doesn't buy pet shampoo by mistake!
Back matter explains a bit more about the languages used in the book. Readers may be surprised to learn that there are many dialects of Chinese such as Mandarin, Cantonese, and Hakka. They are all written using the same Chinese characters, but may sound very different from each other. The role reversal between Angie and her father is a situation that often occurs in families that move to a new country and speak a different language, which makes this a story with wide appeal.
A story with a loving father/daughter team, a humorous problem and solution, and plenty of room for discussion. Not due out until October; I read an advance copy provided by the publisher for review purposes.
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