Written by Susana Gomez Redondo
Illustrated by Sonja Wimmer
Translated from the Spanish by Lawrence Schimel
Published by Blue Dot Kids Press
Mom's Review
Interesting that this was originally published in Spain when it feels like it belongs in the United States. That is a testament to the universality of a good story. And The Day Saida Arrived is a good story. Readers accompany the narrator as she becomes friends with a Moroccan immigrant girl who does not speak her language. The narrator puzzles over why the new girl at her school doesn't speak until her father explains that she does, but it's not the same language as the narrator. The two girls become fast friends once the narrator decides that the language barrier won't stop them and is in fact a great opportunity for each child to share something of themselves with the other. Filled with English, Arabic, and transliterated Arabic, The Day Saida Arrived combines crucial elements of their relationship with fantastical illustrations to allow the reader to imagine himself in the girls' shoes and contemplate the divisions between cultures and - more importantly - the connections. Not preachy, this picture book celebrates friendship and urges us to question the ways we treat new acquaintances.
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