The first day of school can be frightening for any child, but when Sumi enters the noisy classroom full of children saying things that she doesn’t understand, she decides that maybe school is a lonely, mean, and scary place as well. Her mother manages to teach her two things in English: how to understand when someone asks for your name and how to answer them. The young Korean girl can follow the children’s example and sees the kind smiles that her teacher gives her, but still feels alone until another girl crouches beside her to draw in the sand at recess. The pictures give Sumi the courage to give her name when the girl asks for it and with the hope of a new friend, Sumi returns with confidence to the classroom. Warm smudges of color layer together to provide simple illustrations for this sweet tale of a difficult and common experience no matter the ethnicity. (Picture book. 3-7)
