All summer I’ll be sharing books for kids of all ages on topics that will interest them or offer them a new topic to learn about. Most of the time these will be nonfiction books, but sometimes we can learn how to be better people or learn empathy from fictional stories too.
So, I hope you will stay tuned to these posts. They will always have Summer Read-to-Learn in the title and in the tags. It’s so important to prevent that summer slide with our kids, so I hope you can use these books to keep them reading and learning all summer long. See all the posts, HERE.
ROSA’S SONG
By: Helena Ku Rhee
Illustrated by: Pascal Campion
Published: June 14, 2022
Publisher: Random House Studio
Fiction
Author Helena Ku Rhee draws on her own childhood experiences to write ROSA’S SONG, the sweetest story of friendship, heartbreak, and hope.
Rosa lives in an apartment and one day, a knock on her door reveals a boy her age, new to the building. Jae and Rosa quickly become friends along with Rosa’s parrot, Pollito. They both miss their original homes and long for the food, the landscape, and the community of friends and family. But, their friendship leads to a wonderful summer of imagination and exploring their community.
Unfortunately, Jae wakes one morning to find Rosa has gone and her family’s apartment empty. As Jae mourns the loss of Rosa he hears a knock at the door. Could there be a new friendship waiting outside the door?
This story of friendship, immigration, and a memorable summer will melt the heart of kids. It will also encourage kids to reach out and be a friend with someone new in their neighborhood or school. Jae’s knock on Rosa’s door allowed him to continue the chain of kindness when he received a knock on his door. How can we build a chain of kindness in our world?
Enjoy this short video from the author about her inspiration for writing this story:
Helena Ku Rhee is a writer based in Los Angeles. She specializes in children’s literature but has also written for publications such as the Los Angeles Times, New York Times, and Salon. She has a soft spot for small, stout animals like bulldogs, wombats, and warthogs. She loves to travel across this beautiful planet, counting among her favorite journeys a camping trip in the Sahara, a swim with elephants in Thailand, and a horseback-riding tour of Easter Island. Helena works at a movie studio by day and dreams up story ideas in her spare time. Visit her at her website, HERE.
Pascal Campion is a prolific French-American illustrator and visual development artist whose clients include: DreamWorks Animation, Paramount Pictures, Disney Feature, Disney Toons, Cartoon Network, Hulu, and PBS. Working in the animation industry for over 15 years, he has steadily posted over 3,000 images of personal work to his “Sketches of the Day” project since 2005. He lives and works in Los Angeles, CA.
To purchase a copy of ROSA’S SONG, click the photo below:
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Thanks to the publisher for sending a copy of this book for the purpose of this review. This review is my honest opinion. If you choose to make a purchase through the above links, I may receive a small commission without you having to pay a cent more for your purchase.
Posted Under Book Review, Children's books, fiction, Friendship, Helena Ku Rhee, immigration, Pascal Campion, Summer Read-to-Learn