A Gift for Sadia

Midwest Book Review

Written and illustrated by Marie Fritz Perry, A Gift For Sadia is the story of Sadia, a young Somalia girl who left her African homeland and came to live in Rochester, Minnesota. Sadia wonders if she can ever learn to speak English. Perhaps the friendship of a wounded Canada goose can help. This beautiful drawn and deftly told picture book story is especially recommended for young readers ages 5 to 9 and would make a welcome and popular addition to school and community library collections.
—Small Press Book Watch, Children's Shelf/May 1, 2005

Kirkus Reviews

Perry draws on experiences working with ESL students for this tale of a sad young Somali immigrant who connects with an injured Canada goose. Lonely, knowing no English, and colder in her snowy new home than she's ever been, Sadia feels isolated at school, but develops a kinship with the grounded bird she sees outside her window. Finally, against her mother's wishes she begins sneaking out to feed it-and later it repays the favor, in a way, by leading a V of other geese past her schoolroom window just as she's trying to remember what letter of the alphabet follows "u." Using wax crayons in somber colors, Perry captures Sadia's low spirits in the pictures, so that though faces and other details are crudely drawn, children may come away from the episode sympathizing with her and happy that, by the end, she's feeling at least a bit more at home. (Picture book. 7-9)