Synopsis
A picture book story about a childhood friendship in which unfamiliar cultures meet. Playful visuals combine illustrations and photographs, and book recognizes the bond between two boys as well as sampling the differences in their lives.
Children's Literature
Young Joseph introduces us to his friend Jamal, who is Somali but was born in the same hospital as Joseph. As he talks about their relationship, he notes the differences between them. He mentions that Jamal, as a Muslim, cannot eat sausages at his house; at the same time, he notes the fact that Jamal cannot drink milk because of his eczema. He discusses Jamal's mother's different cooking as he describes the games they play together. The reasons Jamal's family left Somalia are touched upon, as is the fact that it is too dangerous there for Jamal to go back to visit his grandmother; Joseph, on the other hand, can enjoy his grandmother's visits any time. Joseph's notes on what he has learned about his friend's culture add to the usefulness of this matter-of-fact picture of mutual respect and cross-culture harmony. Frey combines McQuinn's photographs of faces, arms, and some items, like food, with casual paintings of clothing, bodies, buildings, and so forth. Together, they fill the pages, defining the personalities of the two friends while offering sufficient images of places to give a sense of their experiences. Reviewer: Ken Marantz and Sylvia Marantz