The Someone New
By Regan McMahon,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Critters accept a snail looking for a new home in warm tale.
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What's the Story?
Jitterbug the chipmunk senses there's something new in her woodland world and then sees a backpack-wearing snail approaching. The snail is named Pudding, and he explains that his garden was flooded by a big storm, so he's wondering if he can make a new, safe home in the forest with Jitterbug and her friends the river otters, a goose, and a butterfly. Jitterbug says no -- she wants everything to stay the same. But then the butterfly says, "Did you know that I was New once? I used to be a caterpillar!" The goose says, "I was also New once. I used to live in a beautiful lake. Then people started to fill it with garbage until it wasn't safe for me anymore. That's when I came here." Jitterbug goes back to Pudding and says, "I was wrong! Please, please come live with us!" And he stays, and they all become good friends. "Pretty soon it felt like Pudding had been there Forever."
Is It Any Good?
This cute, warm animal story works as both a friendship tale and a kid-friendly mirror of the immigration debate. It shows why someone might come to make a home in a new place (because he no longer felt safe in his old home) and how folks can be scared of someone who's different coming into their community. That may sound heavy-handed, but author Jill Twiss has a light touch in the storytelling. And EG Keller's watercolor-and-ink illustrations sweep the reader along, with adorable woodland creatures loaded with personality. Even if a reader misses the allusion to immigration, it's a powerful, engaging tale of empathy and kindness.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how The Someone New shows what it might feel like to lose your old home and have to look for a new one. Do you know anyone who came from another place to live in your community?
How hard is it to make friends when you're new to a place? Have you seen new kids at your school have a rough time fitting in? What could you do to help them feel accepted?
Why are we sometimes afraid of someone who's different from us? In what ways are kids alike, even if they look different or speak a different language? What games could you play with a kid from a different country?
Book Details
- Author: Jill Twiss
- Illustrator: EG Keller
- Genre: Picture Book
- Topics: Friendship , Wild Animals
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Harper
- Publication date: June 7, 2019
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 4 - 8
- Number of pages: 32
- Available on: Hardback
- Last updated: June 11, 2019
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