  | Boy who tried to shrink his name Author: Parappukkaran, Sandhya | |
| Price: $22.58 | ||
Summary:
When Zimdalamashkermishkada starts a new school, he decides to shrink his name to the shorter, simpler Zim, but when his new friend Elly sees him for who he truly is, Zimdalamashkermishkada finds the confidence to step proudly into his long name.
| Illustrator: | Pereira, Michelle |
Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews (12/01/22)
School Library Journal (00/02/23)
Booklist (01/01/23)
The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (+) (00/01/23)
Full Text Reviews:
Booklist - 01/01/2023 In a new school year, Zimdalamashkermishkada worries about the length of his name, which “trips [him] up every morning, like long shoelaces that always come undone.” The art literalizes this metaphor as a length of orange cord winding its way around Zimdalamashkermishkada, morphing into forms of worry that arise when he needs to say his name. The school day is heavy with occasions to avoid doing so, but after school, white classmate Elly extends a friendly invitation to the skateboard park, where a gradual mutual exchange unfolds in which Elly demonstrates the skating tricks and Zimdalamashkermishkada teaches her the syllables in his name. The orange cord turns into a bird, soaring around the new friends as the story finds a satisfying crescendo. While the idea of a child’s worry about a name is familiar, this story shines in its gentle insistence that, with time and practice, we can learn new things—and that there’s nothing like a trusty friend. The art and language are lovely, with details to note with repeated readings. - Copyright 2023 Booklist.
