The Word for Friend; by Aidan Cassie (review)

When Kemala the pangolin moves to a new home, she’s excited about all the new things she encounters and all the new friends she’s sure she’ll meet at school. She’s thrown, though, to find out that she doesn’t understand the language her new classmates and teacher speak, leaving usually voluble little Kemala shy and silent. Fortunately, a kind anteater reaches out and Kemala begins to make a friend via a shared artistic pursuit as the two make puppets together and use them to tell stories. The impact of the sudden change for Kemala, accustomed to chattering on nonstop, is respectfully portrayed; the book uses Esperanto for the new country’s language, putting audiences in the same position as Kemala in being an outsider but also allowing listeners, especially those with some background in Romance languages, to puzzle out the speech balloon dialogue. Cleanly composed line and watercolor illustrations make the most of the appealing animal cast, and little Kemala, with her tendency to roll into a ball under stress, is an amusing but sympathetic child proxy. Libraries where Williams’ My Name Is Sangoel (BCCB 10/09) sees good use will welcome this new take on the experience of being a cultural transplant. Closing pages include information about Esperanto as well as a glossary, and some details about pangolins.