Frustrated by a day full of teachers and classmates mispronouncing her beautiful name, a little girl tells her mother she never wants to come back to school. In response, the girl's mother teaches her about the musicality of African, Asian, Black-American, Latinx, and Middle Eastern names on their lyrical walk home through the city. Empowered by this newfound understanding, the young girl is ready to return the next day to share her knowledge with her class.
This poignant picture book honestly captures a child's hurt over the mispronunciation of her name, while also providing an empowering introduction to the many, beautiful names from all over the world! Even simple names like "Bob" and "Miss Anderson" can be a song, it points out, and we all feel included when we learn to speak names correctly. Your Name is a Song is a celebration to remind all of us about the beauty, history, and magic behind names.
"This lovely celebration of African American culture, featuring a Muslim family, offers a fresh way to look at the tradition of creating new names; Momma says, 'Made-up names come from dreamers. Their real names were stolen long ago so they dream up new ones. They make a way out of no way, make names out of no names — pull them from the sky!' A glossary notes the origins and meanings of the names included in the text, with a note to always listen closely to how a person pronounces their name." — Publishers Weekly
Recommended Age | 4 - 8 |
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Author | Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow |
Illustrator | Luisa Uribe |
ISBN | 1943147728 |
Publication Date | Jul 7, 2020 |
Publisher | The Innovation Press |
Language | English |