{Guest post by Language Lizard}
Migration, immigration, refugee: these words are familiar to us all. But how does it feel for a child to leave behind family, friends, and everything loved and familiar that comprise the word home? While immigrant children enjoy the many benefits of their new countries, it’s hard to forget the faces of loved ones, and the memories that follow them into their new lives.
The Language Lizard team is very excited to announce the release of a new (and much-needed) book that shares the story of the immigration experience through the eyes of a child. In Happy After All, the young narrator must adapt to her changed circumstances—while feeling the sad pangs of homesickness. Through her father’s encouragement, and her own willingness to enjoy new things, the girl learns that she can find pleasure again, and begins to thrive.
Written by Anneke Forzani, and illustrated by Alex Jarman, this picture book offers hope and empowerment to any child dealing with challenging changes. It encourages readers to empathize with the difficult internal journey that immigrant children face and offers the comfort of a hopeful ending. Vivid illustrations add a high visual impact to the girl’s reflective and bittersweet narration.
Highly recommended for diverse classrooms, this realistic picture book is a wonderful tool for fostering reflection and insight among students.
This title is available in many bilingual editions and includes a free downloadable multicultural lesson plan.
Advanced Praise for Happy After All
“Happy After All is a delightful read. The story of a newcomer missing her home country will help students grow empathy and knowledge of another culture. The words and pictures are authentic and will surely touch the hearts of children experiencing a big move like this or knowing someone who has. We glimpse the beauty and warmth of the character’s original home and still feel the hope for her new beginning. It is a welcome addition to all classrooms that value diversity.”~Mary Karen Engel, 2nd Grade Teacher, Clayton School District
“Happy After All provides a uniquely profound glimpse of how the characters are processing their feelings of longing, angst, and fears when arriving in a new country. This emotional connection can facilitate meaningful classroom conversations about facing life’s challenges. Happy After All also showcases the main character’s native customs and traditions, giving readers an opportunity to acquire new cultural perspectives and insights. I highly recommend Happy After All for all types of classroom settings.”~José J. Riera, Washington State University, College of Education
“This book could be used as a tool to encourage a child that happiness awaits them in their new home. It could also help inspire empathy in children with a classmate who has recently moved from another country.”~Rachel Funez, RachelFunez.com
About Language Lizard
Author Anneke Forzani is the President and Founder of Language Lizard, which provides multicultural resources in over 50 languages to schools, libraries, and literacy organizations. Anneke is also the author of the teaching manual Building Bridges with Bilingual Books and Multicultural Resources, and the children’s books Who Are We? and With Flying Colors: Color Idioms.
Language Lizard, LLC (www.LanguageLizard.com) is a leading supplier of bilingual products in over 50 languages. The company provides award-winning bilingual books and audio resources to schools, libraries, literacy organizations, and bilingual families. Language Lizard offers culturally responsive teaching materials, multilingual posters, and free multicultural lesson plans to support diverse classrooms and homeschooling families.
Happy After All is available at www.LanguageLizard.com
Available in bilingual editions with English and Arabic, Bengali, Chinese, Farsi, French, Haitian Creole, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Somali, Spanish, Turkish, Urdu, and Vietnamese
Read Your World!
