Nhia is going to visit her grandparent with her mother and brother. She is very nervous because she doesn’t speak the language. Luckily, her grandmother is speaking more English and Nhia is learning more. It was nice to see the strategies Nhia used to cope with her anxiety. I also liked the glossary and coping tips in the back. I like this graphic novel, but I wish it was longer. I feel like we were just getting to know the characters and it ended.

**reviewed from uncorrected eARC via netgalley** (scheduled for publication Aug 01 2024)

children's middlegrade graphic novel (first in series) featuring 11 y.o. Hmong American Nhia who deals with extreme anxiety about most things--in this story she and her family visit her grandparents on their farm. (Author is Hmong American.)

this was super short and I'd love to see more, perhaps three or even all four books in the series together. It's written for tweens but I can easily imagine younger kids getting into the story, maybe 2nd grade and up. Artwork is appealing and fresh; backmatter includes a brief intro to Hmong culture as well as some tips for dealing with anxiety. Keep up the great work~

I decided to read this one because it reminded me of a friend I had in high school: his grandmother spoke Hmong, and he (only speaking English) often felt they were isolated from one another. I feel that this book gave me a little insight into the experience, but not much. There wasn’t really much to this one: each page was basically a drawn-out sentence from the summary provided, lots of telling instead of showing. It was poorly written for a number of concepts that deserves so much more. I hope the character of Nhia and her world get fleshed out more in the coming installations of the series.

This book would appeal most to students who are around middle elementary and may be a great one for reluctant readers.

My thanks to NetGalley and Capstone for access to a digital copy of this book to review.

My children are obsessed with graphic novels, so I was excited to get a copy of this book that portrays an 11 year-old girl who struggles with anxiety. This is a very quick read– just 25 pages of actual story. The illustrations are wonderful and the font is clear and easy to read. The story is a nice depiction of a situation where a child may experience anxiety. The reader sees that Nhia has emotions and reactions they may identify with– and those feelings are “normal.” My criticism is that while the book ends with a list of “Tips for Dealing with Anxiety,” we don’t really “see” Nhia use those tips to deal with her own anxiety. For instance, in a car ride to her grandparents house, we read that she feels like she’s going to throw up and her heart is going a gazillion beats a minute, but she doesn’t seem to have learned what she can do about it. By the end of the story, she realizes her family is there to support her and love her, but she never really expressed her anxiety to them and there doesn’t seem to be any change in her knowledge, other than “they love me anyway.” As a parent, I’d love to see a story where the character learns and employs ways to deal with his or her anxiety. That’s what I want my kids to know. This is, however, the first in a small series. Perhaps Nhia will add to her knowledge in subsequent stories.
Thank you to NetGalley and Capstone publishing for the advance copy. All opinions are my own.

There's a lot of heart in this short book about the challenges of navigating language barriers with older family members. I would have liked the story to be more fleshed out; it resolved very quickly and missed the opportunity to delve more deeply into moments where the main character works to learn new Hmong words from her grandparents. We see that happen so briefly and it could have been a lovely and much more significant storyline. But the overall concept of the book will feel relatable to any child struggling to connect with family elders who don't speak the language they are growing up speaking. Bonus points for inclusion of some details about cooking and how to prepare pho in the traditional Hmong style.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this eARC for unbiased review. This review will be cross-posted to my social media accounts closer to the book release date.

There is nothing wrong with this short graphic novel (perhaps a graphic novella would be a more appropriate term), but I wasn't blown away either. I truly wished there was more, so I could get to know the characters a bit better rather than seeing them over the course of one day, in just 32 pages. After reading it, I saw there were more installments in this series, and I wonder if I'd enjoyed the story more if all these short stories were combined in one publication. While it would still be episodic, it could perhaps also create more of a bond between the main character and the reader.

A nice, compact graphic novel about Nhia, a girl who doesn't speak the language of her grandparents very well, so when she visits them she is filled with anxiety. In the end I think that's what the book is actually about, anxiety, and how to handle it.

The art impressed me, it's very nice.

"Nhia Normal: Losing it in Translation" is a exploration of identity, culture and the complexities of belonging. We follow Nhia, a young Hmong-American girl navigating the challenges of straddling two worlds: her Hmong upbringing and American society.
As she grapples with the expectations of her family, Nhia embarks on a journey of self discovery and confronting issues of language barriers.

This is perfect for readers who are starting out to read chapter books but want to read graphic novels!

As someone with anxiety, in just the first couple of pages I was already excited to read this. I too am overwhelmed by seemingly small, ordinary things.

I also loved seeing Hmong representation in a book for young readers and the blurb about Hmong Culture at the end was a great addition. I just wish the pronunciation of the Hmong words used in the book were included in the glossary at the end.

The illustrations were fantastic and I really enjoyed the mix of photos as a story telling device mixed in with the regular panels.

Overall I think this is a great series for young readers, especially those with anxiety to see that they are not alone and to see some of the ways that Nhia copes and processes her anxiety.

Thank you Capstone for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Thank you NetGalley for the arc!
This was a sweet short story, but for me it felt a little too short. I still think it´s amazing for younger people. I liked that it explores the topic of anxiety and reconnecting with your culture, and how some small things can get lost in translation, but the important things, the ones that matter, never do, as long as you try.

I can't imagine how hard it must be to speak a different language than your family members. This is a charming book that deals with that subject and the joys of connecting by learning new things.

Beautiful story about family connections despite cultural and language barriers. All whilst perfectly depicting anxiety. Stunning illustrations.

Nhia is quite anxious: she's going visit her grandparents but she can't speak Hmong and she's afraid of not being able to communicate with them. But one step at a time, with a bit of time, smiles, and love, she finds a way to manage her anxiety and see how much her grandparents love her - even if they don't speak the same language.
So lovely and beautiful illustrations!

Absolutely fantastic illustrations - Karen Donnelly has done some really beautiful work - that are compounded with an immensely cute narrative of what it means to be a family. But, urgh, as a side effect of reading this book, it makes me wish I could taste some Hmong food right now.

Sometimes even if family's you might understand what your family members are saying and there can be miscommunications. This is a short story about a girl who goes and visits her grandparents who don't speak very good English. She is very nervous but the trip turns out all good in the end and they have a better understanding before they go home. This is a great book for those who have family members who speak another language. It can be hard when you want to get close to someone but there is a communication barrier.

This was beautiful and educational. I would've liked it to be longer, that's how much I liked the story, characters, the family relationships and the drawing style.
We see the protagonist growing and overcoming hurdles, which is inspirational.

There's so much I loved about this story - the illustrations, the themes, the breezy pace.
It's comfort reading - if you feel anxious about seemingly harmless situations, highly recommend this book. Also touches upon cultural diversity, linguistic ties, the comfort of familiarity and so on.

It's the kind of book you'd also like to re-read many time as it will serve different meanings for you each time. Loved it!

This book is short but fun! I think not being able to connect with grandparents and parents is so relatable to first generation immigrants especially. I do wish we had spent more time with Nhia's grandparents because that arc felt very short and I wish we had seen more interaction between Nhia's parents and her grandparents.

It was a little too short. It wasn’t exactly what I thought it was going to be. I liked the premise, but I wish it had been a little longer and/or more detailed.