Firstly, I would like to thank Netgalley for providing me with an e-arc of the book. This review is based on my personal opinion and enjoyment of the book.

To be continued.

Language is such a wonderful tool to get to know someone and create a lasting bond and friendship, and this book definitely did not disappoint. The illustrations are also very bright and colorful and I thoroughly enjoyed them.

This book is beautiful in every way. The text is inclusive, respectful of other cultures and languages, and presents learning another person's language and culture as a reciprocal thing, because friendship goes both ways. The story of the girls and how their friendship grows each day as they learn more about each other will melt your heart; the translation from the original Spanish is wonderfully done, keeping the poetry of the original text. As lovely as the story is, the artwork shines even brighter, with absolutely stunning illustrations filled with color, emotion, and dreamy settings. I could pour over the art for hours! English/Arabic words are shown throughout, with the Arabic words given both in transliterated examples and in Arabic text, and both the Arabic alphabet and Latin alphabet shown in the back of the book.

#TheDaySaidaArrived #NetGalley

The perfect example of a picture book meant for older kids, since the writing to an extent but especially the illustrations are simply too representative for most small children to understand. With a message about empathy, especially directed at the traumatized and specifically for refugees, the use case is a bit narrow. And with highly stylized illustrations it's not one you're going to pick up randomly, While it's a bit niche, it serves it's purpose exceptionally well.

The Day Saida Arrived is a beautiful book about friendship, acceptance, and immigration. The book is written by Susana Gomez Redondo and illustrated by Sonja Winner. The book tells the tale of friendship between a girl who speaks only English and a Moroccan girl who can speak only Arabic. The girl teaches Saida English and in return, she learns Arabic. ⠀
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It is also a story about how friendship has the power to heal and bring joy. Saida has a tough time living in a new country which has a different language and customs but her friend helps her accept the new place. ⠀
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I loved the below quote from the book:⠀
And we knew that in all languages, there are words as warm as breath and others as cold as metal.⠀
Words that bring together, and words that separate.⠀
Words that cause hurt; words that awaken laughter.⠀
Words that tickle when they are spoken, and others that, when we hear them, feel like a hug.⠀
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The Day Saida Arrived is a good book to teach young kids about the power of words and also learn a few Arabic words and alphabets.⠀

The message is important, the words fresh and meaningful.
But oh my word, this artwork. It is absolutely stunning. Nearly every page could be framed.

The Day Saida Arrived by Susana Gómez Redondo tells the story of two girls from two different cultures and how they become friends. There is a language barrier between them...one speaks English and the other speaks Arabic...but they find their own way to communicate. A terrific story that would be great for students in upper elementary.

Lyrical and descriptive, two girls, one who is an immigrant, develop a friendship based on kindness even though they don’t speak the same language. “With a finger, I drew a welcome for her, warm and soft, like long scarves and fluffy pillows.” When Saida arrived, the friends teach each other new words and build a friendship.

Loved the illustrations so much, loved the ideas of the story. It was beautiful.
The format was off, so the pages were mixed up. Putting the story together was challenging, flipping between screens to get continuity. But a lovely story. I can't wait to see the print version.

This is a great story about kindness and being welcoming to those different from you. I really enjoyed the intricate illustrations and the use of Arabic words in the pictures.

This is a beautifully written picture book. The text is more advanced compared to most picture books, but it just adds to the reader’s delight and makes one pause to let the words sink in. The stunning illustrations are a perfect match for the text. The story follows two girls from different backgrounds as they fall into a relationship and learn each other’s language. I read the book via NetGalley, courtesy of the publisher.

As a member of the Notable Books for a Global Society Selection Committee, I am unable to give feedback at this point as the book is under consideration for the list.

I was very disappointed in this book. Told from the perspective of an English-speaking (this version was translated from Spanish, so in the original, I assume she spoke Spanish), white girl, this books approaches not knowing the local language as a deficit. "It seemed to me that she had lost all her words" so the unnamed protagonist goes on an exaggerated search for the words, as if they were tangible, while Saida is visually depicted as crying and falling apart (empty drawers coming from her head and words fluttering away from her hair). At the end, they are portrayed as equals of a sort, but it feels like white saviorism to me.

This review is based on digitial review copy provided by NetGalley. The review is cross-posted to Goodreads and Instagram.

The Day Saida Arrived is a beautifully and simply written and illustrated story of friendship. Due out 15th Sept 2020 from Blue Dots Kids Press, it's 32 pages and will be available in hardcover format.

This is a wonderfully written and illustrated story of two young girls who don't have a common language to express themselves but don't let that stand in the way of their friendship. They each learn words of all shapes and sizes in each others' languages (Arabic and English). The book is illustrated bilingually with both English and Arabic letters for the things the girls see and experience.

I liked that the author actually writes about some of the differences in the sounds in each of the languages and how the girls find it funny and challenging when their tongues get into tangles trying to roll their 'r's and, and how Saida's 'e's sound like 'i's sometimes.

This is a beautiful book about breaking down barriers and celebrating cultural differences. The ethereal art incorporates lettering in both English and Arabic in context to illustrate how learning another language encompasses more than just learning a glossary.

I really enjoyed this book. It would make a superlative selection for classroom or library, as well as a beautiful gift for a young person.

Five stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes

Friendship and Appreciation

This is a sweet story of two young girls who become friends despite their language and cultural barriers. The English-speaking girl is drawn to Saida right away when she is a new classmate, and wanting to help her sadness, tries to find her words for her. But she can't seem to find them anywhere. She soon learns this is because Saida speaks another language, Arabic. But this doesn't stop the friendship, and soon they are each teaching each other their language. The book is beautifully illustrated and has an almost dreamlike quality. This works well, especially when the text becomes a little more fanciful. The only problem with the illustrations is when they actually show the different words in both English and Arabic (with Arabic pronunciation as well). Sometimes these were hard to read, with not enough contrast between the background and the words. Other times, fonts were hard to read. I thought, too, that the cursive fonts may be lost on some of today's schoolchildren as not all are taught cursive anymore. Despite these issues, I thought this was a lovely book with a beautiful message about friendship, curiosity, and being open to others who are different from ourselves.

Stunning, really. The Day Saida Arrived describes two girls and their growing friendship, enriched by their differences in culture and language. Arabic words are intertwined with whimsical illustrations, sentences are well-structured, and overall, the book is a gorgeous celebration of diversity. I’m delighted to see this released so soon!

Love love love this story. It is beautiful! The exploration of language is thrilling. The art is stunning. A lovely lyrical readaloud that needs to be shared with everyone.

I requested and received this book from Susana Gómez Redondo and Myrick Marketing & Media, LLC through NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was a beautiful book about two girls that overcome language barriers to form a lifelong friendship. Throughout the book you are provided the Arabic and English words that the girls are trying to teach each other. I love it when a book includes other cultures and languages so that we can all learn a little bit more about each other.

This charming Spanish import unveils the power of language in a beautiful way. Two young girls dismantle their language barriers by learning each other's language thus creating a bond between the two that will never be broken.

Saida immigrates from Morocco and is isolated from others because she cannot understand or speak their language. One little girl takes it upon herself to step forward and to find the words that will make Saida feel accepted and warmly welcome in her new environment. The girls have fun learning how to verbally communicate to each other and all about their different cultures.

The lyrical text explodes with words from both English and Arabic that weave in and out throughout the story as the pages are turned. The back matter of the picture book includes a chart of both an Arabic and an English alphabet. This book is a celebration of languages, learning, discovery and cementing a lovely forever relationship. The vivid, whimsical illustrations are stunning. They portray strong emotions and delightful imagination. They enshroud the tale in a magical aura that young readers will love. I highly recommend this book.

Gorgeous! Susana Gómez Redondo’s writing is lyrical, a little whimsical and playful - and yet is deeply affective, appropriate to the subject. And the illustrations are fabulous! And “Well done!” to translator Lawrence Schimel. Wow.

I will be on the lookout for more work by both the author and the illustrator, Sonja Wimmer, whether as a pair or on separate projects. And for other titles from this publisher if this book is an indication of the quality that Blue Dot Publications produces.