Danny Ramadan has created a wonderful series for children that follows a character who has moved across the world from Damascus, Syria, to live in Vancouver, BC, Canada. It imagines the life of a new immigrant in light of how difficult it can be to adjust to a new city, new language and new culture.

I had not read the previous 4 books before reading this one, but it was a joy to read the fifth. A young reader does not need to have read the first four books to understand the story or what is going on. The language is simple, ideally suited for 8- or 9-year-olds to understand what is going on. The illustrations beautifully capture the essence of the scenes.

I really liked how the story focused on the root of a person's identity, their language, and how important it is. For a child who has learned English as a second language, it can be difficult to navigate the complexities of switching between two languages. This story visualizes it so clearly: the struggle of Salma as she learns to continue speaking her native tongue, Arabic, while immersed in English on a day-to-day basis.

My parents were immigrants to Canada back in the 80s, and they mostly spoke English with my sister and me when we were young. They were assimilating into the city and adjusting to belonging. They had jobs that required them to speak English. Yet we didn't focus on our own mother tongue, Urdu, until my maternal grandmother came from Pakistan to live with us. She did not know how to speak English. So we were forced to learn and speak Urdu. We were sent to weekend language classes to learn to read, write and speak Urdu. We were immersed in watching dramas and Bollywood movies to learn the language and speak it. Growing up, I think knowing our language has helped us communicate with the elderly who may still struggle to learn English. And I can see this in Tita's behaviour and the way she speaks about connecting with her ancestors through her language.

On a side note, this series includes a gay couple. He is Salma's uncle. While I appreciate the intention of inclusive representation, some families may prefer to be aware of this element in advance. Particularly those wanting materials that align closely with their own religious perspectives. This may be something for Muslim families to consider when deciding if the book is the right fit for their children.

Other than that, I think many children will connect with the story and with Salma. They will enjoy this book, and perhaps it will inspire them to learn or continue to practice their own mother tongue if they are bilingual.

Salma Keeps her Word was an uplifting book that made my day! I would love for Salma to befriend my grandchildren- her honesty is refreshing.

In this chapter book, Syrian émigré Salma is turning 10 on June 11, and she has such a good time celebrating at the new Syrian restaurant. Salma lives with her Baba, Mama and baby sister Nora in British Columbia, speaking mostly English. But it’s at the restaurant that Salma begins questioning her assimilation.

Salma knew her Arabic has diminished, but at the restaurant Salma realizes just how poor her command of the language now is. “Maybe her brain isn’t big enough for two languages? Maybe every new word she learns in English pushes out an old Arabic one?” she asks herself.

When Salma’s paternal grandmother Tita Nadia flies over from Damascus to spend the summer with the family, Salma and her demanding Tita get to where it’s difficult for them to even spend time together. But although Salma’s Egyptian-Canadian friend Ayman and her Iranian immigrant friend Granny Donya do help, I give the credit to Salma herself, whose creativity and big heart are what really save the day.

As the daughter of immigrants, I loved this book so much. Unlike Salma, I lived in Miami, so I didn’t replace Spanish with English as completely as Salma has done with Arabic, but I did have to study to get my Spanish to an acceptable level once I was an adult. And I appreciated that aspect of Salma Keeps Her Word. But what I loved the most was how, despite being 10, Salma proved herself more of an adult her than dogmatic grandmother, who, in her insistence on Arabic, was in danger of making her granddaughter hate the language. Five نجمات (Najmāt, or stars).

In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley and Annick Press in exchange for an honest review.