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$14.95$19.95

Hello! A Welcoming Story

(5 customer reviews)

Meet Habiba, Aleksander, Malee, Elisa, and Dinesh. They have left everything they have ever known and arrived in a classroom in a new country. Meet Grace, Jaylyn, Cameron, Miguel, and Yu. They have never lived anywhere else. Hello! is the journey through the challenges that young refugees must navigate to find a sense of belonging in a new place. Flip it over and this two-books-in one also tells this story through the eyes of the students who receive them in the classroom. In this Welcoming Story, all discover the power of embracing differences. Young refugees have traversed the world, escaped violence, and yet still struggle with the sense of identity forged in the way they dress and the foods they eat. The youngsters in this book encourage each other to be their unique and authentic selves. It is powerful for children to imagine themselves on both sides of this shared experience. It will elicit complex and important conversations with students of any age. Share this diverse book with your children and grandchildren, with your students and their teachers, and with your new neighbors. Experience the joy of feeling accepted and remember the power of Hello!

 

Click here to download Educator Guides and Activity Kits!

 

Check out the Hello! A Welcoming Story book trailer!

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Hardcover Softcover
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Meet the Author

" Gina K. Lewis has taught English as a New Language (ENL) for more than a decade. She has worked with hundreds of children from around the world, many of them refugees. The courageous journeys in this book are based on actual experiences shared with her by her students. Their stories and the extraordinary kindness that she has witnessed in the classroom, inspired her. She has a master’s degree in TESOL and lives in Western New York with her husband and their two sons. "

Meet the Illustrator

" Peruvian illustrator and animation filmmaker María José Campos studied Audiovisual Communication in Perú and Classical Animation at the Vancouver Film School. She has illustrated nearly a dozen children's books; her film Little Goddess has been screened at more than 25 festivals worldwide and her animated projects Camaquen and Chicho and Darz have won national awards. Campos currently lives in Denmark while earning an Erasmus Mundus master's degree in Children's Literature, Media and Culture. "

 

The youngsters in this book encourage each other to be their unique and authentic selves. It is powerful for children to imagine themselves on both sides of this shared experience. It will elicit complex and important conversations with students of any age. Share this diverse book with your children and grandchildren, with your students and their teachers, and with your new neighbors. Experience the joy of feeling accepted and remember the power of Hello!

ISBN: 978-1-952536-28-1 (softcover)

ISBN: 978-1-952536-29-8 (hardcover)

Format

Hardcover, Softcover

5 reviews for Hello! A Welcoming Story

  1. Kathryn Willoughby

    Powerful, yet age-appropriate message about acceptance of differences

    The time is right now for teaching about inclusion and finding joy in cultural differences. This vividly illustrated narrative of refugee experiences is written with accessible vocabulary, yet is never condescending. This story is a springboard for opening conversations in the classroom about ethnic awareness and tolerance, providing a model for how students should behave when faced with classmates who are diverse. The tone is warm, welcoming, and provides opportunity for every student to tell their unique story. Every elementary classroom in the country should be reading this book!

  2. Kris Dersch

    Goodreads

  3. Anonymous

    This is an amazing book! Two stories within one, and would make a great addition to an ELL classroom!

  4. Ana Ochoa

    This truly diverse book follows the arrival of five refugee children into a new classroom where they are welcomed by five new classmates. The illustrations and the simple text draw the reader in and allow sensitive topics, such as the violence refugees face in their home countries, to be addressed carefully. The effective use of daily routines, for example clothes and food, is perfect for the intended age group (5-7 years) and helps explore cultural differences and similarities.

    The fact that the reader can flip the book and read the story from either the point of view of the child refugees or from the side of their new classmates is an excellent method to promote a real sense of empathy, understanding and inclusion.

    The book is available as an e-book but the hard copy with the flip effect does make a difference. It is a colourful and engaging story with a real and vital message of acceptance and embracing diversity. Every school and library need it on their shelves.

    https://www.ibby.org.uk/hello-a-welcoming-story/

  5. Children’s Literature

    This story is a wonderful and heartwarming tale about a class of children who open their arms to welcome a new student who is a recent immigrant. Lewis delivers the story from two different perspectives–the newcomer and the students who welcome them–in this flipped book, where readers turn the book over to read the second perspective. Campos’ illustrations are expansive and beautiful, with the pictures taking up the vast majority of the page. The book weaves through the varied stories of many of the immigrants who are shown in the first part of the book. It ends with the new student feeling accepted into the school. A good selection for talking to students about welcoming outsiders into their classroom and community. The representation of the student body is diverse, and the author makes sure to present a variety of countries. Highly recommended for the young elementary classrooms and school libraries, for presenting diverse perspectives to students and supporting social-emotional learning goals.

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