The day Saida arrived, I knew I would always be her friend.
Acceptance of others, no matter where they are from rings out from this beautifully illustrated and told story.
Told from the viewpoint of a little girl, she tells the reader of the day her now friend Saida arrived in a new country. She tells us about how Saida felt in the new land which had different customs and words.
We watch how this friendship grows through actions and drawings and how the two girls help each other along as Saida learns to speak English and the little narrator – Arabic.
The little narrator learns that the Saida’s world is very different to her own and sometimes people need to leave what they love – but can learn to love what they now have, especially when they have good friends and support.
The day Saida Arrived is a magical story of friendship and hope. It is a story to show readers of all ages that with a little bit of empathy and support we can help those who are new to our country to feel comfortable and loved.
Readers will also learn how to read and say different words in Arabic and see that no matter what language we speak, we can always find common ground.
The day Saida Arrived is a must read story to delve deeper into issues of refugees and new migrants. It is also a great way to step into the world of other languages and how they can look and sound completely different to what we are used to. Children will see that by helping those around us who are new to our country can not only help them – but help us too.
Highly recommended!
