Words to Make a Friend: A Story in Japanese and English

Spare, dialogue-only text by Napoli allows Stoop’s detailed textural vignettes, done in mixed media on plywood and finished digitally, to take center stage in this simple yet heartwarming picture book, showcasing two children bridging the language barrier on a snowy day. As a Japanese child in a Fair Isle sweater unpacks boxes in a new bedroom, they see a brown-skinned child in a light fuchsia puffer coat running out into the falling snow outside. After the first child dons snow gear as well, an enchanting spread surveys the duo from above as they approach each other over a layered white expanse of snow. Color-coded speech bubbles distinguish Japanese words, including “Konnichiwa,” “Gojira,” and various onomatopoeia, from their English counterparts as the duo builds a snow creature—and a friendship—in this sweet bilingual tale. Ages 4–8. (Nov.)