THANK YOU, NEIGHBOR!

by Ruth Chan ; illustrated by Ruth Chan ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 28, 2021

Walking through the streets of a low-rise urban community, an Asian kid with a friendly dog greets neighbors and community workers, thanking them for their contributions.

The detailed line-and-color illustrations beg for close inspection and practically tell the simple story by themselves, although there is also a limited amount of text and some dialogue in cartoon bubbles. The kid and the dog, who performs his normal bodily functions along the way, talk to lots of people, both adults and children. As they go through the streets and the library (the dog stuffed into the kid’s backpack) and peek in on the crowded grocery store, the protagonist talks to the sanitation workers, the letter carrier, people cleaning in front of their shops, some firefighters rescuing a cat, and others opening the hydrant for children to cool off in its water. The child hails neighbors and friends, all enjoying an ideal city day. At the end, kid and dog return home to their apartment, proudly showing the library book (appropriately, Last Stop on Market Street, a book about a grandchild and grandmother) they checked out to a smiling older woman, waiting for the child with what appear to be Chinese dumplings. The community’s inhabitants are robustly diverse, including different ages, racial presentations, and abilities. In a note, the author/illustrator writes fondly about her Brooklyn neighborhood. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

This sweet book will encourage storytelling about readers’ own local neighborhoods. (Picture book. 4-6)

Pub Date: Sept. 28, 2021

ISBN: 978-0-06-290953-4

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: June 29, 2021

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2021

Categories: CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES