Danbi Leads the School Parade by Anna Kim - ESSENTIAL

Danbi Leads the School Parade by Anna Kim. PICTURE BOOK. Viking (Penguin Random House), 2020. $18. 9780451478894

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ESSENTIAL 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH

Danbi is new to school and not only that, she is new to the country. Danbi has to navigate a lot of new situations but she does so with humor and tenacity and ends up making a friend. 

This is the perfect kind of picture book because it is relatable to all readers (doing something new and scary) but it takes that experience and then teaches empathy for another’s experience (being an immigrant). Danbi has so much personality she pops out of the pages and will be memorable for many readers; the illustrator did a beautiful job with her character. I kept thinking as I read this book that it would be an excellent writing prompt for students to describe their first day of the school year. 

Jen Wecker, HS English Teacher