Library Intern Book Reviews
Publisher
Levine Querido
City
Montclair, New Jersey, United States of America
Date of Publication
2022
ISBN
9781646141104
Date of Review
2023
Disciplines
Library and Information Science | Modern Literature | Reading and Language
Keywords
Children's literature, reviews, library, language
Recommended Citation
Chandler, Alexis, "Review of Gibberish by Young Vo" (2023). Library Intern Book Reviews. 403.
https://digitalcommons.cedarville.edu/intern_book_reviews/403
Files
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Included in
Library and Information Science Commons, Modern Literature Commons, Reading and Language Commons
Review
Dat has sailed on a boat and flown on a plane but finds going to school more daunting. Dat and his Mah have moved countries, and Dat doesn’t know the language—everything he hears sounds like gibberish. Dat struggles to understand and connect with his new world until a friendly little girl comes to his aid, teaching him that there are other ways to communicate and how to make sense of the gibberish. Suddenly, Dat feels more at home in his new environment. With beautiful contrasting illustrations, readers can visually follow Dat’s journey. The book begins with Dat and his Mah in color and the rest of the world in black and white. While Dat and Mah look normal, everyone else looks strange, like they are out of a Mickey Mouse cartoon. As Dat comes to understand more about his new world, the illustrations shift to match Dat and his mother, creating a vibrant, colorful picture. Themes of empathy, verbal and nonverbal communication, and friendship combine well to create a unified and engaging story. Additionally, it has a good message for kids, encouraging them to seek out those different from them and just be a good friend. It would fit well in any public or school library. Recommended. Alexis Chandler, Centennial Library Intern.