Word Trouble

A beautiful, moving, and sensitively told picture book about language barriers, communication, and a young child's immigrant experience is "My Name Is Four." Ronnie is excited to make friends when he moves to a new house, but the other children giggle when he introduces himself. He misses home and laughs with his old friends, but new doesn't stay that way for long.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 40 pages
Publication date: 04 January 2024
Publisher: Walker Books Ltd

A Beautiful, Moving, and Sensitively Told Picture Book About Language Barriers, Communication, and a Very Young Child's Immigrant Experience.



When Ronnie moves to a new house, in a new country, he is excited to make friends. But when he introduces himself to everyone at nursery, "My name is four. I am Ronnie years old," the other children can't help but giggle. His words are all mixed up! Ronnie misses home and laughing with his old friends. But new doesn't stay that way for long...

This authorial debut from Bulgarian author-illustrator Vyara Boyadjieva is honest and uplifting, with Ronnie ultimately discovering that kindness and laughter are universal.

Ronnie is a young child who moves to a new country with his family. He is excited to start nursery and make new friends, but when he introduces himself, the other children giggle. They can't understand his mixed-up words. Ronnie misses his home and his old friends, but he soon realizes that new places can be fun too.

At nursery, Ronnie meets a girl named Sofia. She is kind and patient with him, and she helps him to learn the language. Ronnie and Sofia become best friends, and they spend a lot of time playing together. They learn about each other's cultures and traditions, and Ronnie discovers that there are many things that they have in common.

One day, Sofia's family goes on a trip, and Ronnie is sad to see her go. But Sofia promises to write to him and send pictures. Ronnie waits impatiently for her letters, and he treasures each one that he receives. Sofia's letters help Ronnie to learn more about the language and the culture of her country.

As time goes by, Ronnie becomes more confident in his language skills. He starts to make more friends at nursery, and he even starts to teach some of the other children some of the words that he has learned. Ronnie's teacher is impressed with his progress, and she tells him that he is a natural language learner.

One day, Ronnie's family decides to go back to their home country. Ronnie is sad to leave, but he knows that he will always remember his time in the new country. He thanks Sofia for being his friend and for helping him to learn the language.

As Ronnie grows up, he remembers the lessons that he learned from his experience as an immigrant child. He realizes that language barriers can be difficult to overcome, but with kindness and patience, anything is possible. Ronnie becomes a champion for diversity and inclusion, and he works to promote understanding and acceptance among people from different cultures.

In the end, Ronnie's story is a testament to the power of friendship, kindness, and perseverance. It is a beautiful, moving, and sensitively told picture book about language barriers, communication, and a very young child's immigrant experience.

Weight: 198g
Dimension: 220 x 271 x 6 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781529516562