Thank You, Neighbor!: A Publishers Weekly Best Picture Book About Kindness and Community for Kids (Ages 4-8) - Hardcover

Chan, Ruth

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0062909533 ISBN 13: 9780062909534

Publisher: HarperCollins, 2021

Synopsis

Celebrate all the people, places, and things that make our neighborhoods special with Thank You, Neighbor! Selected as a best picture book of the year by Publishers Weekly.

Join our narrator and her dog on their daily walk as they greet the people in their neighborhood—from the mail carrier and bus driver to the sanitation workers and grocery clerks and more.

Whether listening, asking, helping, or just saying hello and thank you—it is our patience and kindness that make a neighborhood feel like home. This charming story gently reminds us to slow down and be grateful for all the people, places, and things around us.

With funny and heartfelt illustrations, this charming book includes an author's note about how Ruth Chan’s own Brooklyn community inspired her to create this special picture book. Perfect for sharing at home or in the classroom.

About this title

About the Author

Ruth Chan spent her childhood tobogganing in Canada, her teens living in and exploring China, a number of years studying art and education, and a decade working with youth and families in underserved communities. She now writes and illustrates in Brooklyn, New York, where she can often be found chatting with her neighbors. Visit www.ohtruth.com for more info.

Reviews

K-Gr 2-In Chan's latest, an Asian child's neighborhood walk with their pup encourages readers to slow down and connect with others. The story begins indoors as the child clips an orange leash on the eager pooch and, on the title page, leaves a low-rise apartment. The true-to-life stroll that follows mixes typical dog behavior (and waste) with short, sweet interactions with neighbors and community helpers. Whether keeping everyone safe, tidying things up, or rescuing a cat from a tree, the neighbors "take care of each other" and are "a big family." That's why, as the child narrator advises, it's important to always say, "Thank you, neighbor!" The walk eventually circles back home, where an adult greets the child with warm, steaming dumplings. The bright, colorful digital cartoon illustrations provide plenty of opportunities for engagement and discovery. Readers can peer through windows or look in backgrounds for small, often comedic, details. The urban setting's denizens are diverse in age and skin tone; a few use canes or wheelchairs. Of the many professions represented, one librarian's subtly tattooed arm is a delightfully stereotype-breaking touch. A visual reference to Matt de la Peña and Christian Robinson's Last Stop on Market Street positions this similarly community-minded story with a strong sense of place as a wonderful companion. An author's note and photo (with real neighbors!) provides personal context about Chan's own walks through Brooklyn with her dog. VERDICT A welcome reminder for readers in all kinds of neighborhoods. Highly recommended.-Alec Chunn, Eugene P.L., ORα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Edition details

• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Publication date: 2021
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0062909533
• ISBN 13: 9780062909534
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Chan Ruth
• Number of pages: 32