Greetings, Leroy - Hardcover

Sadu, Itah

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1554987601 ISBN 13: 9781554987603

Publisher: Groundwood Books, 2017

Synopsis

The first day at a new school is nerve-wracking enough, never mind when it’s in a new country! In this lively picture book from award-winning storyteller Itah Sadu, Roy realizes he may come to love his new home as much as he loves his old home.

About this title

About the Author

An award-winning author, storyteller and owner of Toronto bookstore A Different Booklist, Itah Sadu shares the rich oral traditions of the Caribbean, Africa and North America with students and teachers. Her previous books include Christopher Changes His Name and Please Clean Up Your Room!, both illustrated by Roy Condy. She has developed several youth programs, including the Walk for Excellence, a partnership with York University and the Jane and Finch community that celebrates graduating high school students. She is also a founding member of the Emancipation Day Underground Freedom Train Ride, MY People Literary Awards, and the Black and Carribean Book Affair.

Alix Delinois is a fine artist and art teacher living in Harlem, New York. He was born in Saint Marc, Haiti, and moved to Harlem as a child. He has illustrated three children's books written by award-winning authors Walter Dean Myers, Edwidge Danticat and Gretchen Woelfle. This is his fourth picture book.

From School Library Journal

Gr 1–4—Roy, a Jamaican immigrant to Canada, emails his friend Leroy to tell him about his first day of school. Roy wakes up hearing Bob Marley and the Wailers, his father's favorite band, and thinks about the meaning behind the lyrics. As he leaves for school, a neighbor calls Bob Marley a great man and gives Roy a Bob Marley pin to wear on his first day. Roy is nervous, but he becomes excited when he sees a poster of Bob Marley in his principal's office and is delighted when he is introduced to his new classmates. "The whole class stood and said, 'Welcome, Roy, one love.' How did they know that 'One Love' is one of my favorite Bob Marley songs?" Roy wonders. He wants to show off his pin but discovers that it is gone. Roy solves the mystery of the missing pin and shares his prized possession with his new classmates, full of happiness and pride that he is Jamaican like Marley. The bold, warm, and expressive illustrations add depth to the text. Roy's voice is culturally authentic, but the email format makes him seem rather formal and flat, and some readers may be initially confused about who is speaking vs. who is shown in the illustrations. The setting, format, and length make the story best suited for sharing with older students, who will enjoy solving the mystery and discussing Roy's experiences. VERDICT A solid additional purchase for large collections and those in need of different types of immigrant stories.—Anna Haase Krueger, Ramsey County Library, MN

About this edition

• Publisher: Groundwood Books
• Publication date: 2017
• ISBN 10: 1554987601
• ISBN 13: 9781554987603
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 32
• Illustrator: Delinois Alix