"Without knowing
gibberish there was
no place to sit,
no place to stand,
and no one to play with.
So Dat walked."
One dictionary entry for gibberish is "unintelligible or meaningless speech or writing, nonsense." Those words are perfectly suited to what Dat hears on his first day at school in a new country. It took a boat, a plane, and a school bus to get Dat there. Before he boards the bus, Mah explains that everything people say to him will sound 'like gibberish'. Mah is right!
The bus driver is friendly, as is his new teacher. Dat understands not one word they are saying. Everyone is his class knows what is happening; Dat has no idea. Of course, he feels isolated and alone. He is willing to talk to others; they are not interested in what he has to say.
As he walks away from the playground, he is surprised to see something fall from a tree - not something, somebody. Dat says hello. The girl has no idea what he is saying. She doesn't mind at all. The two find comfort in riding the seesaw and skipping. When lunch break is over, Dat is back to trying to make sense of classroom rituals. Nothing works.
On the bus ride home, he is alone again, until his new friend lands on the seat beside him. She is an expert at helping a newcomer feel at ease, drawing pictures and labelling them for Dat. All it takes to make Dat smile big is knowing her name is Julie, and that she knows his name, too. Enough said!
A simple, yet powerful, tale to help young readers begin to understand what coming to a new country must be like. Young Vo's artwork adds clear context for the emotions that have Dat struggling to understand everything. It gets so much better with the help of a caring and empathetic new friend. Seeing Julie change from cartoon character to a living, breathing girl is the icing on the cake.
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