The Interpreter, written by Olivia Abtahi and illustrated by Monica Arnaldo. Koklia, Penguin Random House. 2025. $24.99 ages 6 and up

"Cecilia had been working overtime. 

She was so tired. 

Her friends wanted her to play outside
with them, but there was so much

left to do."

It's been ten days since we met Laila and learned her story of helping her Chinese parents navigate life in a new country. Today, I want you to meet Cecilia. She is center of attention on the title page, sitting at a desk while pouring coffee, chewing on toast, and having a serious look at a piece of paper in her other hand. A family photo holds pride of place on her desk. 

Readers quickly learn that Cecilia has two jobs that keep her busy at every turn ... she is the interpreter for her Spanish-speaking family with the doctor about their sick baby, at the DMV, at the bank and when the car needs an oil change. Her older brother helped at one time, but he is away at college and is no longer always available. 

Her other job is being a soccer-playing elementary school student. Too often, one job is confused with the other. There is even a Persian connection between child interpreters for their respective parents. It all feels like too much, and Cecilia is having difficulty coping. When a teacher asks how she is doing at parent-teacher conferences, Cecilia lets it all out. Showing her parents just how hard she has been working results in needed change. Getting some help from her aunt and her brother makes all the difference, allowing Cecilia to do both jobs.

Cecilia's story encourages readers to look with empathy at how helping immigrant parents can often be overwhelming for their children. She loves that she can help, but also wants to be a kid. Kids who are navigating similar circumstances will appreciate seeing themselves in the pages of this book. In watercolor and pencil-crayon artwork, Ms. Arnaldo invites readers to have a clear and lightly humorous look at Cecilia's days. Using orange word bubbles for Spanish, blue for English, and pink for Farsi in one encounter with another immigrant family is helpful for full understanding. The tense double-page outburst clears the air, and leads to the changes needed. Cecilia's double life is cleverly shown in the attire worn as she navigates her roles, and the resulting confusion at times. Front and back endpapers are wonderful, as is the book's cover beneath the dust jacket.