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Gib-ber-ish


This story exemplifies characteristics of excellence in narrative fiction. The text and illustrations work together to establish setting, characters, and theme that many students, especially student who move to a new place, can relate to. The way Vo illustrates the characters to look like aliens and the language they speak to look like symbols is a great analogy for what it must look/sound/feel like for students who are from a different place that speak a different language. The problems are believable and are solved in a realistic, culturally grounded way. The "foreign words and people" gradually start to morph into people Dat recognizes and understands. The illustrations clearly expand on the story appropriately, reflecting and extending the text. (Galda,2017) 

Teachers can use this text to: 

  • teach lessons of friendship and acceptance of differences
  • inspire students to reach out to students who may be new
  • Culturally Response Teaching

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Author/Illustrator:  Young Vo

Year Published:  2022

Target Age/ Grade Level: Ages 4-8 / Grades PK - 3

Genre: Contemporary Realistic Fiction

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