Hello Goodbye Little Island

by Leila Boukarim, Barbara Moxham (Illustrator)

Maja had just moved to the little island and she missed home terribly. When she finds a friend, things get better, but when her friend moves away, her world crumbles once more. With time, Maja discovers that distances do not matter; the friendships she finds will stay with her always, and goodbyes are not forever.

Hello, Goodbye Little Island is about learning to form new and meaningful relationships. A “look-and-find” activity on every page will also engage readers as they discover more about the little island.

Genres: Picture Books

40 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 2017

About the author

Leila Boukarim was born in Lebanon, grew up in several countries, and now resides in
Berlin. She has published a number of children’s books internationally, and her North American debuts are forthcoming, including Lost Words and Mariam Dreams: The Story of Mariam Al-Shaar, Soufra, and a Food Truck of Hope (Chronicle Books); the Zips and Eeloo graphic novel series (Andrews McMeel); Summer Sunday (Groundwood Books) and Rima and the Painter (Macmillan).

Leila’s stories are often influenced by her Middle Eastern upbringing, her observations as a citizen of the world, and the playfulness that arises from raising two young boys. In addition to writing and editing, Leila also spends her time reading, (proudly) hoarding books, embroidering, cooking, and trying to impress her cat.

You can visit her at www.leilaboukarim.com.

Reviews

[Arunima Chatterjee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is special in so many levels. When my daughter's best friend moved to another country we read this book together. It gave me a beautiful platform to have a discussion about friendships, time, feelings and everything that came with the move.
Later we gave out copies of this book to all her friends who moved away. The story is relatable to Singaporean context and the back matter ties up so well.
The style of illustrations is very unique with photomontages of relatable places in Singapore. My daughter feels she can personalise this book by adding her photos with her friends. I thought that was a great idea. It becomes a farewell keepsake!

[Evelyn Bookless · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautifully illustrated book with lovely messages about friendship. Really helpful for children learning to deal with the transitions of moving and having to make new friends. The little girl in the story eventually forms some lovely friendships. I like how this shows children ways to do this even when it seems hard. My son loved finding the Singapore icons that are hidden throughout the book too. A lot to discover within this beautiful little gem.

[Viviane Elbee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story showing what it's like to move to a different country. Friendships can make it easier to adjust to all the changes. There are hidden Singaporean icons to find on each page, which is fun for kids. The art is an interesting mix of photos, dominant colors and black & white illustrations of people.
It's also a good book to discuss Singapore and different cultures thanks to the detailed back-matter.

[Nurul · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this story where the main character, Maja, moved to a little island and was overwhelmed with the many differences from back home. Along the journey of discovering this new place, she also made friends who helped her to be more at home.

[Kate Talbot · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely introduction to Singapore and a sweet story about friendship. This is a fabulous book for any child having to move country and make new friends.

[Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very special book, especially for those with a connection to Singapore or any child who's moved or had friends move. The combination of illustrations and photos are so effective and bring the setting to life. Wonderful details of this "little island" home and a message of constant friendship and kindness in the midst of change.