Kirjahaku

A moving picture book from a debut author about the first day of school, layered with themes about the immigrant experience and the universal experience of feeling out of place.A child, newly arrived in another country, feels displaced, lonely, and a little scared on her first day of school. Her name doesn't sound the way she's used to hearing it. She knows she doesn't fit in. And when she eats her whole tomato for lunch, she can feel her classmates observing her--and not quite understanding her. But sometimes all it takes is one friend, one connection, to bring two worlds together, and gradually the girl, her tomato, and her full name, start to feel at home with her new friends and community. This emotionally sweeping debut picture book by Costantia Manoli, with vibrant art by Magdalena Mora, artfully captures feelings of displacement and the joy that comes from forging new friendships.

On the sunny island of Cyprus, a tall and lonely fig tree stands. Her fruit ripens, yet no one comes to share it. Years of fear and division have split the island in two, leaving her in the middle, alone. She remembers the conflict that tore her people apart, but she also remembers the warm days before, when laughter and friendship knew no boundaries. Yet, with changing seasons comes renewed hope, and the old tree dreams of a future where sharing summer’s first figs might mend those broken bonds. In this heartwarming picture book by Costantia Manoli, brought to life with Leah Giles’s vibrant illustrations, the shadows of the past give way to a bright future where children put aside fear and distrust to discover that even the deepest rifts can be bridged by the simple act of sharing.