Rosa's Song by Helena Ku Rhee, illustrated by Pascal Campion

 

Rosa's Song by Helena Ku Rhee, 

illustrated by Pascal Campion

Random House Studio, 2022, 40 pages

When I grew up, I had friends who lived in apartment buildings so I can say for a fact that sometimes just as you make a new friend, they move. And now, because my young readers are all relatively newly arrived in this country, I see the same thing happen to them when someone must leave abruptly for reasons they can't always understand.  And this is just what this latest book from Helena Ku Rhee (The Turtle Ship, The Paper Kingdom) explores.  

Young Jae has just moved to this country from South Korea and now he will be living in an apartment in the city instead of living in his old village in his old house and playing with his old friends. Looking out the window of his small apartment, all Jae sees is a brick wall, nothing is familiar and he doesn't even speak the same language. As she unpacks and sees her son's unhappiness, Jae's mom suggests he go out to meet the other kids in the building. But naturally, Jae is worried they won't like him.

When he rings the bell of the apartment below his, a girl about Jae's age opens the door with a colorful bird on her shoulder. The girl's name is Rosa and her parrot is named Polito, little chicken. The two head upstairs to Jae's apartment and Rosa studies everything she sees because it's all new and different and interesting. Rosa also knows just how Jae feels in his new home and just what to do. When Jae says there are no mountains where they are, Rosa starts to play, pretending to climb a mountain on the sofa. When Jae says there are no people, no food, Rosa points out all the diverse food vendors and the scents of this delicious food they can see all around them.

As Rosa opens up a whole new world of exploration, imagination and play, Jae settles in and finally begins to feel happy. All summer long the two friends spend time together, having fun and singing a song Rosa has taught Jae: "When I fly away, my heart stays here." And that's just what happens. One morning, out of the blue, Jae wakes up to find Polito at the foot of his bed and Rosa gone. Her family had to leave quickly, forced to return to their country.

Feeling lost and alone again, Jae couldn't even sing Rosa's song, but then there's a knock on the door and two kids, a brother and sister, are standing there. Wanting to know about Polito, Jae teaches them Rosa's song and begins to feel less sad and lonely.

Moving and adjusting to a new place is always difficult, especially for kids. There's the initial loneliness, boredom, and fear that the other kids won't like them, and, of course, homesickness for what is left behind. Rhee manages to capture all of those feelings through Jae, but Rosa's family being deported adds a new twist to the story. Yet, readers see that Rosa, with her buoyant personality, imagination, and kindness has left such a positive impression on Jae and she has taught him everything he needs to know to welcome the two new kids to the building and neighborhood, so young readers know he will be fine. 

I like this book, too, because it not only validates Jae's feelings of loss for what was left behind in South Korea, but also for the loss of Rosa's companionship after her family is deported. Yet, it also offers hope that new friends will be found and that Jae will carry Rosa's positive influence into these future friendships. I think this is a story that will generate lots of conversation about friends, immigration, and why they are sometimes deported.

This is such a touching diverse story, and the cartoon-style illustrations really capture the emotions, both good and sad, of the children and do a great job of depicting the way Jae sees his new world as opposed to Rosa's. 

Thank you, Barbara Fisch of Blue Slip Media for providing me with a review copy of Rosa's Song.

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Here's what Booklist had to say about Rosa's Song:

★ "Striking and raw…. Readers will share the sadness of Jae's loss, but only after seeing Rosa and Jae's joyful playing—a happiness that's distinct to childhood." —Booklist, starred review

Meet the Author:

Helena Ku Rhee grew up in Los Angeles, but has also lived in various parts of the U.S., Asia and Europe. She has a soft spot for small, stout animals and loves to travel far and wide across this beautiful planet, counting among her favorite journeys a camping trip in the Sahara Desert, a swim with elephants in Thailand and a horseback-riding tour of Easter Island. She is also the author of The Paper Kingdom, which was included on many year-end Best Books lists, including NPR, BookPage, Kirkus, Parents Magazine, the Los Angeles Public Library, and Amazon, among others. Helena works at a movie studio by day, and dreams up story ideas in her spare time. She currently lives in Los Angeles. Visit her at helenakrhee.com.

Instagram: @helenakurhee

Twitter: @HelenaRhee

Meet the Illustrator:
Pascal Campion is a prolific French-American illustrator and visual development artist whose clients include: DreamWorks Animation, Paramount Pictures, Disney Feature, Disney Toons, Cartoon Network, Hulu, and PBS. Working in the animation industry for over 15 years, he has steadily posted over 3,000 images of personal work to his "Sketches of the Day" project since 2005. He lives and works in Los Angeles, CA. Follow him on Instagram @pascalcampionart or Twitter @pascalcampion.