I Do Not Like Yolanda

by Zoey Abbott (Author)

Reading Level: 2nd − 3rd Grade
Bianca likes stamps and writing letters and going to the post office. . . she does not like Yolanda, who works there. A relatable story about facing your fears and giving people a second chance for fans of Miss Nelson Is Missing and My Teacher is a Monster. When Bianca gets stuck in Yolanda's line at the post office, she expects the worst: scowls, claws, teeth . . . This is what she gets for having a five-letter day. She might not survive . . . Or will Yolanda surprise her? This hilarious story explores fear and kindness, in that order, when Bianca decides to overcome her terror and ask Yolanda very nicely how her weekend was... and learns that Yolanda is not scary, she's a delight! A truly lovely book about questioning your assumptions and reaching out to another person, no matter how scary they might be.
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School Library Journal

Starred Review

Gr 1-2--Bianca, a young girl with pale skin and curly black hair worn back in a ponytail, writes letters, lots of them, to far-flung family and friends. She loves everything about this correspondence: the creative demands, the stamps, the walk to the post office. The only thing she doesn't like about her hobby is Yolanda, the post office clerk. In the past, Bianca had unfortunate experiences on Yolanda's line and now gets so worked up in her imaginings that she projects a monstrous Yolanda, one who eats her patrons. But on the day this story takes place, a "five-letter day," Bianca vows not to let it be ruined. She gathers her lucky charms, performs special rituals, and prepares. But it's not luck that turns Bianca's post office experience around--it's her ability to transcend her fears and take the first step in developing a friendship with Yolanda, by asking, "How was your weekend?" Yolanda reveals her true appetites: friendly conversation, a good book, and the meal she made from its descriptions. Based on an anecdote from the author's youth, this very funny story is a lovely little lesson on moving beyond things or people who scare us, and self-realization in tiny moments. Abbott's sketchy ink, gouache, and colored pencil drawings manifest Bianca's interior life through the details of her exterior life, full of little wonders that hold the reader's attention from page to page. VERDICT A book that will inspire readers to find their own pen pals, a good book, and a new friend, this is a perfect book for SEL curricula or for a new lesson on friendship. --Lisa Lehmuller, Paul Cuffee Maritime Charter Sch., Providence

Copyright 2021 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes

"A book that will inspire readers to find their own pen pals, a good book, and a new friend." —STARRED REVIEW, School Library Journal

Young readers will get caught up in the illustrations, and the idiosyncratic friendship may grow on them. This offbeat, intergenerational story celebrates connection. —Kirkus Reviews

"I Do Not Like Yolanda is stamped with quirky details within recognizable experiences. It's a true original." —Imaginary Elevators
Zoey Abbott
ZOEY ABBOTT is a graduate in Women's Studies and History from Smith College. She spent four years living and painting in Japan. Zoey is the author and illustrator of I Do Not Like Yolanda and she currently lives in Portland, Oregon, with her husband, kids and two dogs: Carrots and Maple. Zoey has nothing against bananas. She likes them, actually! They also happen to be one of the only fruits that do not make her throat and ears itch.

Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9780735266513
Lexile Measure
630
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Tundra Books (NY)
Publication date
March 16, 2021
Series
-
BISAC categories
JUV039050 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Emotions & Feelings
JUV039140 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Self-Esteem & Self-Reliance
JUV039270 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Strangers
Library of Congress categories
Picture books
Fear
Letter writing

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