Ways to Welcome

by Linda Ashman (Author) Joey Chou (Illustrator)

Ways to Welcome
Reading Level: K − 1st Grade

Ways to Welcome is a sweet, timely picture book from writer Linda Ashman and illustrator Joey Chou about kindness and connection, ideal for schools and classrooms.

A welcome can be warm

Or cold,

Shy and quiet,

Big and bold.

An offering,

A smiling face,

That lights an unfamiliar place.

There's lots of ways to show we care

and welcome friends from everywhere!

When everyone knows they're welcome, the world is a better place--and you might just make a new friend. This sweet, timeless picture book about small acts of kindness in a big world is one that kids and parents are sure to reach for again and again.

Select format:
Paperback
$9.99

School Library Journal

PreS-Gr 2--This is a sweet, poetic text about being welcome and inclusive. The text lacks a narrative story, instead providing rhymes encompassing the concepts of kindness, beginning visually with a boy starting a new school and ending with a new family being welcomed into a town. The illustrations follow a diverse goup of children who embark on various activities: attending story time, visiting the park, gardening, and arriving at an airport, among other things. The book culminates with a neighborhood picnic and the words, "It sends a message loud and clear. Hello, friend. I'm glad you're here." The brightly colored, full-bleed illustrations have a collage feel and are made with simple, geometric shapes. Unfortunately, the depiction of multiple characters' experiences muddles the story, making it hard to follow. Nevertheless, stories about inclusiveness, kindness, simple hospitality, and positive representations are all in high demand these days, and this attractive title fits the bill. VERDICT Most libraries and preschools will find this a welcome addition.--Amy Lilien-Harper, Wilton Lib., CT

Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes

Ashman and Chou look at some simple ways to say, 'Hello, friend. / I'm glad you're here, ' with acts of kindness and friendly gestures . . . Simple, stylized artwork in bright shades keep the focus on the interactions, and readers will delight in finding the blue butterfly in every scene. A springboard for readers to consider their own ways to welcome. —Kirkus Reviews

Stories about inclusiveness, kindness, simple hospitality, and positive representations are all in high demand these days, and this attractive title fits the bill. Most libraries and preschools will find this a welcome -addition. —School Library Journal

Linda Ashman
Linda Ashman is the author of more than forty picture books, including The Essential Worldwide Monster Guide, illustrated by David Small; Babies on the Go, illustrated by Jane Dyer; and Wonder Dogs, illustrated by Karen Obuhanych. Linda's own Wonder Dogs have been champion shedders, squirrel-chasers, and sock-stealers. She lives in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, with her husband and their dog, Stella. For more, visit LindaAshman.com.

Karen Obuhanych is an illustrator of picture books with a love for wet noses, slobbery kisses, and muddy paws. When not creating artwork, Karen spends her time with her family including Uggi the Pomchi on the Big Island, Hawaii.
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9781250844880
Lexile Measure
450
Guided Reading Level
I
Publisher
Farrar, Straus and Giroux (Byr)
Publication date
June 21, 2022
Series
-
BISAC categories
JUV039060 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Friendship
JUV035000 - Juvenile Fiction | School & Education
JUV039220 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Values & Virtues
JUV057000 - Juvenile Fiction | Stories in Verse (see also Poetry)
JUV074000 - Juvenile Fiction | Diversity & Multicultural
Library of Congress categories
Friendship
Etiquette
Picture books
Stories in rhyme
Salutations

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