One Green Apple

Farah, a young Muslim girl, begins her story on her second day in a new school in a new country. She listens and nods but doesn't speak. So many things are strange to her, including the cloths and language. Her class is going on a field trip to an apple orchard where they will each pick an apple to be made into cider. When she puts a green apple into the cider press instead of a ripe red, one as her classmates have done, they symbolically protest. But the cider from all the apples they have mixed together is a beautiful metaphor for the benefits of intermingling different people. Farah begins to make friends. She even learns a new word "App-ell." Her simple story helps us understand the feelings of one of the many immigrant children striving to make their way on our American world. Tee Lewin's gorgeous full-page watercolors depict the apple picking adventure. This is a great picture book for early primary and ESL classrooms.

I wish I could give this book more than 5 stars. The story is simple yet so poignant, and the illustrations are magnificent. We are preparing to adopt children from another country, and we found this book to be extremely helpful in showing our existing children (ages 4.5 and 6.5) what it would be like to suddenly find yourself in a country where you look different, dress differently, and don't speak the language. This is an amazing book because it really makes the children feel for the girl, to put themselves "in her shoes" and show them why tolerance and warmth and friendliness to others are so important. It is a great book for starting a discussion. I felt like my 6.5 year old really "got it" but even my 4.5 year old was able to understand the basics and to have a bit of a conversation about it. I think that generally it would be good for ages 5-10. We got this from the library, but we may just have to buy it and add it to our bookshelf. Love it.

I wholeheartedly recommend this book to any caretaker or teacher who wishes to introduce their young person to multicultural themes. This book is especially worthy because of the Caldecott-winning illustrator. It authentically portrays what a Muslim's experience might be like as a newcomer to this country, which is not always too pretty. However, the book ends on a very positive note. "One Green Apple" is simply worth it.

Eve Bunting has done it again. This is a perfect book with a simple, exquisite story that does not preach or lecture, but reveals the heart of what it is like to be an immigrant child, with out English, on the first day of school in the U.S. That the protaganist is a Muslim child adds to its impact, and that it ends with warmth and hope is its power. Bravo!!

Eve Bunting portrays a warm look at the plight of one immigrant girl transitioning to an American classroom for the very first time. I read this book with second graders yesterday (who have a brand new student from Norway in their midst) and I think all of them felt compassion for their friend's situation. The illustrations are amazing and Ted Lewin has used his wife Betsy to portray the role of the teacher. This is truly a book that should not be missed.