From the creator of Gibberish, a friendship story about different ways to think and create. It begins with two boys who together dream of sailing across the wide sea. As they grow and both become boat makers, their differences grow bigger and bigger. One has a wild and fresh imagination, with tons of great ideas; but he has trouble with quality control. The other is meticulous and strives for perfection; but he has trouble finishing even one boat! Only when the two friends reunite can they form a perfect team and reach their hearts' desires.

BEST OF THE YEAR
Kirkus - Parents - Asian/Pacific American Librarians Association - Chicago Public Library - Washington Post - Evanston Public Library - Los Angeles Public Library

Charlotte Huck Recommended Book

Common Sense Media Selection

It's Dat's first day of school in a new country! Dat and his Mah made a long journey to get here, and Dat doesn't know the language. To Dat, everything everybody says -- from the school bus driver to his new classmates -- sounds like gibberish. How is Dat going to make new friends if they can't understand each other?

Luckily there's a friendly girl in Dat's class who knows that there are other ways to communicate, besides just talking. Could she help make sense of the gibberish?

P R A I S E

A superb picture book.
--The Wall Street Journal

Masterly. A tender reflection.
--The New York Times

★ The execution is stellar. A visually and emotionally immersive immigration story.
--Kirkus (starred)

★ Delightful. Beginning readers will love this book as the illustrations say it all.
--School Library Connection (starred)

★ Will give hope to kids dealing with a new country and could inspire others to reach out to struggling immigrant children.
--Booklist (starred)

It's Dat's first day of school in a new country! Dat and his Mah made a long journey to get here, and Dat doesn't know the language. To Dat, everything everybody says -- from the school bus driver to his new classmates -- sounds like gibberish. How is Dat going to make new friends if they can't understand each other? Luckily there's a friendly girl in Dat's class who knows that there are other ways to communicate, besides just talking. Could she help make sense of the gibberish?

Es el primer día de clase de Dat en un nuevo país. Dat y Ma han hecho una larga travesía para llegar aquí, pero Dat no sabe hablar el idioma. Para Dat, todo lo que dicen todas las personas a su alrededor, desde el conductor del autobús escolar hasta sus nuevos compañeros de clase, suena a blablablá. Cómo hará Dat nuevos amigos sin poder hacerse entender? Por suerte, en la clase de Dat, hay una compañera muy amigable que sabe que no siempre hay que hablar para poder comunicarse. Con su ayuda, podrá Dat entender tanto blablablá?