Your Name is a Song

Age range 5 to 9

*One of TIME magazine's Best YA and Children’s Books of 2020*

Frustrated by a day full of teachers and classmates mispronouncing her beautiful name, a little girl tells her mother she never wants to come back to school. In response, the girl's mother teaches her about the musicality of African, Asian, Black-American, Latinx, and Middle Eastern names on their lyrical walk home through the city. Empowered by this newfound understanding, the young girl is ready to return the next day to share her knowledge with her class. Your Name is a Song is a celebration to remind all of us about the beauty, history, and magic behind names.

'This lovely celebration of African American culture, featuring a Muslim family, offers a fresh way to look at the tradition of creating new names...A delightful celebration.' — Kirkus Reviews, starred review

'This story simultaneously imparts a strong spark of sensibility and envelops readers in a warm embrace through an overdue, crucial lesson about the significance of honouring every individual's cultural identity, including the respectful care to correctly learn another's name...For all collections, this is a heartwarming tale with a simple yet critical message.' — School Library Journal

'A child's name is one of the most important gifts parents give them, so imagine the heartbreak in hearing your baby lament that neither their teacher nor classmates are willing to devote any effort into learning to properly pronounce it. In this heartrending book, an inspiring mama teaches her daughter to hear the lyrical beauty, fire, and heart in not only her own name but others as well, galvanizing young Kora-Jalimuso to sing out the powerful euphony of her name to everyone at school.' — Entertainment Weekly, 9 self-help books for your kids because they can't yet help themselves