The jacket cover suggests a story highlighting culture and is immediately striking with its high gloss, debossed title and objects inviting close inspection. Young Lupe knows she looks different to the other kids at school. The others are always asking questions. She knows she was born in a kingdom in the South Pacific (Tonga), the first place on earth to see the sunrise each day. Perplexed, she talks with her very empathetic mum who offers comforting answers such as, ‘Our differences make us who we are. And you are many wonderful things—a big sister, a friend’ and the list goes on. Lupe responds in many different ways such as, ‘I love to help others!’ The exchange reveals Lupe’s growing pride in herself.
Exploring Lupe’s special qualities ensures this book offers a satisfying discussion with a group, as well as being a story for a child who may feel different. Mum concludes, ‘We are all different and no one is the same’ while Daddy adds, ‘And there is no one else in the world like you.’ Full of pride, Lupe beams on the last page, ‘I’ll tell them that I am Lupe!’
This is a story with a reassuring and warm message, handled with gentle love and pride in individual differences. The illustrations are full of character and expressive. The straightforward text explores these in a supportive way that will be reach children’s minds and hearts. Sela Ahosivi-Atiola is a Tongan Australian writer, early childhood educator and mother, based in Sydney. She is also a member of the Western Sydney-based literacy movement, Sweatshop, which empowers diverse writers to create and share their stories.
Teachers Resources are available from the Hachette Publisher’s website. These include a range of resources to explore the Tongan culture and explore links to the Australian curriculum.
NCACL Cultural Diversity Database
