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“What’s great in this book in the new My Friend series is that the friendship celebrates not only connections but also rich diversity.”
—Booklist

My Friend Jamal

Written by Anna McQuinn
Illustrated by Ben Frey
Published by Annick Press

Different cultures. Fast friends. Jamal and Joseph were born in the same hospital in the same month. Now they’re best friends. The two like to play at each other’s homes. Joseph’s mom knows Jamal can’t eat pork sausages because he’s Muslim. She knows, too, that he can’t have ice cream because of his eczema. Some things that happen at Jamal’s house are a lot different from Joseph’s: the food his mother prepares, the way they sit to eat, and the special clothes they sometimes wear. Jamal and Joseph like to play superheroes and cheer their favorite basketball stars. They even say they’re going to sign with the same team when they grow up. A poignant story about a childhood friendship where unfamiliar cultures meet, My Friend Jamal lets readers sample the differences and recognize the powerful bond that draws two boys together. The visuals, which combine photography and original art, are wonderfully playful and imaginative.

Primary ISBN: 9781554511235
Available As: Hardcover, Paperback
Publication Status: Out of Print
Picture Book, Age 05 or older

Community Represented:

Themes: , , , ,

Setting: Unspecified (Western country)

Character’s New Arrival/New American Status: 1st Generation

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Answers to questions children may have
Source: Alanna Books

Book Guide
Source: I’m Your Neighbor Portland

 

This book is part of the Welcoming Library. The Welcoming Library is a traveling collection of picture books set in our New Arrival and 
New American communities. From small towns to big cities, these immigration stories are helping readers 
(of all ages) Welcome and Belong. WelcomingLibrary.org