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“A loving and gentle guide for those navigating the strange and unfamiliar.”

– Kirkus Reviews

“Mata’s introspective solo picture book debut centers new-kid-at-school experiences while imagining many possibilities for the word new.”

– Publishers Weekly

“Tenderly guide[s] readers, especially newly immigrated students, through unfamiliar spaces with warmth and hopefulness.”

– Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

New

Written by Niña Mata
Illustrated by Niña Mata
Published by HarperCollins

Niña Mata’s first authored picture book stars a young Filipina on her first day of school as she discovers the true and layered meaning of “new.”

In the big city, everything feels new.

School is new. The people are new. And the glares and stares you get for being different are new.

But new can also mean new beginnings . . .

A child’s-eye view of the common immigrant experience of adjusting to an unfamiliar place…will resonate with any child who embarks on a new adventure.

Primary ISBN: 9780063318250
Publication Date: April 2025
Available As: Hardcover
Picture Book, Age 04 or older

Community Represented: ,

Themes: , , , , , , ,

Setting: United States

Character's Place in the Immigration Journey: Immigrant

Book Creator(s) Connection to the Community Represented: Own Voices/Lived Experience

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