Published by Rise X Penguin Workshop

Summary:  Olu and Greta are cousins who have never met, since Olu lives in Lagos, Nigeria, and Greta is from Milan, Italy.  How would they get together?  It’s too far to walk, skate, or dance, and they don’t know how to fly or operate a spaceship.  It’s possible to take a boat or plane, but that hasn’t happened yet.  So they send each other packages and talk through their computers to share their lives long-distance.  The final illustration shows them as teenagers taking a selfie.  32 pages; ages 3-8.

Pros:  This brief story with striking digital illustrations would make a great introduction to a pen pal project, or to get kids thinking or writing about what they would send to someone they had never met.

Cons:  The postal service may struggle to deliver Greta’s package, which is addressed to “Olu, Nigeria.”

March 2, 2022 at 04:47PM Janet Dawson