The Interpreter

K-Gr 3–This appealing picture book thoughtfully portrays the translation duties often taken on by children in immigrant families. With her older brother off at college, elementary school student Cecilia is her Spanish-speaking family’s main interpreter for English-language interactions. She engages in all kinds of adult-level scenarios, from the doctor’s office to the DMV, and she’s proud of the way she can help. Even so, her family’s reliance on her language skills begins to weigh heavily, and she longs to just be a regular kid playing soccer. After an understandable outburst, her family reshuffles priorities and recruits more support from the older brother and an aunt. This title presents a balanced look at a situation that will feel familiar to many families and offers a positive model for resolution. Though this family’s dilemma is a little too easily resolved, the happy ending demonstrates caring and teamwork in an appropriate way for the book’s young audience. Gently rounded watercolor illustrations add nuance to the text, portraying Cecilia in an oversized suit and tie when she’s on the job as her family’s interpreter. The suit grows bulky and ill-fitting as her stress increases and shrinks to fit comfortably once other family members pitch in to help. Dialogue is cleverly differentiated in speech bubbles: yellow for Spanish, blue for English, and pink for the occasional Farsi.