A beautiful, moving and sensitively told picture book about language barriers, communication and a very young child’s immigrant experience.

When Ronnie moves to a new house, in a new country, he’s excited to make friends. But when he introduces himself to everyone at nursery – “My name is four. I am Ronnie years old.” – the other children can’t help but giggle. His words are all mixed up! Ronnie misses home and laughing with his old friends. But new doesn’t stay that way for long... This authorial debut from Bulgarian author-illustrator Vyara Boyadjieva is honest and uplifting, with Ronnie ultimately discovering that kindness, and laughter, are universal.

VYARA BOYADJIEVA

Vyara Boyadjieva is originally from Bulgaria, although she has had five other adoptive countries which have all contributed differently to her development as a visual narrator. In 2020, she graduated from the Children’s Book MA at the Cambridge School of Art, and was awarded “Student Illustrator of the Year Runner-Up” by the V&A Museum. She has been making picture books for a living since then. When not drawing, you could see her in the cinema halls, enjoying a good cappuccino and staring at people in a café, or you wouldn’t see her at all because she would be travelling (again).