Homesick...

Hassan is newly arrived in America and he misses his home in Somalia very much. Back there, the colors were brighter—the sky was bluer and the sun seemed more yellow. Since he and his family left Africa, everywhere Hassan looks, he sees mostly the color gray.

To make matters worse Hassan has learned just a few words of English, and his first day at school is very different from back home . . . and lonely. But when his teacher sets out the art supplies, Hassan discovers a way to communicate. First he paints his house, his family, and all their animals; then he paints a picture of his uncle who was killed by soldiers. Realizing that Hassan has a story to tell, his teacher invites an interpreter to the classroom so that he can share the story of his past. Soon, with the help of his parents and his teacher, Hassan finds himself adjusting to his new home, and even noticing the many new and different colors that surround him.

Beautiful impressionistic watercolors complement this sensitively told story about a Muslim boy and his family who have left behind a war-torn country in order to find a new place to call home.

From the dust jacket of the American Edition