Laila knows how clever, kind, and funny her Mama and Baba are--but sometimes they need her help translating things from English. With English classes being too expensive, Laila decides to become her parents' teacher, even though she's just learning the language too. There's lots that Laila knows (like you don't pronounce the t in ballet) but there's so much she doesn't know too. Together, they embrace the joy and struggles of learning a new language.
Xindi Yan left behind a small city in China to realize her dream of being a published artist. She received her BFA in Illustration from New York's Pratt Institute and has since worked as an illustrator for the gaming industry and children's media in addition to illustrating many picture books, including the New York Times bestseller Busy Betty by Reese Witherspoon. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband.