Kamila And her Somali Cat Paperback – August 20, 2014

A colleague purchased this for her elementary school's reading program, which includes many children who are Somali immigrants and refugees. This story started off well -- Kamila makes friends in her new school, bonds with her teacher, and convinces her father to adopt a cat (a Somali cat, too!). But the family is turned away from the shelter because Kamila's father has a history of animal abuse. Kamila's father has a change of heart where he realizes his errors, and the family is eventually allowed to adopt the cat.I appreciate the message of change and growth, and don't turn down books because they have real-life content -- kids witness and process so much more than we often give them credit for. However, there are so few children's books with Somali protagonists that I want the ones I do share with young children to present these characters in positive, meaningful ways. I won't be adding this title to my public library's collection.

Good book ... More than what I expected in artwork of the comic ... Nice read for children.