Sandhya Parappukkaran (text), Michelle Pereira (illustrator), The Boy who Tried to Shrink His Name, Bright Light, Hardie Grant Children’s Publishing, 2021, 32 pp., RRP $24.99, (hbk), ISBN 9781760509361
Starting at a new school can be daunting enough but when you have a long name that you are sure no one else has ever heard and will not be able to pronounce you try and think of all the ways you can to make it as simple as possible, to fit in. But it’s difficult when your name represents so much about you, the culture you came from and its history to squash it down to a manageable size. This is Zimdalamashkermishkada’s dilemma until he meets Elly. Every day they skate together after school, and he learns how practising something over and over can make what was once difficult easy. Elly sometimes joins him and his mum for a traditional dish of soft ada and sticky coconut and learns about his culture and their cuisine. Eventually, the long shoelaces that seemed always to be tripping him up have become less of a problem and Zimdalamashkermishkada is able to do a full circle, like he has learned to do on the skateboard, and face his fears about difference.
Beautifully supported by Michelle Pereira’s retro style illustrations in oranges, greens and browns, this deceptively simple tale about identity, belonging and acceptance, encourages the reader to reflect on the rich diversity of our multicultural nation and the challenges faced by immigrants and refugees.
Pereira’s use of visual metaphor to give a sense of place and culture also cleverly captures the protagonist’s inner struggles, both supporting and strengthening the narrative.
A terrific addition to home or school library.
Highly recommended 6+ The Boy who tried to shrink his name was Notabled in the 2022 Picture Book of the Year Awards and shortlisted for the New Illustrator’s Award.
Reviewed by Mem Capp
