I Do Not Like Yolanda

by Zoey Abbott

Overview

Bianca likes stamps and writing letters and going to the post office. . . she does not like Yolanda, who works there. A relatable story about facing your fears and giving people a second chance for fans of Miss Nelson Is Missing and My Teacher is a Monster.

When Bianca gets stuck in Yolanda's line at the post office, she expects the worst: scowls, claws, teeth . . .

This is what she gets for having a five-letter day.

She might not survive . . .

Or will Yolanda surprise her?

This hilarious story explores fear and kindness, in that order, when Bianca decides to overcome her terror and ask Yolanda very nicely how her weekend was... and learns that Yolanda is not scary, she's a delight! A truly lovely book about questioning your assumptions and reaching out to another person, no matter how scary they might be.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780735266513
Publisher:	Tundra
Publication date:	03/16/2021
Pages:	44
Product dimensions:	8.50(w) x 11.00(h) x 0.60(d)
Lexile:	AD630L (what's this?)
Age Range:	3 - 7 Years

About the Author

ZOEY ABBOTT is a graduate in Women's Studies and History from Smith College. She spent four years living and painting in Japan. She currently lives in Portland, Oregon, with her husband, kids and a large dog named Carrots.

Editorial Reviews

A book that will inspire readers to find their own pen pals, a good book, and a new friend.” —STARRED REVIEW, School Library Journal

"Young readers will get caught up in the illustrations, and the idiosyncratic friendship may grow on them. This offbeat, intergenerational story celebrates connection." —Kirkus Reviews

“I Do Not Like Yolanda is stamped with quirky details within recognizable experiences. It’s a true original.” —Imaginary Elevators

From the Publisher

★ 04/01/2021

Gr 1–2—Bianca, a young girl with pale skin and curly black hair worn back in a ponytail, writes letters, lots of them, to far-flung family and friends. She loves everything about this correspondence: the creative demands, the stamps, the walk to the post office. The only thing she doesn't like about her hobby is Yolanda, the post office clerk. In the past, Bianca had unfortunate experiences on Yolanda's line and now gets so worked up in her imaginings that she projects a monstrous Yolanda, one who eats her patrons. But on the day this story takes place, a "five-letter day," Bianca vows not to let it be ruined. She gathers her lucky charms, performs special rituals, and prepares. But it's not luck that turns Bianca's post office experience around—it's her ability to transcend her fears and take the first step in developing a friendship with Yolanda, by asking, "How was your weekend?" Yolanda reveals her true appetites: friendly conversation, a good book, and the meal she made from its descriptions. Based on an anecdote from the author's youth, this very funny story is a lovely little lesson on moving beyond things or people who scare us, and self-realization in tiny moments. Abbott's sketchy ink, gouache, and colored pencil drawings manifest Bianca's interior life through the details of her exterior life, full of little wonders that hold the reader's attention from page to page. VERDICT A book that will inspire readers to find their own pen pals, a good book, and a new friend, this is a perfect book for SEL curricula or for a new lesson on friendship. —Lisa Lehmuller, Paul Cuffee Maritime Charter Sch., Providence

School Library Journal

2021-01-13
Bianca loves to write letters.

The young letter-writer carefully crafts illustrated missives for a Sri Lankan pen pal, a friend in Uganda, a Maine uncle, and two grandmas. But much as this kid likes writing letters, they don’t like postal worker Yolanda. Bianca fears her “scaly talons” (long, manicured red nails) and says: “I think she’d like to eat me up one day. She has probably eaten up dozens of people by now.” One day, Bianca has five letters to mail and walks (alone) to the post office through a bustling San Francisco neighborhood, gathering as much luck as possible along the way. But when Bianca gets to the counter, Yolanda has a surprise in store with the unlikely announcement that she “just served one of the most delightful meals that anyone has ever prepared.” The postal worker proceeds to tell Bianca about the special meal, based on that first detailed in Isak Dinesen’s short story “Babette’s Feast.” Yolanda is now transformed in Bianca’s imagination. The delightful, soft line-and-color illustrations show a diverse contemporary California community; Bianca and Yolanda themselves both have pale skin and dark hair. Bianca’s engaging letters are also pictured. Even though “Babette’s Feast” has little if any natural resonance with the audience, the way Bianca’s dislike turns into curiosity is thought-provoking. Young readers will get caught up in the illustrations, and the idiosyncratic friendship may grow on them. (This book was reviewed digitally with 11-by-17-inch double-page spreads viewed at 33.7% of actual size.)

This offbeat, intergenerational story celebrates connection. (Picture book. 6-8)

Kirkus Reviews