- About
- Details
There's no language barrier if chocolate milk is on the menu!
A new kid comes to school—and can't speak English—in this heartwarming picture book on how the simplest act—even the chocolate milk of human kindness—can break down barriers and make kids feel welcome.
This empowering picture book shows how being different is delicious and that kindness and empathy are truly universal languages in action-packed illustrations.
This book is the perfect complement to other books in your home or school library that focus on ESL, diversity and empathy, like the work of Bobbi Kates (We’re Different, We’re the Same - Sesame Street) and Shannon Olsen (Our Class is a Family).
Maria Dismondy is a sought-after author, publisher, and public speaker. Although fictional, Chocolate Milk, Por Favor is based on a true story from Maria’s own life.
Published Reviews
In Torgan-Randall’s picture book, a duck-obsessed girl makes a friend at summer camp after she learns how to listen to others.
Margaret, depicted as a white-skinned, brown-haired girl (rather in the Charlie Brown mold), prefers to be called Ducky. She is obsessed with ducks, and, while attending camp, she works duck facts into every conversation and activity, often talking over her peers (and even the counselor). No one else is much interested, and one boy in particular—red-haired Marvin[4]—loses patience with Margaret’s garrulous duck fixation. “YOU ARE NOT A DUCK! YOU ARE MARGARET!” he tells her. Margaret is momentarily saddened, but she cheers up for the learn-to-swim activity. There, she lends her duck-shaped float-aid to Marvin. Her duck knowledge proves useful, and, more importantly, she learns about Marvin’s own obsession: rocks. Now that their interaction is less one-sided, Margaret and Marvin become friends. Torgan-Randall narrates Margaret’s tale in straightforward, non-rhyming prose, arranging pictures and text so that dialogue appears in natural blank spaces near the speaker. The present-tense constructions and faux-handwritten font lend a sense of immediacy. Torgan-Randall’s illustrations, which are hand-drawn and then digitally refined, evoke the open, ingenuous existence of young children. The campers are ethnically diverse, and all of the characters display distinct personalities (even Bill, the duck float-aid). A pre-story checklist of questions encourages readers to think about listening, communication, and friendship.
A fun, quirky little story about thriving individuality and social integration.