From Kirkus: "An insightful tale that digs deep into names—an inherent part of identity—and the emotions attached to them."

Written to reflect her South Indian heritage, this book contains an important lesson for all readers. This is a story about a boy who is embarrassed because of the length of his name. When he makes a new friend, he realizes that she has skateboarding skills she can teach him. In the same way, he decides to teach her his full name. Over time, they learn from each other and learn that they don't need to change who they are for other people. Sometimes it just takes time and practice. This book is well-written and could be used with any age in elementary school. The writing has excellent examples of imagery as the boy describes what he wants to do with his name. The illustrations are captivating and the colors on each page match the mood of the main character as he struggles with trying to appreciate and share his name.

Other cultures; other names ( )

Zimdalamashkermishkada tries to use a nickname at his new school, but he can't quite manage it. While his friend Elly teaches him skateboard tricks, he teaches her to pronounce his full name, and she declares it to their other friends and classmates.

Predominant colors are warm salmon pink and deep and light teal.

See also: That's Not My Name by Anoosha Syed ( )

Zimdalamashkermishkada worries about introducing himself to people at his new school because of his long name. He takes on "Zim" for short but his mother points out why he was given his name and to "give people a chance to say it right."