The Boy Who Tried to Shrink His Name

Zimdalamashkermishkada arrives at a new school worried that other people will not be able to pronounce his long name. Hoping to make it easier, he tries different ways to make the name smaller. A friend helps him look at his name differently, moving him toward accepting it as part of who he is. This story centers on the anxiety of starting somewhere new, the importance of a supportive friendship, and a child’s changing relationship with his own name.