Monique Leonardo Carlos is an early childhood and infant-toddler educator based in Surrey, British Columbia. With Clarissa Seriña de la Paz, she created the Saffi Squirrel series of five books that tackle different life skills and values. She draws upon her own experience moving from the Philippines to Canada in her exploration of the experience of being a newcomer It’s Okay, Just Ask.
![](https://library.torontomu.ca/asianheritage/files/2024/07/Its-Okay-Just-Ask-book-cover.jpg)
Fiction (Juvenile, Picture book)
It’s Okay, Just Ask
Illustrated by Salini Perera.
Toronto: Owlkids Books, 2024.
Publisher’s Synopsis (From its website)
A little girl and her family are emigrating to a new country. As they say goodbye to their home and move to an unfamiliar place, the girl is full of questions: Will they ever return? What if she doesn’t make new friends? Why does she look different than the other kids? Her mother’s supportive refrain encourages her to voice her curiosity: It’s okay, just ask!
Sometimes the answers lead to exciting discoveries. Other times, the answers are unclear, or prompt even more questions. But each time the girl chooses to just ask, she learns more about her community and herself.