At preschool, An Hi sat at his tiny table and colored a big yellow sun. The teacher pinned a paper crown on his head. "Congratulations!" she said.
An Hi giggled and hugged her knees. Then he tugged at the crown when the clock chimed. Time to pack his bag.
At the new school, An Hi stood by the door. He pressed his fingers flat against the wood grain and watched the other children climb the red slide.
His lower lip pushed out. He kicked at the carpet with one scuffed shoe.
He marched over to the block shelf and stacked three blue blocks as tall as his chin. Then he knocked them down—clack, clack, clack.
A girl nearby giggled and shook her head.
The teacher walked over with one hand behind her back. She opened her hand to show a shiny gold star sticker.
An Hi took the sticker with both hands. A small smile cracked across his face. He reached for a purple block.
