I’m still smiling after the wonderful experience of working with student journalist Sophia Ahmed and seeing Bela and Lily celebrated in The Daily Star, one of Bangladesh’s most respected English-language news outlets. Being highlighted in a publication with such reach, especially as a Bangladeshi American creator, feels deeply meaningful, both personally and professionally.

Sophia approached me with curiosity, thoughtfulness, and a genuine interest in the heart of Bela and Lily, a story rooted in my own childhood experiences. Her feature, “Finding common ground: How ‘Bela and Lily’ celebrates friendship across cultures,” captures the spirit of the book beautifully and connects it to something so many of us feel but rarely see written about, the immigrant experience as lived by children.

In the article, Sophia writes about how the book presents the friendship between Bela, a newly arrived Bengali girl, and Lily, her American playmate. What stood out to her was how children communicate before they understand each other’s words, and how connection can happen through kindness, play, and shared curiosity.

What was particularly special for me was seeing how the review acknowledged the way English and Bangla interact on the page, not as an afterthought, but as organic and joyful parts of Bela’s world that reflect many bilingual children’s realities. When a story includes the sounds of home, the words that echo in your memory, it carries a different kind of resonance, and Sophia’s piece recognized that beautifully.

As someone born in Bangladesh and raised in the United States, I’ve always felt pulled between two cultures, the rhythms of everyday life in Dhaka and the wide-open landscapes of Texas and Pennsylvania. Bela and Lily grew out of this duality, a desire to honor the sweetness and struggle of finding your voice in a new place, and to show young readers that language is only one part of communication. Friendship, after all, lives in gestures, laughter, and the courage to try again when you don’t get it right the first time.

Working with Sophia reminded me of the power of curiosity and kindness in storytelling. She asked thoughtful questions, listened closely, and treated the story with care, a pleasure for any author. Seeing my work framed through her thoughtful lens in The Daily Star wasn’t just an honor, it was a milestone. It connected my journey with a broader community of readers who see parts of themselves in Bela’s story, whether they come from Bangladesh, the Bangladeshi diaspora, or anywhere that languages and cultures meet.

To readers who’ve discovered Bela and Lily through the article, thank you for the warm welcome. And to Sophia, thank you for helping share this story of friendship and understanding with readers around the world. Here’s to many more stories that celebrate what we share, even when our words are different.

In Joy,

Natasha Khan Kazi