The Day of the Grasshopper and Other Days

It is difficult to be an immigrant in a new country. It is all the more difficult for an immigrant who is black, and who may encounter hostility and prejudice because of the color of his or her skin. Osnat emigrates with her parents from Ethiopia to Israel. Her parents quarrel frequently because her father cannot find suitable work, and he and his wife subsequently get divorced. While out for a walk one day, Osnat catches a grasshopper and gives it to a boy who wants it for his collection. In contrast to the boy`s friendly attitude, Osnat faces hostility from her classmates. The adults, too, are unfriendly towards her and there are even some violent incidents. But the situation gradually begins to improve. Osnat`s mother finds a male friend, while Osnat takes the entrance exam to a boarding school for gifted children. At the school she meets the boy to whom she gave the grasshopper when she was still a newcomer to Israel.