'The Interpreter' explores the reality of children acting as 'language brokers' for their parents

Bridging language gaps between families is a reality for a lot of children of immigrants in America. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, an estimated 11 million children in the U.S. act as interpreters and translators for their parents.

Olivia Abtahi tackles this often-overlooked topic of kid translators in her picture book debut, "The Interpreter," out on Jan. 21.

Illustrated by Monica Arnaldo, the book follows Cecilia, a young girl who serves as the interpreter for her Spanish-speaking parents. She helps them communicate at the hairdresser, the accountant's office and the grocery store, all while trying to be a regular, soccer-playing kid. Inevitably, Cecilia realizes she's struggling to juggle both her translation duties on top of her normal kid duties.

Here & Now's Scott Tong speaks with Abtahi about what kids like Cecilia face when placed in this adult role and how children and parents in this situation can come to a resolution.