Written & Illustrated by: Yuyi Morales

For ages: 4-8 years

Language: English & Spanish

Topics Covered: Immigration, Courage, Bravery, Family, Love, Community.

Summary: This is the story about a woman and her young child immigrating to San Francisco.  Trying to navigate this unfamiliar world was difficult, especially with a language barrier.  The narrator admits mistakes are made in this new place, such as playing in a public fountain.  One day, the two are walking and come upon a library,  In awe, a new world is opened up to them!  Trusting the librarians, the library became a place of respite and education.

Simply written and beautifully illustrated, the storyline encompasses the feeling of being in a new place and the fear of not fitting in.  The book also emphasizes the importance of public spaces where individuals can exist without pressure to spend money.  Learning a new culture and language can be daunting, and libraries can decrease the pressure and cost associated with classrooms.

About the Author & the Illustrator:

Yuyi Morales was born in the city of flowers, Xalapa, Mexico,  where the springs came out from the sand, or so the story says.Once she was a child, but she spent most of that time thinking about extraterrestrials and waiting for them to come in their UFO to take her away. She tried to be a psychic; she wanted to move things with her mind. She practiced to be an acrobat too—and broke many things at home. Then she grew and became an artist and a writer. Oh, well.