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.