Summary
This is a heart-felt story of family and immigration. A mother and her child are immigrants and the mother will do anything for her child to give them a beautiful life. The story explains the obstacles and challenges people who immigrate face especially with the language barrier. When the mother and baby discover a library, they realize the possibilities are endless. All the books that they come across are a stepping stone in growing their knowledge and language.
Theme(s):
Family, Love, Bravery
Personal Response
This was a really interesting story with a great message of family, love, and immigration. The use of both English and Spanish is a super inclusive way to represent language and people who speak more than one language. The illustrations were very colorful and unique. I felt that they strayed away from typical children’s stories illustrations but they were very intriguing. Furthermore, I thought the emphasize of the importance of literacy was very fitting for this class.
Teaching Ideas
This could be a great way to have representation for ENL or ELL students in the classroom. It explain for English speaking students some of the struggles that students who speak more than one language go through when it comes to communication. It is a great way to show that is it important to build empathy and patience with someone who is learning another language. Furthermore, it could be used as a way to emphasize the importance of books and libraries.
Recommended Reading Level
Grade 01, Grade 02, Grade 03
