Lola and her classmates are mostly from “someplace else” but now call here home. A school project to draw what you remember best about that first place has Lola unsure of herself (after all, she was just a baby when she left and has no memories from then). Yet, she quickly figures out how to use the resources around her: her family, friends, neighbors and even the memory the island has of her, to capture her heritage. Adults will see current and historical events and experience what being a modern immigrant is all about. Everyone will delight in the colorful Caribbean-infused illustrations that bring to life a magical story.
Poetic, lyrical and vibrant makes this story relatable. And while the story of the immigrant child has been told before, this is slightly different. It is told for the younger child and while does not shy away from some of the reasons (war, poverty, etc) that peopled faced, it is done tastefully. The Caribbean feel does make it unique but at the same time, this could be any child who is either too young to remember their “first home” immigrant or is a first-generation American telling their story.
This book might not be the best bedtime story, but it should be read in classrooms and to your child during story time. I would also give this as a gift to an adult. If you read Spanish, there is Lola: Edicion en espanol de ISLANDBORN as well. I am now curious about the adult books of Junot Diaz and will keep looking for more illustrated books by Leo Espinosa.
Happy Cannonball!
Woohoo cannonball!
This looks amazing! I need to get hold of this so I can read it to my kids ethics class. Happy Cannonball!
Congratulations on your Cannonball!! Well done!
Congratulations on your Cannonball! I’ll have to look for this one at work — it sounds amazing!
Thanks everyone! (I know we put Amazon links, but please see you local Independent store to help keep this delinquent (& others like me) off the streets! :) so we can read more books!)
When I can, I go to Book People, which is the main independent bookstore in Austin. We have the juggernaut of Half Price Books, which keeps other bookstores in Austin very niche oriented. I miss DC which had so many great independent bookstores – Politics&Prose, Kramer Books, and Busboys and Poets just to name a few.
Most of my hardcover books come from bookshops! Especially as they have so many signing events to lure me into spending all my money.
Book signings are my favorite part of Independent bookstores. I meet one of my best friends that way (and will be reviewing her book later on!)