# 28- My Diary from Here to There/ Mi diario de aquí hasta allá (2002)

My Diary from Here to There/ Mi diario de aquí hasta allá (2002)

Amada Irma Perez

Illustrated by Maya Christina González

The vibrant oil paintings in My Diary from Here to There complement Perez’s vivid autobiographical account of her experience immigrating to the U.S. from Juárez, México. The text is rich with introspective details about the author’s hesitancies about moving, a change that children from a variety of backgrounds will relate to. Common themes like temporary separation from family members, fears about learning a new language, as well as the reassuring details like how the landscape looks “exactly the same on both sides” provide important discussion points.

Illustrations by Maya Christina González offer children a view of people with brown skin tones portrayed in a modern way that they will find easy to relate to. González’s growing body of work offers glimpses into worlds that Latino children will understand.

# 13- Cuckoo/ Cucú (2000)

Cuckoo/ Cucú (2000)

Lois Ehlert

This eloquently narrated folktale features paper cutout images in bright colors paired in striking contrast. The birds in the story are constructed using metallic brads, so that the reader imagines the ways in which the characters can be moved around, perhaps inspiring them to make their own models. Ehlert uses a metallic silver tone to highlight parts of the illustrations. A few of the full page spreads look much like papel picado, depicting scenes in the story.

This bilingual text features English on the top of each page with a translation in Spanish underneath that captures the message well.

The heroine, a bird who sacrifices her beautiful plumage to save her people, shows readers that “no se puede juzgar un pájaro por su plumaje/ You can’t judge a bird by its feathers.”

# 1- Floating on Mama’s Song/ Flotando en la canción de mamá (2010)

Floating on Mama’s Song/ Flotando en la canción de mamá (2010)

Laura Lacámara

Illustrated by Yuyi Morales

The beautifully illustrated bilingual story holds an important message about acceptance. The mother in this story has the gift of song, however neighbors complain that their animals go missing when she sings.
Each time she sings, the people, animals and things around her are uplifted- literally! This detail is symbolic of her voice’s effect on those around her, and Morales’s depiction of the mother’s hair floating even when she is silent is a dreamy reminder of her talent for singing.
Perhaps the most enchanting part of this book are the brilliant pastels that make up the surrealist images that Morales has illustrated. The details that most caught my eye were the bright fuscia tone of the bougainvilleas spilling over fences as they do in México, as well as the multi-toned mangoes. I also noticed beautiful images of animals hidden in the clouds- perhaps reminiscent of the village animals that floated away from their owners? Yuyi Morales has created another masterpiece using acrylic paints, along with family photos, buttons and other bits of realia to bring the story alive.