Status
Available
Collections
Publication
Workman Publishing Company (2021), Edition: Bilingual, 96 pages
Description
"A moving picture book for older children and families that introduces a difficult topic, amplifying the voices and experiences of immigrant children detained at the border between Mexico and the US. The children's actual words (from publicly available court documents) are assembled to tell one heartbreaking story, in both English and Spanish (back to back). Each spread is illustrated in striking full-color by a different Latinx artist. A portion of sales will be donated to human rights organizations that work with children on the border"--
Local notes
Publishers Weekly Starred, 02/21/2021
Binford, founder of Project Amplify, assembles the testimonies of 61 migrant children from Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico, ages five to 17, in this hard-hitting, movingly illustrated book that utilizes the talents of 17 Mexican and Mexican American artists to share truths of life in U.S. Border Patrol and detention facilities. In the foreword, Michael Garcia Bochenek of Human Rights Watch states, “This book, a story for children by children, wasn’t easy to tell and isn’t easy to hear. But it’s not only a story of adults’ cruelty and neglect... it’s also a story of children’s strength, courage, and hope.” In English and Spanish, the text unfolds simply but meaningfully—with the children’s own words, intertwined not as a single, broad narrative but in a harmonious array of voices, each with a unique story to tell. Similarly, no single art style dominates. Contributed by illustrators including Caldecott Honoree Yuyi Morales and Pura Belpré winner Raúl the Third, each illustration—whether fantastical or realistic, bold or delicate, vibrant or muted—powerfully complements the accompanying testimony, underscoring the children’s humanity and the individuality of each perspective. This is a heartrending but vital work. Includes a reader’s guide. Ages 8–up.
Binford, founder of Project Amplify, assembles the testimonies of 61 migrant children from Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico, ages five to 17, in this hard-hitting, movingly illustrated book that utilizes the talents of 17 Mexican and Mexican American artists to share truths of life in U.S. Border Patrol and detention facilities. In the foreword, Michael Garcia Bochenek of Human Rights Watch states, “This book, a story for children by children, wasn’t easy to tell and isn’t easy to hear. But it’s not only a story of adults’ cruelty and neglect... it’s also a story of children’s strength, courage, and hope.” In English and Spanish, the text unfolds simply but meaningfully—with the children’s own words, intertwined not as a single, broad narrative but in a harmonious array of voices, each with a unique story to tell. Similarly, no single art style dominates. Contributed by illustrators including Caldecott Honoree Yuyi Morales and Pura Belpré winner Raúl the Third, each illustration—whether fantastical or realistic, bold or delicate, vibrant or muted—powerfully complements the accompanying testimony, underscoring the children’s humanity and the individuality of each perspective. This is a heartrending but vital work. Includes a reader’s guide. Ages 8–up.
Awards
Skipping Stones Honor Award (2022)
Flora Stieglitz Straus Award (2022)
CCBC Choices (2022)
New York Public Library Best Books: For Kids (Nonfiction — 2021)
Notable Children's Book (2022)
Nerdy Book Award (2021)
School Library Journal Best Book of the Year (Nonfiction — 2021)
Picture This Recommendation List (Nonfiction — 2022)
Texas Topaz Nonfiction Reading List (Grades 3-5 — 2022)
Best Children's Picture Books of the Year in Spanish (Starred — 2022)
New York Public Library Best Books: Mejores libros para pequeños (Top Ten — 2021)