When Isabel and her family move to the United States, Isabel misses all the things she left behind in Mexico, especially her aunt Lupita and hearing people speak Spanish. But she also experiences some wonderful new things -- her first snow storm and a teacher who does not speak Spanish but has a big smile. Even better, Papa and her brother Chavo help her turn a big box into her own quiet place, where she keeps her books and toys and writes letters to Aunt Lupita. As she decorates and adds more and more on to her quiet place, it is here that Isabel feels the most at home in her new country while she learns to adjust to the changes in her life.
Set in the 1950s and told through Isabel's letters to her aunt, Sarah Stewart and Caldecott Medalist David Small have created a charming and unforgettable young heroine who will win the hearts of readers in this story of immigration and assimilation.
"Spread over a double-page foldout, the "quiet place" explodes with color, lavishly decorated with Isabel's art. No longer merely a comfy space, it transforms into a place for connecting with new friends, a symbol for fitting in. Drawn in Small's signature style, the delicate but vibrant illustrations, along with the pithy narrative vignettes, poignantly capture the emotional hardships and triumphs of the immigrant experience." -- Yelena Alekseyeva-Popova, School Library Journal
Recommended Age | 4 - 8 |
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Author | Sarah Stewart |
Illustrator | David Small |
ISBN | 0374325650 |
Publication Date | Sep 18, 2012 |
Publisher | Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR) |
Language | English |