Enrique O. Sanchez

Esperanza is nervous as she and her grandmother weave tapestries with intricate designs to sell in the market. Will the people in the market still want to buy something handmade? Will they be scared by grandmother's birthmark? On market day, Esperanza feels alone, but soon realizes she has nothing to worry about after all. Gentle acrylic illustrations capture the Guatemalan countryside and busy market, as well as the beautiful fabrics central to the story. Spanish version available.

This moving story opens with the line, "Amelia Luisa Martinez hated roads." For Amelia, all roads represent the impermanence of moving from one farm labor camp to the next. Amelia longs for a place to call home in the midst of so much change. Her quest for home is a tribute to the resilience and resourcefulness shown by migrant children each day, whether they are arriving at a new school or are working in the fields. Acrylic paintings on canvas offer a lovely texture to the illustrations.

Product Description: Estela is attending her first swap meet, where she plans to sell a music box to make money for lessons with the Ballet Folklórico. When a strong wind ruins the flowers the woman across from her is selling, Estela decides to give her the music box so she can listen to cheerful music while she makes new flowers. Although Estela may not have enough money for the lessons, her heart is full. And in this charmingly illustrated story, the flower seller has a wonderful surprise for Estela.

Maria's story begins as she honors her baby brother on the first Day of the Dead. Maria is sad about the deaths in her family, but she feels a little bit better while she spends time with her family. When her parents go North to the United States, however, Maria has to confront a new kinds of sadness — until the family is again reunited and Maria helps them maintain their important traditions in a new place. Young children who have experienced loss or separation may feel a particular connection with Maria and her story.

"Marisol is rushing home from school to see to her cat, but on the way she's stopped by adult family members and neighbors who need her to translate from Spanish for them so that they can communicate with shopkeepers and officials in English. Whether she's helping Uncle Tomas bargain with the poultry man, showing her neighbor how to fill out an application form, or speaking for Mama about a problem with the telephone bureaucracy, Marisol translates the words and also interprets the messages across cultures." — Booklist

Danilito is excited about coming to America, but he is also scared — it is so different and cold, and he doesn't speak any English. Then he experiences his first snowfall. After feeling the snowflakes on his cheek and leaving footprints in the snow, he begins to feel a little more confident in this new country. Warm illustrations bring an immigrant family's journey, and their first snowfall, to life. Spanish version available.