by Eve Bunting (1996)
This book delves into the difficulties for migrant workers in terms of leaving their native countries and finding new lives. For Carlos, he cannot understand why Mexico is home for his parents when it does not feel like home for him. His visit makes him understand, but then he becomes a character torn between the two places he considers home. This book represents a reality for a lot of families in the United States, but even people who have not recently immigrated could relate to the concept of not knowing where home truly is. The integration of Spanish words and stunning colorful illustrations make the book beautifully representative of Mexico, though. David Diaz combines his illustrations with background photographs of Mexican ceramics, papier mache, and tapestries. The book becomes a cultural experience because of all of these elements.
I would use this book in an ESL classroom as a read aloud for students (because the book is fairly text heavy I think most English Language Learners would have difficulty reading it individually). I believe the concept of home will be a familiar one and students from all linguistic and cultural backgrounds will appreciate the story. I also believe that this text would be useful for ELLs from a number of language proficiency levels because the illustrations reinforce the text and beautifully establish the setting. In the regular classroom this book could be an introduction to concepts of immigration, migrant workers, or social justice -- reading the text would encourage all students to consider what life is like in the United States for people not born here. The text could also be used for younger children in units about family -- this book could help show the variety of families that live in the U.S. or abroad.
A lesson plan that includes a discussion of this text and Grandfather's Journey by Allen Say can be found here.
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