Auntie Lupita is the only one Isabel misses when she moves from her home country, Mexico to the United States in the 1950s. So she writes to Aunt Lupita regularly.
Presented in the form of her letters, this story is about Isabel’s new life in a new country learning a new language.
Isabel is shy. She wants a quiet place for herself and her books. Her brother, Chavo helps make her one with a big refrigerator box. But when the box gets damaged, she begins her quest for large boxes to make herself a new ‘quiet place’.
Along the way, she gets familiar with new words in English, though Spanish words are still her ‘friends’.
The story ends with a beautiful open-able spread showing the gala celebration of Isabel’s birthday when she invites each friend to bring their favourite words as gifts. The picture shows Isabel sharing her ‘quiet place’ where it becomes a puppet theater, a performance stage and much more. The quiet place is no longer quiet.
I love multicultural books, so this naturally is one of my favourites. I really liked the illustrations that seem simple, yet give us a beautiful glimpse into Isabel’s life, especially how her ‘quiet place’ gets transformed in the end. The pull-out spread is commendable.
Appropriate for children 6+ years.
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