Riki Levinson

I really liked this book for several reasons. First off, I loved the illustrations and think they would be very enjoyable for young children to look at. As an adult, I felt nostalgic reading this which is a feeling I loved. Personally, I don't think most children would fully grasp the 'lesson' this books teach, but I still think it would be a fun read for them. However, reading as an adult, I can see the lesson is the importance of family, and how family comes above all us. You can see this when the Aunts and Uncles are complaining about losing money because the grandkids are eating all the food, and the Grandma responds with "Who better to feed than our grandchildren?". This emphasized how the grandma and grandpa valued their relationships with their family over financial well-being. Again, this is probably not something a child would pick up on, but I think it is a feel-good book that would make them excited to see their cousins and play with them while reminding the adults how special family is.… (more)

This beautifully written story moved me and pulled at my heart. A Polish family immigrates to the United States, leaving their two young sons behind with their aunt and uncle. The family waits for the others to be able to join them in the United States. They receive a letter that they will be arriving soon and the family is overjoyed as they begin to count down the days until they arrive. As the young brothers are reunited with their family, the love and excitement they all share makes the wait worth it. Immigration is not something that I have dealt with personally, nor have I ever been separated from loved one so it is hard for me to imagine the pain and heartbreak that may come with immigration. This story made me feel the families pain and anxiousness are they waited to be reunited.… (more)