Leo Espinosa

When Lola's class, whose members all came to the United States from other countries, is given an assignment to draw a picture of their first home, the young Dominican-American girl is faced with a quandary. She was just a baby when her family left the Island, and she doesn't remember anything about it. But as she questions family, friends and neighbors, she slowly builds up a picture of this place that is a part of her, even if she can't recall it...

A celebrated author of adult fiction, show more Dominican-American writer Junot Díaz makes his children's book debut with Islandborn, a poignant picture-book examination of the immigrant experience of one little girl and her wider community. I found the story quite moving, especially as different people shared their memories of the Island, both good and bad, with Lola. The sensory nature of many of those memories - sounds, tastes, physical experiences - gave the text an immediacy that was quite powerful, while Mr. Mir's story of the monster which plagued the Island - a reference to dictator Trujillo, perhaps? - gave it political depth. The accompanying artwork by Colombian illustrator Leo Espinosa was absolutely beautiful, with a lovely color range that suggested the tropics, and a creative blend of the here-and-now figures of Lola and her neighbors, and the imaginative ones representing their memories. Recommended to anyone looking for children's stories about how young first generation immigrants relate to their countries of origin, although potential readers should be aware that Islandborn is a little text-heavy for a picture-book. show less

This is a lovely book. It’s poetic, it has a lot of humor, and a more than a bit of sweetness/pathos. I particularly liked the humor throughout, in both the words and the pictures. I loved the many Spanish words, most with English translations. The art is spectacular, full of color and vibrancy. Gorgeous! This is a perfect book for anyone who comes from elsewhere, or whose family does, and for everybody really since almost everyone knows some people who’ve rather recently come from other show more places. Great book for my part of the world, where so many children are immigrants or have parents who are immigrants. Every school and public library should have at least one copy of this book. It’s beautifully done. I want to reread it just to view the art again. I appreciate the photos of the author & the illustrator in their short bio sections on the inside back cover because I love it when book creators of children's books use photos of themselves when they were children! 4-1/2 stars show less

Top 100 Pick because:

Islandborn is an absolutely stunning work of imagination and narrative. The inspiring and creative illustrations are bright, colorful works of joy and love. The passion and love for the island is obvious and it makes me want to go back there. I can attest to the 'truth' of this work because I have been to the Dominican Republic and it is every bit as colorful and lively as Diaz and Espinosa portray it as. The shift in tone when describing 'the monster' is a child-like show more take on a difficult and painful time period in DR history. Lola's worry about being disconnected from her past is emotional and her journey to reconnect and learn about her family and their immigration is beautiful and heartfelt. I love this picture book and wish it had won the medal for something, although the Pura Belpre winner for 2019 is also an amazing work of love by Yuyi Morales.
**This book is personal for me and it hits me in a place the makes it one of my top ten, not only my top 100. show less

“Every kid in Lola’s school was from somewhere else. Hers was the school of faraway places.” In a multicultural classroom, a teacher prompts her students to create a picture of their "first country." Having left "the Island" as a baby, Lola is unsure of what to draw, so she sets out to ask family, friends, and neighbors to share their memories in order to complete her school project. Lola hears memories of bats as big as blankets, fruit so good it makes you cry, and beaches like show more poetry. However, there are unpleasant memories, such as the hurricane and "the Monster," a metaphor used to represent Dominican Republic's former dictator, Trujillo. While I have not read Junot Diaz's work, my husband raves about his writing, so I am a bit familiar with Diaz's immigration story from the Dominican Republic. This picture book is nearly perfect in the way that it handles its serious subject matter in a way that is accessible for young readers. It is a poetic celebration of culture and community, sometimes serious, sometimes very funny, and always moving. Wonderful, whimsical illustrations. show less