Jairo Buitrago

This story is narrated by a little girl who goes to a school between two mountains “in the middle of nowhere” that “has almost nothing. A blackboard, some chairs.” But the teacher is always there, waiting for the children every day. On the day of the story, the teacher tells them their lessons will be outside. They took paper and crayons and their imaginations.

Outside, the teacher encouraged them to see dinosaurs from the shapes around them - a Brontosaurus drinking from the river, a show more Triceratops on top of a rock, and so on.

The little girl concludes, “My school has almost nothing. A black board, some chairs. And it has a teacher, and a Brontosaurus that’s as big as a mountain.”

Illustrator Rafael Yockteng uses colorful cartoon-like drawings to depict a diverse group of students in awe as they imagine the creatures all around them.

Evaluation: This is a lesson on perspective in two senses. You may think you don’t have much, but with the right attitude and inventiveness, you can see what you want to see, and make your world rich and magical. show less

White Rabbit by Jairo Buitrago is a captivating and thought-provoking novel that follows a young boy named Andrés as he navigates the challenges of living in a troubled world. The story is set in Colombia, where the boy and his family are trying to survive in a place filled with violence and uncertainty. Andrés learns lessons about hope, survival, and the importance of family.

The novel’s simplicity and emotional depth make it an excellent read for advanced readers in elementary school, show more and middle school students. It’s a powerful story about growing up in difficult circumstances and trying to find light in a dark world. I really liked how the author mixed adventure with real-life struggles, showing the bond between the protagonist and his family, which helps him stay strong.

The themes of friendship, resilience, and hope are strong throughout the book. The writing is clear and easy to follow, making it accessible to younger readers while still offering enough depth for older ones. show less

I enjoyed this book very much.There were 3 main reasons why I liked this book. First I liked the characters through out the book. The little girl is the narrator of the story, and she very believable. She is a little girl and you can see in the book she is oblivious to what is happening around her for the most part. She spends her time counting things around her, but doesn't exactly realize why they are going the places they are going and seeing certain things. Another thing I really enjoyed show more in this story was the illustrations. The father did not talk through out the entire book but through the illustrations of him, he told a completely different story. His facial expressions and actions in the pictures showed what was really going on even though the little girl didn't realize. I enjoyed this a lot because I love how the pictures can show a different story. If the reader was to just look at the text, they would miss what the story is really about. The last thing that I enjoyed about this book was the writing style/language. I liked how most of the book was up to interpretation to the reader and not all information was given. Since the narrator was a child, the reader never knows where they are going and why. You can tell by the text when the girl says "Where are we going? I ask sometimes, but no one answers." This to me seemed like the father didnt know where they were going, they just had to leave the old situation they were in. I like this because it allows the reader to be imaginative to a certain extent. It keeps the reader engaged because of the way the text is styled. show less

I didn't know this book was going to make me cry until I reached the end. The story is beautifully but subtly showing the life of a girl in low income housing while she copes by having a lion follow her around as a companion. Her father does not seem to be present but his presence is clearly missed. Topics of discussion can be different living situations and family units, as well as the idea of imaginary friends and why they can be such a comfort to have.