My Two Border Towns

A father and son run errands across the U.S.–Mexico border.

Early on Saturday, the boy (who's never named) prepares his “special bag” to bring to Mexico for his friends. Crossing from Texas to Tamaulipas, the duo drives across town and over the bridge into a twin town where Spanish is just as frequently heard, but English is spoken less. Before tackling their errands, father and son stop to fuel up with café de olla and chocolate caliente, respectively. They visit the jewelry shop, gather groceries and supplies at the abarrotes, play soccer with cousins, and pick up medicine at the pharmacy. On their way back home to the United States, the protagonist encounters his friends at the bridge: displaced people from the Caribbean and show more Central America living in limbo on the border between two towns and two countries. Taking advantage of the slow pace of the traffic on the bridge, the boy exits his father’s truck, bringing the gathered supplies and toys to those in wait. In what initially comes across as a story of a sweet visit to a Mexican town to run some errands, Bowles seamlessly weaves in some of the complexities of living on the border. He fearlessly introduces the complex issues surrounding the presence of refugees waiting to be admitted into the United States and candidly portrays the everyday lives of families who span the border, creating a unique cosmos in this space. Meza’s background illustrations around town imbue the pages with Mexico’s vibrance. Bowles translates his own text into Spanish in a simultaneously publishing edition. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Beautiful, honest, complex. (Picture book. 4-8) show less

We go with a young boy on a biweekly shopping trip with his father to the town across the border in Mexico where his cousins live and where they pick up things for their family and for some friends caught at the border. Sweet and simple and a bit sad. The illustrations are colorful and full of extra details.

We go with a young boy on a biweekly shopping trip with his father to the town across the border in Mexico where his cousins live and where they pick up things for their family and for some friends caught at the border. Sweet and simple and a bit sad. The illustrations are colorful and full of extra details.

Wow. This powerful story is about a child who has the ability to move across the bridge between Mexico and the US, and how they help the families stuck on the bridge. These families cannot enter the US but also can’t enter Mexico. Each country says we don’t have room. But our young child narrator wishes for the day when his friends can travel the way they do, even if it is just a few miles back-and-forth. This book is fantastic and looks at a border town in a different light. It still has a happy feel to it even though it’s about a very heavy topic. It’s a great start to teach children about some of the issues with modern immigration.

Excellent!

The author did a great job of showing the story instead of lecturing the audience.

I felt like I was in el Otro Lado (the other side) while I was reading. And the people felt real.

The refugee camp was integrated so beautifully into the story line.

Recommended.

Early one Saturday morning, a boy prepares for a trip to The Other Side/El Otro Lado. It's close--just down the street from his school--and it's a twin of where he lives. To get there, his father drives their truck along the Rio Grande and over a bridge, where they're greeted by a giant statue of an eagle. Their outings always include a meal at their favorite restaurant, a visit with Tío Mateo at his jewelry store, a cold treat from the paletero, and a pharmacy pickup. On their final and most important stop, they check in with friends seeking asylum and drop off much-needed supplies.

This book was close to my heart because I also come from a family that is separated and when I travel to Mexico, I always have to leave my parents behind. It does a great job of showing what life is like in two very different places and how the city life to the rural town life is always very different.