Mama's Nightingale: A Story of Immigration and Separation

Danticat tells a serious yet hopeful story about a child whose Haitian mother is in an immigration detention center. Saya, whose hair is done up in tight braids with beads, visits her mother weekly but misses her terribly; she finds comfort in the bedtime stories her mother records on cassette tapes and sends her. Staub's oil paintings temper the upsetting circumstances with bright colors and whimsical objects from the stories Saya's mother tells, including winged hearts, dolphins, and mermaids. When Saya writes her own story and her father sends it to a journalist, the resulting chain of events brings Saya's mother home. Readers similarly separated from a loved one may well find solace in Danticat's honest storytelling. Ages 5-8. Author's agent: Nicole Aragi, Aragi Inc. Illustrator's agent: Rubin Pfeffer, Rubin Pfeffer Content. (Sept.)

Copyright 2015 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

Gr 2-5--Brightly colored folk art with a Caribbean flair offsets the sadness of a little girl whose Haitian mother has been sent away to a prison for undocumented immigrants. Every night, Saya's father writes letters to the judges, their mayor and congresswoman, and newspapers and television stations, but no one ever writes back. During their weekly visits to the detention center, Saya's mother tells her stories of the wosiyol, or nightingale. Soon, Saya begins to receive cassette tapes in the mail from her mother and finds hope and solace in the stories Mama has recorded for her. One night, amid a great deal of sadness and frustration, Saya writes a story of her own to ease the sadness. When Papa sends her letter to a newspaper reporter, everything changes, and Saya learns the incredible power of words and stories. Danticat, who was born in Haiti, was separated from her parents until she was 12 years old and beautifully conveys a story about loss and grief and hope and joy. Staub's oil paintings are eye-catching and will hold the interest of young readers. VERDICT This richly illustrated picture book is a first purchase, especially in communities with a large immigrant population.--Jennifer Steib Simmons, Anderson County Library, SC

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Now a Kirkus Best Books of 2015!

Skillfully written with Creole words sprinkled into the English, Mama's Nightingale is richly illuminated by Leslie Staub's oil paintings evoking Haitian folk art."—The New York Times

* A must-read both for children who live this life of forced separation and those who don't.—Kirkus Reviews, starred review

* [Danticat] beautifully conveys a story about loss and grief and hope and joy.—School Library Journal, starred review

A serious yet hopeful story...readers similarly separated from a loved one may well find solace in Danticat's honest storytelling.—Publishers Weekly

Children of parents who are being detained will be comforted by knowing they are not the only ones facing this challenge and might even be inspired to take action the way Saya does.—The Horn Book

Danticat's immigration story is compelling...The inclusion of Haitian phrases adds to the personal nature of the story, whose happy ending is deserved by all.—Booklist