Still Dreaming: Seguimos Soñando (Bilingual English/Spanish)
by Claudia Guadalupe Martínez (Author) Magdalena Mora (Illustrator)
In the first children's book to describe the long-forgotten chapter of US history known as Mexican Repatriation, a boy and his family leave their beloved home to avoid being separated by the government.
En el primer libro infantil que describe el capítulo olvidado de la historia de los Estados Unidos conocido como la Repatriación Mexicana, un niño y su familia dejan su amado hogar para evitar ser separados por el gobierno.
Faced with the prospect of being separated from each other, a young boy and his family make the difficult decision to leave their home and begin a journey filled with uncertainty. On the road, they meet other people like them. Families with deep roots tied to the land. Others that helped build the railroads. Some were shop owners and factory workers. Each with similar hopes and dreams.
Historians estimate that between 1930 and 1940, two million people living in the United States were forcibly removed and sent to live in Mexico. Telling this story from a child's perspective, award-winning author Claudia Guadalupe Martínez lyrically recounts this often-overlooked period of United States history--Mexican Repatriation. Emotive illustrations by Magdalena Mora convey this poignant tale of longing for home and permanence, which reflects many of the dreams and hopes of people today.
Ante la perspectiva de ser separados, un niño y su familia toman la difícil decisión de dejar su hogar y emprender un viaje lleno de incertidumbre. En el camino, se encuentran con otras personas como ellos. Familias con raíces profundas atadas a la tierra. Otros que ayudaron a construir los ferrocarriles. Algunos eran dueños de tiendas y trabajadores de fábricas. Cada uno con esperanzas y sueños similares.
Los historiadores estiman que entre 1930 y 1940, dos millones de personas que vivían en los Estados Unidos fueron sacadas a la fuerza y enviadas a vivir aMéxico. Contando esta historia desde la perspectiva de un niño, la galardonada autora Claudia Guadalupe Martínez relata líricamente este período de la historia de los Estados Unidos a menudo pasado por alto: La Repatriación Mexicana. Las emotivas ilustraciones de Magdalena Mora transmiten esta conmovedora historia de añoranza por el hogar y la permanencia, que refleja muchos de los sueños y esperanzas de la gente de hoy.
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Gr 3-5--Martínez offers a bilingual Spanish and English picture book about family repatriation to Mexico. In first person narrative style, a young American girl relates her journey to Mexico from her Texas house, the only home she has ever known. In a small car, a family of three that wants to stay together instead of facing separation says goodbye to the relatives it leaves behind. As the group drives past fields, it encounters other families on the road that were forced to leave from different cities. This hopeful narrative represents the main character's youthful reasoning while providing explicit information about the type of work migrant workers do. The art, rendered in gouache, ink, and digital media, uses a soft palette that navigates between clear and darker pastel colors. Detailed illustrations support the story and help readers understand the social complexities of this immigration tale. Although this picture book is inspired by the Mexican Repatriation of the first part of the 20th century during the Great Depression, the plot and illustrations portray a current scene familiar to present times. The English text relies on sporadic Spanglish, with a fluid Spanish translation that reads naturally. This book contains back matter with the author's notes referring to the Mexican Repatriation and the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. VERDICT This is solid choice for classrooms wanting to discuss the U.S.'s family separation policies and a seemingly forgotten historical event. Recommended for picture book collections.--Kathia Ibacache
Copyright 2022 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.Review quotes
"A heartfelt, moving story full of moments of worry and fear but also love and warmth. With eyes focused on an uncertain future, this young protagonist never loses hope." — Guadalupe Garcia McCall, author of All the Stars Denied
"Lyrical... The boomerang-shaped narrative reflects the cruelty of forcing a family to resettle twice simply to stay together, and the soft washes of color in Magdalena Mora's illustrations — no harsh lines, no sharp borders — swim with nostalgia and hope, a landscape where the boy's memories are painted across the sky and his dreams of return find an echo in the migratory path of monarch butterflies." — The New York Times
"Martínez saves most of the specific historical details for the author's note, instead focusing on the contributions of Mexicans and Mexican Americans." — The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
Claudia Guadalupe Martínez has called Mexico and the US home. Her core childhood memories are set in El Paso, Texas. This dynamic of growing up between borders inspires her writing. She is the recipient of two Texas Institute of Letters Best Young Adult Book Awards, a Paterson Prize for Books for Young People, an Américas Award Commendation, a Junior Library Guild Award, and multiple starred reviews. She now lives with her family in Illinois. You can find her at claudiaguadalupemartinez.com.
Magdalena Mora is an illustrator and graphic designer with a special interest in children's books and visual storytelling. She illustrated Equality's Call and I Wish You Knew. When not drawing, she spends her free time reading, people-gawking, and trying to find the best tacos in the Twin Cities--mostly the latter. She lives in Minneapolis. You can see more of her work at magdalenamora.com.
Luis Humberto Crosthwaite was born in Tijuana, Mexico. A journalist and jefe at a small press called Yoremito, he has also worked on a number of highly acclaimed translations such as Olor a perfume de viejita and Still Dreaming/Seguimos Soñando. Whoever looks into his heart would see the Pacific Ocean--ah, those beautiful sunsets! He lives with his family in the same town he was born.
Picture books
United States
20th century
Spanish language materials
Bilingual
Family life
Historical fiction
Emigration and immigration
Texas
Mexican Americans
Mexicans
