Good-bye, Havana! Hola, New York!
By Edie Colón
Illustrated by Raúl Colón
Published by Simon & Schuster
“This gentle look back at an important time will also speak to contemporary children whose families are starting anew in the United States.” —Publisher’s Weekly
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Description
When five-year old Gabriella hears talk of Castro and something called revolution in her home in Cuba, she doesn’t understand. Then when her parents leave suddenly and she remains with her grandparents, life isn’t the same. Soon the day comes when she goes to live with her parents in a new place called the Bronx. It isn’t warm like Havana, and there is traffic not the ocean outside her window. Their life is different-it snows in the winter and the food at school is hot dogs and macaroni. What will it take for the Bronx to feel like home?
Reviews & Accolades
“Edie Colón’s autobiographical story about making a new life in the Bronx after leaving Cuba in 1960 stars a six-year-old version of herself named Gabriella; Colón describes her journey, emotions, and adjustments to America in simple language. In his signature, almost pointillist style, Raúl Colón’s earth-toned artwork imbues the story with a comforting texture and warmth, closely depicting the clothing, hair, and décor of the era. The dialogue is smoothly rendered in Spanish and English, and many Spanish words are defined on the final page. This gentle look back at an important time will also speak to contemporary children whose families are starting anew in the United States.” —Publisher’s Weekly
“Youngsters will gain insight into the immigrant experience as well as the Cuban revolution through the simple, heartfelt narration. Lush, evocative watercolor and colored-pencil artwork captures the warmth of the child’s family as well as the contrast between the tropical beauty and unrest of her homeland and the wintry New York landscape.” —School Library Journal
“This story is a poignant reminiscence of a child who is buffeted by forces beyond her control and adjusts rather well to a reconstructed life. Raul Colón’s art, rendered in his familiar style, in watercolor, colored pencil, and lithographic pencil, has a sweetness that’s sometimes tinged with anxiety, sometimes with hope. A fine addition to books about the immigrant experience.“ —Booklist
Groups Represented
Cuban
Themes
Immigration, family relationships
Setting
Cuba
The Bronx
Author Research
TBA
Engagement Projects
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