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“In this bilingual English-Spanish tale, a brown-skinned child describes the journey their family must undertake, heading to a country only Papá knows. The child’s sorrow is palpable as the house is packed and the tías are tearfully embraced. On the road, the family passes a boarded-up bakery and a store with a sign declaring that Mexicans aren’t served there. When nighttime comes, they and other families sit by a campfire and talk about the lives they left behind…Martínez’s straightforward text and Mora’s signature smudgy yet vibrant illustrations bring to life a story that reminds us that little has changed in U.S. history, as immigrant families still face deportation and the fear of separation.”

– Kirkus Reviews

Still Dreaming / Seguimos Soñando

Written by Claudia Guadalupe Martínez and Luis Humberto Crosthwaite (Translator)
Illustrated by Magdalena Mora
Published by Lee & Low Books

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.

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.

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.

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.

Primary ISBN: 9780892394340
Publication Date: October 2022
Available As: Hardcover, eBook
Picture Book, Age 06 or older

Community Represented:

Themes: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Setting: Texas, Mexico

Character's Place in the Immigration Journey: On Journey

Book Creator(s) Connection to the Community Represented: Own Voices/Lived Experience

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Teacher’s Guide

Source: Lee & Low