Xochitl and the Flowers / Xochitl, la Nina de las Flores

Written by Jorge Argueta
Illustrated by Carl Angel
Published by Lee & Low Books

Miles away from their home in El Salvador, Xochitl (SOH-cheel) and her family make a new home in the United States, but nothing is the same. Xochitl mourns a lovely garden and her family’s small flower business, all left behind. Selling flowers on the street soon provides more than income for the Flores family: they begin to make friends with local storeowners and neighbors. But it is not until the family decides to start a nursery in its backyard that Xochitl begins to learn the true value of community in their adopted country. Basing his narrative on real-life events, prize-winning poet Jorge Argueta has crafted a tender, poetic, and moving story about a family’s determination to set down roots and about their child’s blooming among friends and neighbors. Artist Carl Angel’s authentic and brilliant artwork splendidly documents this quintessentially American immigration story.