Ideas & Impact

The Little House of Hope by Terry Catasús Jennings and illustrated by Raúl Colón (Holiday House) is a stunning semi-autobiographical Cuban American picture book about making a home in a new country—and then opening that home to others.

Families came and
families went.

Esperanza was always the first to welcome them.
La casita offered a home for those who didn’t
have a place to go.
It was a safe place, in a new land.

The book is also available en español as La casita de esperanza and is now a Welcoming Library title.

I’m Your Neighbor Books is proud to partner with Terry Catasús Jennings to produce these tools to help your readers welcome and belong:

Discussion Questions (SEL, Social Studies)
Source: I’m Your Neighbor Books
Written to address the perspectives of both new arrival and long-term Americans, these questions open conversations on welcoming and belonging.

Math for the Little House of Hope (STEM, Social Studies)
Source: I’m Your Neighbor Books
These math activities invite us to explore the affordability of renting a house while working a minimum-wage job. The activities also ask us to add up the benefits provided to officially resettled refugees.

Cuban Recipes from the Author’s Family (Arts, Social Studies)
Source: I’m Your Neighbor Books
Whether you have a big house or a small house or just a house full of hope, you can cook the Cuban food that Terry Catasús Jennings and her extended family cooked in their la casita.

Holiday House also produced this Educator’s Guide:

DOWNLOAD the Educator’s Guide
Source: Publisher

These educators & librarians won a copy of The Little House of Hope with our signature Discussion Questions embedded in the end papers.