Isla to Island

In a graphic novel that opens in 1958 Cuba, portrayed in lushly colored tropical scenes, Marisol Alabarce leads a vibrant life with loving parents who encourage her interest in books, food, and plants. Political trouble soon stirs as Fidel Castro assumes power, and when military presence, scarcity, and violence descend, Marisol’s parents fear for her safety. They send her alone to New York via a Catholic relief program, to live in Brooklyn with an elderly couple who read as white. But adjusting is not easy, and Marisol deplanes into a New York City rendered almost entirely in grayscale art, soon navigating school, learning English, and missing her family in Cuba. When she encounters the school library and rediscovers her love for plants—moments that utilize brilliant pinks and greens amid the gray—her world slowly regains color. Employing spare text in the form of signs and radio chatter in Spanish and English, debut creator Castellanos effectively uses color as a vehicle to portray Marisol’s loving life with her family in Cuba, despair at their separation, and slow arc to a new life in which she honors her Cuban identity through food and music. Back matter includes a recipe, author’s note, and further resources. Ages 10–up. Agent: Marietta Zacker, Gallt & Zacker. (Mar.)■