La Frontera: El viaje con papá/My Journey with Papa

Drawn from coauthor Alva’s own immigration as a child, this bilingual picture book pairs Spanish and English text on each richly colored spread. In the Mexican state of Guanajuato, Alfredo learns that he will leave behind his mother and siblings and travel with his father to the U.S. to “find a place where work will be plentiful.” The trip is perilous; after they’re abandoned by a guide, they find their way across the dangerous landscape to Texas, where, after a stay in the so-called Embassy, a collection of discarded vehicles, they resettle, ultimately reuniting with their whole family. Precise details create a deeply moving sense of a young immigrant’s journey, from the drinking water dropped along the tracks by train crews to a new school, where Alfredo always brings a $100 bill in case he’s picked up and returned to the border. With bright, saturated colors and expressive figures, the illustrations echo both the story’s drama and tenderness. Appended final spreads feature photos of Alva’s real-life family along with additional notes about the Texas-Mexican border and immigration. Ages 8–12. (May)