A young Cuban American girl learns the real meaning of home in this poignant story drawing on the real-life history of Cuba's Sephardic Jews.Estrella loves to visit her aunt, Tía Fortuna, in her little pink house at the Seaway in Miami. Tía Fortuna once lived "on the other side of the sea, in Havana," Cuba. When she "had to leave" her home (a closing author's note pinpoints the Cuban Revolution as the cause), she took only a suitcase of old photographs, her mezuzah (prayer scroll) from her doorpost, and "a key to a home gone forever." Now, years later, she must move once again, this time to an assisted living facility. While Estrella spends time with her aunt at the seaside and helps her pack, she listens to her life stories, learns about the cultural and religious significance of her most prized possessions, and ultimately learns that, like her ancestors, she can find hope wherever life takes her. This heartfelt intergenerational story illuminates a lesser-known facet of Jewish American immigration. Ladino (i.e., Judeo-Spanish) words are seamlessly integrated into the dialogue between aunt and niece, and Behar weaves Sephardic symbols and traditions into the narrative. For example, Tía Fortuna wears a lucky-eye bracelet (a Sephardic Jewish talisman) and serves borekas (a Sephardic Jewish pastry). Detailed paintings, rendered in gouache, watercolor, and color pencil with digital finishing, skillfully move the visual narrative between the past and the present. (This book was reviewed digitally.)A nostalgic glimpse at a little-known but rich culture within the broader Jewish American community. (glossary) (Picture book. 5-8)

K-Gr 3 Estrella's favorite aunt, Tia Fortuna, left Cuba years ago and now lives in Miami. Estrella loves visiting Tia Fortuna and hearing stories about her life and their shared heritage as Sephardic Jews. Their peripatetic ancestors originated in Spain, went on to Turkey, and then settled in Cuba. When she left Cuba, after Castro came to power, Tia Fortuna took the key to her Cuban casita, as Sephardic legends encourage, and wore it around her neck as a sign of hope going forward. Now Tia Fortuna is leaving Seaway, her Miami home, to go to a house for the aged. She makes friends immediately as she shares the borekas she made for old and new friends and settles right in. Before Estrella leaves, Tia Fortuna gives her the key to Seaway, continuing the tradition of hope, and Estrella knows Tia Fortuna will be just fine. Spanish words are embedded throughout, and the fullness of the text supports their meaning. A fabulous glossary in the back matter will answer any questions that arise. This powerful intergenerational story is enhanced by stunning art created with gouache, watercolor, and colored pencil. The palette establishes a sense of place, reminiscent of the Caribbean and Florida and serves as an anchor to the text. VERDICT This is beautiful story about heritage and hope, a must for all libraries, and remarkable in every way. Joan Kindig

Young Estrella's Tía Fortuna is no stranger to moving, thanks to Cuban roots and her Sephardic family's voyage from Spain to Turkey to Cuba to Miami. Through the curious and poignant perspective of a child, Behar's story follows Tía Fortuna's latest move from her beautiful pink casita in the Seaway, her longtime apartment building, to an assisted-living facility. Eloquent multilingual storytelling couples with peaceful artwork as Estrella learns that change can be OK and that keeping your traditions and culture alive is even more important. Tía Fortuna embarks on her new chapter with optimism and grace, reminding Estrella through her delicious Jewish Cuban cooking and her stories and mantras in Ladino that you can take the feeling of home with you no matter where you go. Holzwarth's seaside illustrations will no doubt bring pleasant nostalgic memories to readers of all ages, and the book's positive message is supplemented by a glossary of multilingual terms and an author's note on the inspiration behind this Sephardic Jewish tale.

Estrella's tia Fortuna must leave her casita in Miami's Seaway before it is torn down. She is moving into La Casa de los Viejitos, a facility for seniors. As she and Estrella say goodbye to various elements of the Seaway, Tia Fortuna's attitude is accepting -- her home will be a memory, like the home she left in Havana years earlier -- though there are hints that she shares some of Estrella's apprehension. Bittersweet though the story is, the overall atmosphere is one of warmth, both in the reassuringly portrayed Casa de los Viejitos as Tia Fortuna settles in and meets her neighbors and in the central Sephardic Jewish family. The dreamy mixed-media illustrations are filled with references to all aspects of Tia Fortuna's background, both in her remembrances and physically among her belongings, with the (somewhat lengthy) text granting particular significance to a mezuzah, a key, and, of course, tasty borekas. An author's note gives more information about Sephardic Jews and Behar's own connection to the story, and a glossary defines the many terms from Spanish, Hebrew, and other languages used within the text. A welcome story about change and aging loved ones, and about Sephardic culture. Shoshana Flax

A young Cuban American girl learns the real meaning of home in this poignant story drawing on the real-life history of Cuba's Sephardic Jews.Estrella loves to visit her aunt, Tía Fortuna, in her little pink house at the Seaway in Miami. Tía Fortuna once lived "on the other side of the sea, in Havana," Cuba. When she "had to leave" her home (a closing author's note pinpoints the Cuban Revolution as the cause), she took only a suitcase of old photographs, her mezuzah (prayer scroll) from her doorpost, and "a key to a home gone forever." Now, years later, she must move once again, this time to an assisted living facility. While Estrella spends time with her aunt at the seaside and helps her pack, she listens to her life stories, learns about the cultural and religious significance of her most prized possessions, and ultimately learns that, like her ancestors, she can find hope wherever life takes her. This heartfelt intergenerational story illuminates a lesser-known facet of Jewish American immigration. Ladino (i.e., Judeo-Spanish) words are seamlessly integrated into the dialogue between aunt and niece, and Behar weaves Sephardic symbols and traditions into the narrative. For example, Tía Fortuna wears a lucky-eye bracelet (a Sephardic Jewish talisman) and serves borekas (a Sephardic Jewish pastry). Detailed paintings, rendered in gouache, watercolor, and color pencil with digital finishing, skillfully move the visual narrative between the past and the present. (This book was reviewed digitally.)A nostalgic glimpse at a little-known but rich culture within the broader Jewish American community. (glossary) (Picture book. 5-8)