Copyright Date:
2022
Edition Date:
2022
Release Date:
06/14/22
Illustrator:
Colon, Raul,
Pages:
1 volume (unpaged)
ISBN:
0-8234-5203-4
ISBN 13:
978-0-8234-5203-3
Dewey:
306
LCCN:
2021027628
Dimensions:
29 cm.
Language:
Spanish
Reviews:
School Library Journal
(Tue Mar 01 00:00:00 CST 2022)
K-Gr 3 A family just arriving from Cuba is searching for an affordable place to call home when they find it: La Casita. It is a small house, and it has a bit of a musty smell, but Esperanza, Manolo, and their parents (who are light-skinned) see something more. Through hard work and dedication, they begin to slowly repair La Casita, making the little house a home. Each family member also works hard to learn English, and they form new friendships with families that are also looking for help, offering them a warm home in La Casita. Time goes on, and friends and family come and go from the little home; every time they do, Esperanza offers them a gift of hope as they set out. Colón's trademark watercolor and color pencil illustrations begin by showing the uncertainty of a new place with a gray, almost stormy sky as the backdrop to the unfamiliar, and then move on to depict a loving family, warm home, sunny outdoors, and the hopes and dreams of many who face difficulties in their attempts at a better life. The poetic Spanish text (an English edition, The Little House of Hope , is also available) deftly conveys these hopes and fears in a accessible way to young readers. VERDICT A great selection that honestly presents the hardships and the victories of families working hard for a bright future. Selenia Paz
When Esperanza and her family arrive in the United States from Cuba, they buy a little house, una casita. It may be small, but they soon prove that there’s room enough to share with a whole community.
“It was a little house. Una casita . . .
It was small.
It smelled like old wet socks. . .
But even though they were far from home,
The family was together.”
As Esperanza and her family settle into their new house, they all do their part to make it a home, working multiple jobs and doing chores to pitch in. When Mami’s sister Conchita comes to stay with them, she helps other families by taking care of their children during the day. Together they turn the house into a place where other new immigrants can help one another and feel accepted.
Esperanza is always the first to welcome them, making sure that la casita offers a home for those who don’t have a place to go. It’s a safe place in a new land.
Terry Catasus Jennings first came from Cuba to the U.S. in 1961, when she was twelve years old. With Una Casita de Esperanza, she tells an inspiring, semi-autobiographical story of how immigrants can help each other find their footing in a new country.
An English edition, The Little House of Hope, is also available.
A Bank Street Best Children's Picture Book of the Year in Spanish
Una selección del Junior Library Guild
A New York Public Library Best Book of the Year
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