This book's bilingual text tells the story of a young child and his parents as they leave the United States for Mexico during the repatriation process in the 1930s -- an overlooked part of U.S. history. The child's family -- mother and son were born in the United States; Papa was born in Mexico -- harvests pecans in Texas until new immigration policies and the threat of deportation force them to move to Mexico to keep their family together. Martinez's straightforward prose centers the boy's feelings of sadness, uncertainty, and hope as he leaves his home behind for a place he and Mama only know about from Papa's stories. The cool colors of Mora's dreamlike gouache, ink, and digital illustrations offer reassurance as the family drives toward their future. An appended author's note details a difficult history of forced migration shared by many, while the story emphasizes the importance of family and ultimately feels optimistic. Butterflies -- a contemporary symbol of the immigrants' rights movement -- are included on most pages. This motif and the author's note contextualize the historically set narrative within the continued struggle for immigrants' rights.

In this bilingual English-Spanish tale, a brown-skinned child describes the journey their family must undertake, heading to a country only Papá knows.The child's sorrow is palpable as the house is packed and the tías are tearfully embraced. On the road, the family passes a boarded-up bakery and a store with a sign declaring that Mexicans aren't served there. When nighttime comes, they and other families sit by a campfire and talk about the lives they left behind; the child's parents describe picking pecans "here in Texas." The book ends with the family reaching the Mexican border; the author's note explains that the story takes place in the 1930s during a largely forgotten chapter of U.S. history: Mexican Repatriation. After the Mexican-American War of the 1840s, Mexican territories were annexed by the United States, and many Mexicans were encouraged to come to the United States to work; during the Great Depression, however, many were forced to leave. Some families, like the one in this story, included both U.S. citizens and those born in Mexico and so chose to leave together to avoid being separated. Martínez's straightforward text and Mora's signature smudgy yet vibrant illustrations bring to life a story that reminds us that little has changed in U.S. history, as immigrant families still face deportation and the fear of separation. (This book was reviewed digitally.)A tale about a specific moment in history that is nevertheless universal. (Picture book. 5-8)