NO KID IS AN ISLAND

Lola has a school assignment to draw a picture of the country she's originally from--but unlike most of the other kids in her class full of immigrants, she was too young to remember anything before her family left to come to America. She is frustrated that she can't remember her birthplace, so she has to rely on the memories of all the people in her neighborhood who also came from the unspecified island. Her cousin tells her about the bats as big as blankets, Mrs. Bernard, who sells her empanadas, tells her there's so much music people are dancing in their sleep, and Jhonathan the barber tells her about mangoes so sweet they make you want to cry. All her friends and family and neighbors are eager to regale her with the vibrant sights and sounds and smells of their native island. All except for Mr. Mir, who is initially hesitant to share his not-so-fond memories. But when he does, Lola learns of the dreadful monster that terrified the island until the brave people banded together to rise up against it. She takes all the combined memories--both sweet and sorrowful--and turns them into a breathtaking drawing that brings the island to life for her and her classmates. 

Pulitzer-prize winning author Junot Diaz infuses Islandborn, his first book for children, with beautifully evocative language that breathes life into each character, not least of which is the island itself. Leo Espinosa's illustrations provide the perfect compliment to the text, both stunning and heartfelt. 

This transporting and life-affirming picture book is filled to the brim with lyrical language, bright and dynamic illustrations, a touch of allegory, and more than a little spot-on humor, and is ideal for more sophisticated picture book readers in kindergarten through sixth grade.