ESCAPE: An Age-Old, HUMAN, Story

LANTANA, 2021

 Can you name twelve synonyms for, or words related to, ESCAPE? 

(Take a moment to try.)

 The authors of ESCAPE: One Day We Had To Run managed to do so, using those words to structure a dramatic nonfiction picture book on the topic. Ming & Wah wrote the text and Carmen Vela illustrated the dozen accounts of ESCAPE with a variety of colors and tones, with sweeping scenes and emotionally packed shadows and angles. 

The twelve words they used as a table of contents?

CLING...DART...DEFY...DISGUISE...FLEE...FLY...PEDAL...RAFT...SPRINT...

STOWAWAY...SWIM...TUNNEL

Each of these launches a double page spread devoted to a single escape account spanning three centuries. Refugee stories in Western culture alone are timeless, going back to Moses parting the sea and even back to Adam and Eve being ejected from the Garden. Escaping persecution, trauma, unlivable condition, war, and expulsion is a human conditions that has occurred as long as there have been humans. The authors share twelve dramatic, actual events that reveal a wide range of people, causes, times, and places. 

Each double spread treatment uses the featured word, followed by a line or two. That, and a page of explanatory narrative, sprawl across an illustration that exposes and expands the harrowing accounts described. The first example is 

CLING: Syria to Greece, 2015. 

                                DON'T LET GO. HOLD TIGHT. NEVER GIVE UP.

The last steps to safety for two girls traveling with family and more in an overloaded boat takes them from Turkey to Greece. To avoid swamping the boat, the girls CLING to the sides of the boat, propelling and guiding it to their destination despite extreme cold and being ignored by passing boats. I particularly appreciated how often the refugees were described in years following their escapes, revealing their successes and contributions the their receiving nations.

These 2015 escapes were current events and came back to me in reading them here, although other accounts were more distant memories or even unknown. For example, DISGUISE: Scotland to France, 1745, is the account of Bonnie Prince Charles who, having failed to secure the British crown, fled for his life to France. Yes, disguised as a hooded woman. The remainder of his life was spent in various disguises as he fled and hid throughout Europe. 

The illustrations capture the tone and settings of each true journey with minimal figures, perspectives, geographic elements, and varied tones and depths. Opening and ending spreads were particularly helpful. The book concludes with the brief text from the UNIVERSAL DECLARATiON OF HUMAN RIGHTS, Article 13 and 14. Freedom, emigration, and asylum in safe countries are broadly agreed upon rights of every human, and yet societies and power groups make such journeys futile, or tenuous at best. Immigration and asylum claims are treated as current or even recent problems when every one of us knows this is not true. 

This book helps to share the global and timeless experiences of such desperate escapes. The opening spread helps in that, offering a minimalist double spread global map. The expanse of water as our planet's dominant feature is evident, and map details are few, allowing readers to note the twelve migrations indicated across our shared geography. In addition, the suggestion of an eastern sun and western crescent moon emphasis the passing of time during these journeys, and a subtle suggestion of the northern and southern jet streams suggest the never-ending forces of tides and winds and weather. 

Overall, this collection of escape stories provides perspective on the truth about human escape and need for safe harbor. It will be invaluable in classrooms, homes, and libraries when shared with children, ranging from young to teen. It also offers adults a chance to step away from headlines and recognize the WHO and WHY of current refugees and of our own personal and social histories. After all, the PILGRIMS came as a persecuted group, seeking a new home.

It could happen to any of us again.

BARBED WIRE BETWEEN US: Fort Sill, Oklahoma

 It's hard to have to admit that this is a nonfiction look at a real place, FORT SILL, OKLAHOMA.

Even harder to admit that a country that erred horribly in turning this place into a concentration camp of American Japanese over half a century ago, a country that acknowledged and attempted to make compensatory payments, would now, as you read this, be using the same facility in a similar way. 

Hardest of all is acknowledging that these choices arose out of fear. 

Red Comet Press, 2026

Not the fear by those wrongly contained, but from a population whose fears were enflamed politically and without validity.

BARBED WIRE BETWEEN US is written by Mia Wenjen and illustrated by Violeta Encarnacion. The cover image implies both the similarity and contrast between the original use during WWI and the use now as a detention center for those accused of illegal immigration or violation of immigration laws for simply being "not us".

The remarkable technique uses a pattern similar to a REVERSO POEM. In this case, the book provides haunting and revealing images on each page along with brief text, a line or two that adds to the story of the lives so severely impacted during these fateful times. The first half of the book provides a color-shift at midpoint but continues the story with new characters. Once the pages end, readers are invited to begin again, reading back to front. The language and experiences now become eerily distinct but painfully mirror the original imprisonment experience. 

In both cases the incarcerations involved fear of "OTHERS", using a wartime-threat premise that could never really be justified. Both feature young residents, some suffering separation from trusted adults, and the powerful, painful contrast between hope and reality. 

Backmatter addresses the facts as well as offering a brief note about REVERSO poetry. What is not mentioned, which felt especially painful to me, is that this forward/backward reading cycle is, to a degree, like a mobius strip in which there really is no end. One small twist makes that happen, but once in place it becomes inevitable. Our earlier history was shameful enough, but to see that it is repeating is beyond shameful. The thought that this will continue to occur in the future with new "others" is appalling. And yet, we can no longer doubt  or deny it is happening. 

PLEASE, read this, share it, and then join me in finding ways to end this current chapter of our countries errors and prevent it from happening again. I have no answers as to HOW. A great start is to simply raise awareness of the horror of today's practices. This book is elegantly powerful in doing just that.

NAVIGATING NIGHT: A Glimpse At Family Work

 The first week of MAY is designated to celebrate SMALL BUSINESSES, and that's a topic worthy of attention throughout the year. Many "small businesses" are larger than you'd think, but are designated as such because they are not massive, large-stock companies. They may or may not be family-owned, may employ dozens or even hundreds of folks, but they remain "small fish" in the big pond of our American economy. A great many "small businesses" are more micr-businesses, run entirely or  nearly-so by family.  Relatives keep things running, or others may be employed as needed or seasonally. These often operate on shoestring budgets and rely on local support to remain viable. 

That description is especially typical of independent food service operations, from mobile food trucks to corner shops to multi-outlets in a single community. The demands on family members to make such a business succeed are incredible. We can try to imagine what those stresses might be if we take a moment to appreciate having their services available in our neighborhoods. 

ANNE SCWARTZ BOOKS, 2026

NAVIGATING NIGHT, written by Julie Leung and illustrated by Angie Kang, is a recently released picture book that invites readers along for the ride as Baba (father) takes his daughter along for the end-of-night delivery from his Chinese restaurant. It is a dark and dreary night, and she is more than just a companion. In this pre-GPS story, daughter navigates using a physical map, providing directions throughout multiple deliveries. She wishes she could be home, watching television or playing games. She cringes when witnessing the verbal assaults on her father or lack of tips if the delivery isn't prompt enough. 

Their time together, though, is priceless. Baba uses their drive to reveal his own challenges while in China, during times of fear and hunger. As they struggle to find delivery routes to new addresses, Baba describes his solo journey to this country. He was chosen as the one to use a single ticket, designated as the source of support for his family there and also the family he would build in a new world. Tender text references the hardships of isolation, lacking local language, and seeking ways to survive for himself and secure the future of his families. 

Baba's story is dark and intense but dealt with gently, as are the colors of the soft-edged illustrations. As they nearly complete the deliveries, Baba reminds daughter that he would be "lost" without her. The tone-shift to a steaming meal at the warmly lit family table in the restaurant shines through with love and appreciation. That goes both ways, as Baba makes daughter feel valued and daughter (the narrator) sees her own routines and her family life in new light. 

CANDLEWICK, 2025

The author note reveals that the story reflects her childhood memories, sharing a sense of the cross-generational sacrifices within immigrant families. Children become translators, navigators, and advocates. I highly recommend reading aloud this author note and the illustrator's note after sharing the book. The story is stacked with potential for young listeners to share their own experiences of family responsibilities and heritage. The storytelling and illustration also offer mentor text and images for young writers to find "small moments" from their own lives with family and caregivers that can reveal layers of values and caring. 

This lovely family story invites returns from readers in the same way that a favorite family restaurant calls us back again and again. If you are interested in another recent book about parent jobs at night, check out NIGHT JOB, written by Karen Hesse and illustrated by G. Brian Karas. In this one the dad is the night shift custodian in a school, which should intrigue many a student!

UNBREAKABLE: A Loaded and Heartbreaking Account of Japanese Internment

ABRAMS BOOKS FOR YOUNG READERS, 2026

 I have a strong interest in and curiosity about history, in large part because of the STORY in hiSTORY. This picture book relates one such compelling and important story, co-authored by a member of the actual family portrayed and told with only slight variation from the way the experience actually unfolded.

 UNBREAKABLE: A JAPANESE AMERICAN FAMILY IN AN AMERICAN INCARCERATION CAMP is co-authored by Minoru (Min) Tonai and Jolene Gutiérrez, with illustrations by Chris Sasaki. 

It's my sincere hope that the facts surrounding one of this country's most shameful policies and practices is not unknown to any adult readers, and that most young people will have learned about it by the time they reach elementary school. Whether that's the case or not, this makes a significant contribution to the topic and could be a powerful introduction to the history and important discussions.

I've shared a few other picture book accounts of that history HERE, HERE, and HERE. Others, like ALLEN SAY, have devoted their lives to sharing aspects of this history (personal and national) throughout his long and lauded career. As with Holocaust stories, or any survival stories, each account reveals specifics unique to that individual and family, but also contributes to understanding the patterns of their combined experiences, elements that tell an even bigger story. And TRUTHS.  Each story matters, and, combined, they matter even more.

In the case of this story, the co-author MIN was a child when his father was visited at their home in California, accusing him of being a spy. Min and his siblings were born in the United States, but that offered no protection after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Neither did it matter that their neighbors and friends offered testament to the family's loyalty to their adopted country. Min's father is taken for investigation and kept from them for years, while Min and his family were forced from their home with limited belongings, no answers, and nothing but hope that they would one day see their father again. 

The literary device used in telling this account was that Min's father gave him a small rock before he was taken, a symbol and reminder to stay strong. This narrative choice emerged from Min's early fascination with rocks and his  eventual use of rocks throughout the long internment: to beautify the grounds, to establish order in their surroundings. Eventually the war wound down, the closure of the camps began, and the return of Min and his family (including his father) to their homes was as unceremonious as was their removal. 

Back matter describes more details, clarifies the facts, and provides a timeline.The lifelong mission of Min to speak in schools and groups about this part of history is well-documented. Although he died (age 94) before the book's release in 2026, his adult children continue his outreach mission . The US government acknowledged the illegality and damage of this policy and practice many decades later, and young readers today are digital witnesses to patterns that mirror this discriminatory and illegal practice with other populations, using many of the same arguments that failed to justify the actions against immigrants and native born citizens. 

Sasaki is an award-winning animator (Pixar) and picture book illustrator whose command of color, light, shadow, and contrast are powerful and well-suited to this stark story. The figures themselves are tenderly sympathetic but firmly linear and compelling. Lines throughout felt suggestive of bars and fencing, whether vertical or horizontal. Even the blinds in the windows with their filtered light foreshadow the horizontal barbed wire wrapping the camp. There is rich fodder for discussions of injustice, xenophobia, fear, and abuse of power, but the quiet strength and dignity of the family (and many others) invites empathy and support. The span of time during which people were incarcerated allowed Min to grow from a preteen to a young man, while his parents aged beyond the calendar years. 

Whether this historic era and heartbreaking incarceration is new or a sadly familiar tale, this book deserves a place on your shelves and in your hearts. I hope you'll read it. Reflect, please, how painfully harmful FEAR is, especially when it is the driver of policy. Notice that those who were implementing the investigations and incarcerations are not shown clearly, reminding me of the masked ICE agents in today's assualts on individual rights. Those who have nothing  to be ashamed of in their choices and actions are not afraid to stand and be seen. 

THREAD BY THREAD: An unforgettable Journey

 Here's a picture book that enchants on its surface and aches at its core. How to write about refugees for very young audiences and still resonate with heart and hope? Try this one. Then, perhaps donate to a school or refugee center or family, or talk it up with someone you know who might not seem welcoming to the need for acceptance of desperate humans. I know, these are mice, but the story is universal!

Eerdman Books for Young Readers, 2023

THREAD BY THREAD is written by Alice Briere-Haquet and illustrated by Michela Eccli, with translation by Sarah Ardizzone. The cover image allows for some effective predicting. This seems like a delightful and charming story, a clever presentation of the warmth of family and home using mixed media and delicate but appealing line art in color. If that was your guess, you'd be right, on the first spread. 

But the title page features one unraveled strand of yarn, suggesting that the peace and contentment are short-lived. Endpapers, too, show that curly, unfurled yarn from the faoundaitonof the family's home along with some other yarns in different colors and conditions. 

The  minimal text is as pure as the knit one/purl one process that once constructed the security of their lives. The race to escape is inevitable, show on mostly white pages with literal and symbolic images shown in scenes combining color pencil art and yarn. Tension rises as the dangers increase, the pace intensifies, and the stakes rise. With nearly nothing to cling to, the escape across waves includes loss, and arrival reveals an armored encounter. What happens next is where the heart and hope enter the design. This community effort not only helps produce a new roof over their heads, but builds a social network and surprises that suggest not only safety but joy. 

This irresistible little picture book contains a global story, told through the universally identifable characters of mice. By no means does it replace picture books that reveal more details and specifics of individual and varied refugees and their cultures. For some examples that I've reviewed in the past, check HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, and CROCODILE CROSSSING. 

And if that knit-bit caught your attention, check out Mac Barnett and jon Klassen's EXTRA YARN.

Side note: I read this and loved it when it first released a few years ago. The warm response (in the midst of ice and ICE) of the Minneapolis community brought it back to mind. If you know of little ones who are wondering about the things they see in news and media, remind them that the horror and chaos are nominally caused by concern about refugees and immigrants. The en-armored characters on the arrival shores could be discussed as having potential for acceptance or rejection... or worse. The choice they make (those with power and authority) leads to this happy and satisfying ending. The other titles linked can help do the same. Don't miss out on using such a tender and fun picture ebook with young audiences. 

Side-side note: This book works especially well as a LAP book (even if that just means Looking At Particulars). This is a delightful example of ways that illustration details, even the smallest, hold full stories within them and enhance the encompassing story with richness and depth.

THE BLUE HOUSE I LOVED; Coming Soon!

University of Minnesota Press, 2026

 In less than a month a new picture book will release and it is worth pre-ordering, in my opinion. (Thank you to University of Minnesota press for an advance copy to read with no promise of a review). THE BLUE HOUSE I LOVE is written by Kao Kalia Yang and illustrated by Jen Shin. The narrative text adopts a look-back, first person voice, capturing the child point-of-view within a reflective account of a time of struggle and poverty that was nevertheless rich with family love, security, and joy.

The cover suggests the approach in voice and in illustration that hints at a misty/memory quality blended with architectural accuracy and detail. Readers will sense that from the title page in which crisp-line border that suggests features the drawing tools used to achieve the precision of blueprints.

Both narrative elements (naming the corner street location in St. Paul, and the build-date and history of this blue house) and illustration technique combine emotional resonance and family resilience with structural elements as if the building had been sliced to provide a view though the fourth wall. This Blue House was the source from which the Hmong family found refuge and stability, the footing on which to launch independence and progress. Within those exposed walls were the aspects of life that offered comfort from minimal means, including a splash of color in the rug. 

Without revealing a spoiler, things change. Even so, memories remain. Within those memories the narrator finds herself reliving and always remembering life in the BLUE HOUSE she loved. 

This is not only a lovely reminiscence of a childhood that certainly involved struggle but was wrapped in a sense of home and family and security. I connected with that entirely, even though my family's immigration story was several generations before I was born, and our struggles did not involve the social pressures faced by those adapting to new languages and cultures. Even so, my first memories of a childhood home involve specific architectural elements shared with the BLUE HOUSE (the single bathroom shared by many, the back porch where life unfolded), and the time spent with extended family, playing on the concrete basement floors, and more. 

For anyone who teaches or encourages writing from personal experiences and small moments, this is ideal mentor text to read and discuss. It's also a rich and robust view of a Hmong family living specific to its culture but also typical of many families, immigrant or not. There are far too few picture books (or novels) that center universal experiences from points of view beyond Black or White. (And too few from Black perspectives, too. Click here to see data.) When a picture book of this quality and rarity does appear on the scene, encourage friends, librarians, teachers, and readers to discover and enjoy it! 

THE LITTLE HOUSE OF HOPE: What WELCOME Looks Like

 Some picture books are like portals to the past, for me. A new release merits attention and praise on its own, but its connection with an all-time favorite of mine can't be ignored. To begin, though, I'll give the new title the full treatment before making that connection at the end of this post. 

Neal Porter Books, 2022

THE LITTLE HOUSE OF HOPE is written by Terry Catasus Jennings and illustrated by Caldecott medalist Raul Colon. My  bottom line for this is "textured brilliance". That will take some unpacking, but it's worth the effort. 

Beginning with the author note, which comes before the main text, we learn that  Jennings wrote this book with both anger and pride. Both came from personal experiences in being confronted by overt bias and residential restrictions based on immigration status. The stated rationale of one realtor was that immigrants would house multiple families in a single dwelling (often, but not necessarily, true), followed by his pejorative conclusion that this practice would inevitably lead to deterioration of property conditions and value. The author's pride arises from her own experiences in which such a pattern did occur, with her own family making room for others. But that extended family/friend support meant each and every family involved would move on to independent success and citizenship. Her father came to this country to escape political imprisonment, managing that same success and more. Outreach from other immigrants, and the support her family could eventually offer to others, inspired deep pride.

"Textured" refers literally to such layers within the text, and to the subtle illustration undercurrents of lines, waves, and shades of color within sprawls and details on every spread. This technique employs natural coloring, shadows, and shading that evoke both timelessness and a slightly old-style classic effect. This story and the patterns it celebrates are as old as our country's history, from initial colonization to later homesteading and eventual industrial immigration. That open embrace and shared identity within family, ethnic, or language-based communities have been the safety nets that launched a nation of workers, learners, leaders, and citizens. It continues to do so, with the beacon of HOPE as a consistent concept over centuries.

In this case, a contemporary fictional family's search for a new life reflects Hispanic language, customs and cultural references/language. The daughter, Esperanza, (her name translates as HOPE) applies her talent to make welcoming posters for each of the families who find short-term respite and support within their little house (Una Casita). Both parents work multiple jobs to cover expenses and allow them to  supplement elbow grease with paint and cleaning supplies, improving the home's worth on financial, aesthetic, and emotional levels. The simple narrative incorporates the journeys of several other families whose lives both confirm that realtor's assumptions (multiple families sharing the residence) and defies them (each improving the little house with love, laughter, hard work, and entrepreneurship). We learn that the initial family's progress leads to mastery of English, citizenship, and resuming professional careers they once practiced in their homelands. Throughout each transition, young ESPERANZA provides her message of uplifting hope!

Original Release; 1942
Caldecott Gold Medal Award

As promised, here's the connection this new book brought to mind: THE LITTLE HOUSE, written and illustrated by Virginia Lee Burton. In this classic and timeless story, it is the little house in the country that is eventually encroached on, surrounded by, nearly swallowed-up by urban sprawl. The personality of the house  itself is the star, without relying on anthropomorphizing it. The eventual solution is gratifying and continues to apply to modern day urban/suburban/ex-urban sprawl. The ideas, in this and in THE LITTLE HOUSE OF HOPE, offer parallel concepts of values, crowding, communities, identity, and the importance of acceptance and providing room to grow, to thrive. Both also float the sense that this is not a cycle that will (or should) end with the closing of the book cover. If you've never read this one, please do. And be sure to get a copy of THE LITTLE HOUSE OF HOPE, sooner rather than later. It is yet another picture book that reaches the minds and hearts of adults every bit as well as it does those of young audiences. 

While I'm on the topic of HOPE, check out the latest in a series of poetry anthologies for middle graders from POMELO BOOKS, WHAT IS HOPE?.100% of the profits will be donated to the IBBY Children in Crisis Fund, providing books for children in need, especially in war-torn countries like UKRAINE. Can be ordered anywhere, but also directly from the publisher, HERE. I am excited and honored that one of my poetry submissions is included.

The Notebook Keeper: A Story of Kindness from the Border

This is "don't miss it" title across many ages. 

Random House Studio, NY, 2022

THE NOTEBOOK KEEPER: A Story of Kindness From the Border is written by Stephen Briseno and illustrated by Magdelena Mora. I'm tempted to call this nonfiction, but it is actually an informational fiction account of the process that emerged at our southwest  border crossing. For anyone paying attention, the notebook keeper role will be a familiar one. It has been reported in many national media outlets. Those who are seeking/getting their "news" from sources with anti-immigrant messages may not know of the process. 

It is not a "pretty picture", to visualize the chaos and terror of having survived travel through the harshest hardships from a dangerous homeland, only to be told to "wait right there" for indefinitely long periods of time. No resources, no answers, no real hope or trust that a potential crossing for asylum will follow weeks or months of waiting; no protection from their previous dangers and disasters or new ones in this crowded situation. 

In spite of that reality, this is a story of kindness, as the subtitle says, although the mother/daughter refugees  are not greeted with kindness by officials at the border. Uniformed guards and a seemingly endless wall prevent their ability to enter the USA and seek a chance to tell their story.

As a growing crowd waits, fear and confusion increase. The Notebook Keeper arrives, calmly introducing herself and beginning a process to enter their names in her notebook, assigning each group of ten names a single number in the order they are added. After adding their names and origins, the girl (Noemi) and Mama settle uncomfortably into a tent city, wondering how soon their number might be called. 

The next few pages reveal Noemi speaking with the Notebook Keeper, Belinda, and learning that she, too, is waiting for her own number to be called. Even so, she stays encouraging and smiling and handles her volunteer job with care and accuracy. The days blend into weeks, but heightened anxiety is relieved by choosing to be kind and helpful and encouraging during their wait. The full circle moment arrives when  Belinda's number is called and she selects Noemi and Mama to take over the Notebook Keeper job until they, too, have a turn to cross. 

The point is made earlier in the story that being called to cross does not mean being allowed to stay. Asylum claims will be made and heard, then a quick decision follows. It may be decided that there is cause to allow further hearings, in which case they may stay, temporarily. If that decision instead finds not enough support for asylum, they must return across the border to Mexico later that day, with no second chances. 

It is a major moment, a chance to be heard. Even so, the major moment in this story does not include news of Belinda's decision and fate, or the time the mother/daughter pair will continue to wait. Instead, the focus is on those in the most stressful and  fearful situations still finding a path to choose kindness, encouragement, and empathy. Helping others in whatever ways possible. It's also clear just how powerful that is in providing human respect to those being herded or ignored like animals.

For such a complex and foreboding topic and details, the simple art includes expressive faces and physical spaces that clarify the text and struggles while remaining age appropriate, not overwhelming. For children (and adults) who have lived this experience the story could be triggering, but it could also be validating and welcomed for opening eyes to an often-ignored or distorted reality. I suggest previewing the story with those audiences before sharing directly, allowing their own choice to participate or not. By no means should anyone ASSUME or prod individuals to share experiences publicly without clarifying and respecting their preferences in advance.

A brief author's note and selected resources are provided to allow young readers and their adults to learn more and confirm the facts of this process. To read a  bit more about it now, CLICK HERE. Even if you have no young people to read this book to/with, get your hands on it and read it for yourselves, please.

Not As Simple As It Seems, Is It?

In the last post I featured a variety of quality titles related to Independence Day, from light-hearted to local to Miss Liberty. Underlying themes abound within their covers. These include, but aren't limited to: patriotism, community service, international cooperation and collaboration, recognition of human rights for people of every color and background, and projects with noble intentions that never seem to reach completion.

Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2013

Which brings me to this week's single title, the very recent release, PANCHO RABBIT AND THE COYOTE: A Migrant's Tale, written and illustrated by Duncan Tonatiuh. This award-winning book creator is also one impressive storyteller. I find myself returning to my favorite Levar Burton/Reading Rainbow quote: "But don't take my word for it..." Here's just a bit of what the Chicago Sun-Times had to say about Tonatiuh's latest creation: 

"Dora the Explorer never took a trip like this."

and

"The author, 28-year-old Duncan Tonatiuh, says he isn’t following the current immigration bill in Washington and didn’t write the book as a political statement. Tonatiuh, whose previous children’s book on Mexican painter Diego Rivera earned an award from the American Library Association, says he just wanted to give young illegal immigrants living in the United States a bedside story they can relate to.

'I wanted them to see that people that go into the U.S. like this face an incredibly dangerous journey,' says Tonatiuh, who was born and raised in Mexico and has dual U.S.-Mexican citizenship. 'But I also wanted to show the longing between families, the fact that there are a lot of children in Mexico who don’t see their fathers for years.' ”

Earning starred reviews from Booklist, Kirkus Review, and Publishers' Weekly, the story works as a traditional tale and also as an allegory for the lives of countless Mexican and South American migrants facing a lose-lose decision when it comes to survival for themselves and their families.

I'll return to that aspect soon, but first let's take a closer look at the art of the book. Backmatter includes this brief statement: "The illustrations are hand drawn, then digitally collaged". I examine the art in picture books very closely on a daily basis, but I'll admit I had no idea how Tonatiuh accomplished this until reading that, and I'm mightily impressed with the process and the end results. 

Viking Press, 1999

The various textures, weaves, and components are intriguing and impressive, reminding me a bit of the elaborate collage production of Caldecott-winning JOSEPH HAD A LITTLE OVERCOAT by Simms Taback. And yet Duncan's book is utterly distinct and fascinating, a truly original style. 

As for the narrative, the cycle of Coyote's promises, "reasonable" demands, and eventual betrayal could be right out of the pages of a medieval folk tale, or from the pages of a twenty-first century newspaper report on immigration issues.

Tonatiuh addresses both levels of the story in the back matter, offering a Spanish glossary and author's notes, referencing the dual connotations of "coyote" as both a legendary trickster and as an illegal immigration border escort, every bit as unreliable and potentially deadly as the character in this story. 

Whatever your position may be on the current attempts to modernize and revamp the immigration laws in the Senate and the House, you should read this, including all the supplementary materials. It may not change your mind, and it was not written to espouse a political position. What it just might do is to humanize the issue, despite the fact that Pancho and his family are portrayed as rabbits. 

Reflecting on the themes explored briefly in last week's post, I can't help but wonder how the deeply entrenched constituencies on this topic would each claim identical aspects of American values, as listed in the opening paragraph above. How is it that patriotism, community service, international cooperation and collaboration, recognition of human rights for people of every color and background, and dissatisfaction with projects having noble intentions but an inability to reach completion can lead to deadlock? Aren't these values the prerequisites for and foundation of reasonable debate and constructive compromise? 

Shouldn't we demand that simplistic and rigid positions be jettisoned in favor of open minds and a willingness to compromise? I'm not presuming to say that reaching compromise would be simple, but it should not go unfinished.

Is it so hard to imagine that there's more thought-provoking truth in a picture book like this one than in the endlessly rehearsed and restated positions of pundits?