| Title | : | Islandborn |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0735229864 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780735229860 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages | : | 48 |
| Publication | : | First published January 1, 2018 |
| Awards | : | Pura Belpré Award Illustrator (2019), Goodreads Choice Award Picture Books (2018) |
So when Lola's teacher asks the students to draw a picture of where their families immigrated from, all the kids are excited. Except Lola. She can't remember The Island—she left when she was just a baby. But with the help of her family and friends, and their memories—joyous, fantastical, heartbreaking, and frightening—Lola's imagination takes her on an extraordinary journey back to The Island. As she draws closer to the heart of her family's story, Lola comes to understand the truth of her abuela's words: “Just because you don't remember a place doesn't mean it's not in you.”
Islandborn Reviews
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“Just because you can’t remember a place doesn’t mean it isn’t in you.”
Each year my family reads all the Goodreads-award-nominated picture books. This is book #18 (of 20) of 2018, and this is one of our clear favorites of the year, maybe the collective favorite. Lola was born on an island (which we suspect may be the Dominican Republic, see below) but not raised there. For a school assignment asking her to draw pictures of where she was born, she needs help from relatives and neighbors to make the place come alive for her. Terrific novelist Diaz (who was born in the Dominican Republic) and illustrator Leo Espinoza (from Colombia) put together a sweet book. As it turns out, Lola has many classmates in her school that are from places not in the U. S.
Hank (12): 4.5 stars. She got to find herself, yay!
Harry (13): 5 stars. I love how she got to connect with her neighborhood and find herself.
Tara: 5 stars. Loved this! Loved her talking to al the adults about the island.
Dave: 5 stars. “Matteo had lived in a desert so hot that even the cactus fainted.”
Yeah, Diaz, who is hilarious writing for adults, also can be funny writing for kids:
“Nelson even forgot his last name once, for like an hour.”
The book is rich with language and cultural references and rainbow colors—agua de coco, guira, mangoes, bat blankets.
And doesn’t ignore The Monster that made people leave The Island in droves, though they decided not to specify this political terrorism in a kid’s book. Mr. Mir tells them about it, is glad he left there.
Lola gets most of her help from her abuela, who tells her stories of the old country that help her fill her sketchbook.
“Even in their sleep people dance there!”
"Memory is magic!"
Maybe too many words from the novelist Diaz for a typical little kid picture book, but it tells a simple story of cultural celebration, with lots of dancing dialogue and colors. -
So, here's a children's librarian secret: sometimes, when we're supposed to be shelf-reading during our down time, we see a book on the shelf and go, "Oh, this looked so cute when I ordered it, but I forgot to actually read it!" and since picture books are so tiny, we just go ahead and read it right there and have our little moment of warm fuzzies and move on. Or sometimes, such as with me and Islandborn earlier today, we end up scurrying off to the bathroom to hide until we can contain ourselves because wow, who knew a children's book was going to trigger the waterworks today?
Anyways, seriously, this book is so beautiful and literally had me crying in the stacks today. My heart absolutely breaks for anyone experiencing diasporia, anyone missing their home or wishing they remembered more of it, and anyone whose home has ever been taken from them by a monster like the Monster from the Island. I absolutely cannot recommend Islandborn highly enough. -
As an immigrant myself (from Germany), I have found much with regard to Junot Díaz' 2018 Islandborn to which I can personally relate, although unlike Lola I do and even very strongly remember Germany (as we immigrated to Canada in 1976 when I was ten years old and not such as in Lola's case, when she was baby).
And yes, what I absolutely and totally do appreciate the most about Islandborn is that Lola (when she asks around in her neighbourhood for a school project about one's place of origin) is not simply told the positives of the Island, such as beaches, music, fresh fruit of amazing sizes (with the Island most likely being the Dominican Republic) but also some of the negatives (such as for example the reign of the "Monster" which most probably refers to Dominican dictator Rafael Trujillo who ruled with an iron fist from 1930 until his assassination in 1961, although his name is actually NEVER mentioned in Islandborn). For in my humble opinion, it is ALWAYS important to not only tell children the truth (as much as possible) but also with regard to immigrants' nostalgia for their homelands for us to also be both willing and able to depict and describe (and yes to also accept) both positive and negative aspects and points of the latter (such as in Lola's case, such as in Islandborn the monstrous reign of Rafael Trujillo or in my case, with regard to Germany, the Third Reich and the Holocaust, the horrors Nazism).
Because as long as we remember (or rather as long as we are willing to recall and accept) both the good and the bad, as long as our remembrances provide a combination of the latter and do neither overestimate the positives nor just harp on the negatives, fondly and with realistic nostalgia remembering our countries and places of origin or as in Lola's case, being told stories about the same is both uplifting and important, an essential ingredient of our sense of self (and which in my opinion has wonderfully and successfully been achieved by Junot Díaz in and with Islandborn, for as Lola learns about the Island she does not remember, and after being told many stories and anecdotes about the Dominican Republic, she realises that even though she now lives in the United States of America and does in fact not possess any personal remembrances of the Island, the latter is and always will be part of her person, as well as her background).
Highly recommended (and indeed a wonderful marriage of Junot Díaz' printed words and Leo Espinosa's colourfully expressive accompanying illustrations), but in my opinion, perhaps not really all that suitable for young toddlers (as while the text of Islandborn is actually pretty gentle, albeit sometimes perhaps a bit wordy, Leo Espinosa's picture of the "Monster" is in my humble opinion incredibly creepy and aesthetically, visually frightening, basically a huge green bat-like entity with white holes for its eyes and huge fangs, and as a picture, something that I for one would have definitely been very much frightened of when I was very young). Four shining stars (and actually and indeed, the only reason why I have not considered five stars for Islandborn is that personally, I would want and yes even require, need an author's note at the back, with non fiction information on the Dominican Republic and especially regarding Rafael Trujillo and his reign of dictaorial terror). -
This is a lovely book. It’s poetic, it has a lot of humor, and a more than a bit of sweetness/pathos. I particularly liked the humor throughout, in both the words and the pictures. I loved the many Spanish words, most with English translations. The art is spectacular, full of color and vibrancy. Gorgeous! This is a perfect book for anyone who comes from elsewhere, or whose family does, and for everybody really since almost everyone knows some people who’ve rather recently come from other places. Great book for my part of the world, where so many children are immigrants or have parents who are immigrants. Every school and public library should have at least one copy of this book. It’s beautifully done. I want to reread it just to view the art again. I appreciate the photos of the author & the illustrator in their short bio sections on the inside back cover because I love it when book creators of children's books use photos of themselves when they were children! 4-1/2 stars
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Lola has a school project due - to draw a picture of the land they were from as children before they came to the states. Lola was a baby when she left and didn’t have any memories of the place so she went and asked all of her community about the Island. Through all the different people she got a pretty good picture of what the Island was like for many people and she learned about her past.
I love this device. Each person remembers something different about the Island, good and bad. It’s a fun history and a way to see inside this community. The colors are bright and we see the stories being told. This is a longer story.
The nephew wasn’t so enthused about this book. He did like the monster that came at the end. He thought it was not a very exciting story really. People just talking about memories. That isn’t his favorite thing. He gave this 2 stars; the monster kept it from being 1 star. -
Lovely illustrations of a Dominican NYC girls' world -- no white people in her class, including the teacher. Loving family and community. Lots of good memories of home (and one really bad one). The text is a little bit adult-focused, but it's not a bad start for an amazing adult writer!
Also, I LOL'd at Nelson like 3 times, and was glad his mom brought the cupcakes. She knows what it's like to be with Nelson all day, y'all. -
I feel like I've been hearing the phrase "may you live in interesting times" quite a bit lately. Its supposedly a Chinese curse that's meant to refer to a life lived in a constant state of conflict and crisis. Its often said to me in reference to the neon orange Nazi in the White House but its equally applicable to the ever growing refugee and immigration crisis here as well.
We are a nation of immigrants and it kills me how often we seem to need reminding of that fact. We are a nation built with the blood, sweat, and tears of the countless men, women and children who came and continue to come to this country seeking a better life. Their songs, their stories, their music, their poetry and their lives are the vital essence that keeps us growing as a nation. We have always been a safe harbor for the politically, socially, and religiously persecuted, at least according to the beautiful lady who still stands watch from Liberty Island. That is the America I live in anyway.
Junot Diaz wants us all to live in that America. In this fanciful, beautiful, and emotional work of art he spins a fable about a young girl named Lola from an unnamed country simply referred to as "the Island." She attends a school where all the students are from other countries, "a school of faraway places" and her teacher wants all the students in her class to draw pictures of the first homes they left behind for this one.
The problem is Lola doesn't remember the Island. She was only a baby when she, her mother, and her Abuela and many others came north in search of better lives. Try as she might she cannot remember a single thing about her old home.
Encouraged by her mother to hear the stories of what life was like on the island for herself she travels through her neighborhood and apartment building talking with the men and women and other children who do remember. She hears about the music, the food and the beauty of the island's beach. Only the superintendent of her building, Mr. Mir, brushes her off saying no one needs to hear those stories.
So what is Mr. Mir hiding and why did Lola and her family and friends leave the island in the first place? The answer forms the heart of Mr. Diaz's story and is the reason I was a quivering mess of so many feelings after I read this to my kids the other day.
If you're like me you're always looking for ways to talk about the bullshit that goes on this world with your kids in a way that won't hurt them but will still show them that its not all unicorns farting rainbows and marshmallows. There is evil in the world and sometimes good people die or get sick with a horrible illness that has no cure and sometimes monsters come to places like the island and wreck havoc for years leaving death and destruction wherever they go.
Junot Diaz makes having a conversation like that, a hard conversation, a little easier. He celebrates the beauty and joy of the immigrant experience in America, the richness and vitality they bring to our country and its people, the sweetness and sadness that are both part of remembering where you come from, and the harder reality of never being able to go home again.
And to give you an idea of how good Leo Espinosa's illustrations are I'll just say they better be on the Caldecott shortlist this year. They are rich and bright and bursting with energy and youthful delight. As Nora hears stories of the island and begins to work on her pictures we get to see what her friends and family remember in a wonderful juxtaposition of past and present. A man getting his hair cut can actually see the mangoes he loved to eat on the island while sitting in the barber's chair and Abuela shares the gorgeous island beach with Lola with its dolphins and bright sun all from their living room sofa!
I cannot recommend this book highly enough for anyone who wants to remember how important the US is as a beacon of hope and protection for everyone in the world. Its a perfect book to read to kids from 5 to 15 though be ready for questions when you're done. It teaches without being preachy or pandering or scaring the living daylights out of even very young children. Its tells a marvelous story and virtually dazzles the eyes with astounding pictures. Also it will make you cry so be ready for that too.
Ready for more whenever you are Mr. Diaz. -
I really like the beginning of this book, actually almost until the end, when the monster came. And I did not understand the monster, or what it was or should have been, or why it is there.
Lola is a sweet kid that was born on the island. The class got an assignment to draw the place that they were born at. Every kid was from somewhere different, and the kids were excited about the drawing. Except Lola, because she did not remember anything about the island. And then, came the solution, ask others about their memories. Surprisingly, everyone outside the school was not from different places, they were all from the island...
And people shared their memories with Lola. The island was perfect. It was the best music ever, and people were dancing even in their sleep, it was the most colorful and there were rainbow people. It has fruit that will make you cry. And then, there are some people that remember why they don't live on the island any more. It was crazy hot, and there was a storm that ruined the place. And then came this strange monster. Huh?
I would go with over 3 stars, because it was quite a 4 stars before the monster. 1 monster, 1 less star. So about 3 stars. Still beautiful writing and fun book. -
"Memory is Magic."
Junot Diaz writes a picture book, lush in description and characterization, about a little Afro-Latina named Lola, discovering how special memories color our families and experiences.
Pros::
1. Ah! The brown shades of her family, neighbors, and friends dance on the page. Even the curls represent textures often ignored.
2. The story, including a monster, describes beauty, magic, wonder, and a bit of struggle overcome by the love of the islanders (I'm assuming it's the Dominican Republic).
3. The theme of feeling like a part of your family's history, no matter how young, welcomes discussion of one's past, present, and future.
4. Lola wears a puff, like me.
5. Even though this story's geared towards children, adults would enjoy reading this tale about Afro-Latinx while connecting with the key themes of family, love, and memories.
Cons:
The story works best as a read along for younger children and their parents. But, an audiobook works as well.
Verdict: 5/5 Trips to the Island Highly recommended. -
The audio download is absolutely fantastic. It's read by the author. The illustrations are vivid enough to be lovely on the screen. The text would be too small & dense for me on my tablet, so I'm glad I chose to read it on the PC. (Because I could just listen, but of course I'm a reader so I can't help read along.)
Each word is highlighted in red as it's spoken... I assume because that will help ESL students and early readers. There are a few well-placed sound effects, like music, bats, and seagulls.
I just don't understand the metaphor of the monster. There's no author's note. The author is from the Dominican Republic, so probably it's about Rafael Trujillo... if so, I'd appreciate references in the back, especially more about the young women who rose against him.
Not for the youngest children.
"Just because you don't remember a place doesn't mean it's not in you." -
Gorgeous, lush illustrations. Lots of text for a picture book, but worth the journey.
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I admit I was kind of expecting this to be trash, because lots of Serious Adult Literary Writers think they can write for children and then they write garbage that is insulting to children, but this one actually works as a story, plus it's funny for adults without smirking at children who might not get all the jokes (looking at you, Phantom Tollbooth, you smug asshole). There is a problem with this book, which is that it wants to be a picturebook (the art! Oh, I loved the art! Loved! So many brown people everywhere) because that's what he set out to write, but it's really a chapter book. It's far too wordy for what it was trying to be. But whatever. I kind of loved it. As a reader, I mean. As a reader, I loved it. As a scholar of children's literature, I have to point out that it is bad at being one thing because it's actually another.
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It is early in the year, but Islandborn is quite a standout. The text and gorgeous illustrations meld together perfectly. If I know anything about children's lit awards (and I do), Islandborn has more than a chance at one or more 2019 awards. It is a relevant, beautiful, fun and amazing children's book.
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More like 4 and a half -- my daughter says five. Beautiful look at family history of immigration through the eyes of a child. The Island seems to be the Dominican Republic and Lola and her family now live in a land of many immigrants where it snows... New York, Connecticut? - but the Island (monsters and all) is always with them. Great illustrations.
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I was able to relate to this book more than I thought I would. In high school, I was given a similar assignment, where we were supposed to give a little presentation on our family heritage. At the time, I knew next to nothing about who my ancestors were or where they'd come from. In contrast, my diverse group of friends (from places like India, Sri Lanka, and the Philippines) had no problem with the assignment; they were still in touch with their roots, and some of them had visited their countries of origin, if not actually lived there. So, after panicking a little, I had to ask around within the family, just like Lola does in this book.
The pictures are wonderful and colourful, perfectly transcribing Lola's imaginings onto the pages. She gets a fairly fanciful story about the Island (which I think is supposed to be Hispaniola, based on the map on the superintendent's wall; I'm assuming Lola's family is from the Dominican Republic since they use Spanish words, not French). I kind of wished we'd gotten a little more information about the Island, even in an author's note at the end. I'm not sure who the Monster was supposed to represent, as I'm not familiar with the history of the area; I don't know if most kids reading the book would be, either. That's really my only complaint about the story, though.
Lola's school is really diverse, with kids who have backgrounds from all over the world. The neighbourhood is also a reflection of that diversity, and you can see it in the signs of the businesses as the girls walk home from school. Once Lola starts asking questions about the Island, things really start to get interesting as people from her family and neighbourhood share their memories. She ends up getting so much information that she has to put it all into a book.
This is a lovely picture book that celebrates diversity and remembering where you came from. The story is strong and the pictures are fun. I just wish I could've found out a little more about the Island.
Quotable moment:"I have to draw a picture of the Island," Lola explained, "but I was just a baby when we left. Prima, you have to help me."
"I don't remember a lot either, except for the bats. They were as big as blankets, and they used to chase after me at night."
"Blanket bats!" Lola pulled out her notebook and began to sketch.
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I should probably preface this review by sheepishly admitting: I was surprised to learn Junot Díaz had written a picture book.
I was first introduced to Díaz's work via Drown as an undergraduate, and I think I just sort of assumed that the beautiful, evocative raw storytelling he had shown in Drown and subsequent works, would have a hard time working in different genres.
(If you're judging me for underestimating a writer's talent - judge away. I'm totally judging myself.)
But in Islandborn, Díaz has written a heartwarming book about finding your place, even if you feel displaced. Lola is asked to write about her home, a place she doesn't remember. What follows is a shared journey told through stories and drawings, with pieces provided by neighbors, friends, even the gruff building superintendent, of their beautiful homeland and the "monster" (code for dictator Rafael Trujillo), who chased them away.
It's one part love letter, one part tribute to the idea a place will never leave you, no matter how far away you might be from it. It's always kept alive through memory and appreciation, and will live within you, even if you've never necessarily been there - something any reader with cultural heritage tied to another land, will likely understand. Díaz concludes his story by letting Lola share her story with her classmates, in a way that shows you don't necessarily have to realistically depict a place, to understand it.
While Díaz's writing might be a little too verbose for younger readers to read on their own - the paragraphs are longer than normal picture books - parents and adults should see it as a good impetus to read with the young readers in their lives.
With breathtaking, vibrant illustrations by Leo Espinosa that bring the island and Lola's current home to life, this is a book that all readers should pick up. Highly recommend, full stop. -
When Lola's class, whose members all came to the United States from other countries, is given an assignment to draw a picture of their first home, the young Dominican-American girl is faced with a quandary. She was just a baby when her family left the Island, and she doesn't remember anything about it. But as she questions family, friends and neighbors, she slowly builds up a picture of this place that is a part of her, even if she can't recall it...
A celebrated author of adult fiction, Dominican-American writer Junot Díaz makes his children's book debut with Islandborn, a poignant picture-book examination of the immigrant experience of one little girl and her wider community. I found the story quite moving, especially as different people shared their memories of the Island, both good and bad, with Lola. The sensory nature of many of those memories - sounds, tastes, physical experiences - gave the text an immediacy that was quite powerful, while Mr. Mir's story of the monster which plagued the Island - a reference to dictator Trujillo, perhaps? - gave it political depth. The accompanying artwork by Colombian illustrator Leo Espinosa was absolutely beautiful, with a lovely color range that suggested the tropics, and a creative blend of the here-and-now figures of Lola and her neighbors, and the imaginative ones representing their memories. Recommended to anyone looking for children's stories about how young first generation immigrants relate to their countries of origin, although potential readers should be aware that Islandborn is a little text-heavy for a picture-book. -
ISLANDBORN is a beautiful book that bursts with magic, culture, and color. It is an absolute joy to read no matter what your age. It offers up a multicultural perspective that is a needed thing in libraries serving homogeneous small towns like mine.
The only thing that peeved me was the unnecessary use of "like" as a verbal pause in the text. That word is used way too much anyway; it doesn't need to be in the text of a book for beginning readers. -
Featured in a grandma reads session.
This is one little girl's story about a big move in her life. She was born on an island - Puerto Rico? The book never says. . .a neighbor has a map on his wall of where they moved from, and it looks like PR? The community she has moved to with her family has many people who appear to have come from the the same place, interspersed with others, and so is diverse, as is her classroom. She is able to fulfill her teacher's assignment to report back on where her people came from.
My group understood this assignment and the message of diversity and equality of all peoples. A good message, a good book! -
Too much text for little ones to read alone but this is the perfect book to read together. It will inevitably prompt questions and stir the imagination. The gorgeous and vibrant illustrations alone would keep my attention for hours. Share it with the Islandborn kids--and adults!--in your life.
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" 'Just because you remember a place doesn't mean it's not in you.' "
Damn. As an immigrant, a third culture kid, and someone who never really remembered much of my homeland, this quote and book struck a chord with me. Highly recommended for kids who have similar experiences. -
When Ms. Obi told Lola’s class that their assignment is to draw a picture of the country they are originally from, Lola is very worried. She doesn’t remember the Island at all, since her family left when she was only a baby. Ms. Obi suggests that Lola talk to others who might remember more. Soon Lola is speaking to lots of people in her neighborhood from the Island and they each have a favorite memory. For some it is the music, for others it’s the colorful homes, others miss the fruit. When Lola asks Mr. Mir about what he most remembers, he is gruff and won’t answer. Lola’s grandmother though wants Lola to try to ask him again, since Mr. Mir knows so much about the Island. What Mr. Mir tells Lola though is about a monster that came to the Island and was turned back only when heroes stood up to the darkness. It’s a history that Lola has never heard before, but is proud to include in her drawings of the place she was born.
Diaz’s text is rich and invites readers into visualizing the Island for themselves with its lush foliage, colorful homes, beautiful beaches and much more. The book depicts an urban neighborhood filled with echoes of the Island, a community built from the heroes who fought back. The illustrations are bright and cheery, filled with Lola’s imaginative take on what she is being told. Children may need more explanation about “the monster” if they are interested, but this book firmly celebrates resistance and standing up to those who would take your rights. Timely and important, this picture book celebrates where children came from and what it took to survive. Appropriate for ages 4-6. -
From my perspective, the way Díaz introduces Trujillo as the monster of the island is one of the most fascinating things I’ve seen done in a picture book.
Kait really liked the fact that Lola hangs out with her older cousin, rather than it being a sister. She loved the dancing illustrations and how colourful it was and especially the page of snow. And she’s fascinated with all things school related.
Maddie liked the various animals.
So far, though it’s early in, this has been my favourite of the 2018 Goodreads Choice picture book nominees. Our library is missing a few of them, but we have the majority waiting for us to read. So far what they’ve had in common is fantastic illustrations and a tendency to diversity. To me what’s elevated this one is the extra dimension of portraying the politics that pushed people to leave their Island in a way that children can take in. -
"Just because you don't remember a place doesn't mean it's not in you."
Lola is given an assignment at school to draw the place where she is from. The problem is, Lola doesn't remember because she came to the United States as a baby. So at her teacher's suggestion, she enlists the help of her family and the people in her neighborhood to help her find that sense of place she is missing.
Junot Diaz is known for his literary fiction, but I hope he writes more picture books because this book was completely enchanting. The writing is beautiful and Leo Espinosa's colorful illustrations are both joyful and sublime. I'm looking forward to sharing this book with kids. -
This was such a gorgeous book with incredible illustrations! I absolutely adored 'Islandborn'! The book probes the topics of immigration, community, memory, and culture in a sophisticated, accessible way. It was especially wonderful to see brown-skinned and dark skinned Afro-Latinx protagonists in a children’s book. My niece and nephew loved the illustrations and the writing. I definitely recommend picking this one up!
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Ok, so maybe this title doesn't totally count for my Goodreads challenge, but still. Sometimes a 48 page children's book is still a better story than fifty shades of twilight.
The story was fine and good, but the illustrations were positively exquisite. -
A great story but the text is excessive for a picture book.
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"solo porque no recuerdes un lugar, no significa que no es parte de ti" muy bonito en cuestión de identidad y diversidad.
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What a beautiful picture book! Lola has to draw a picture of where she's from. Like all the other kids in her class, she isn't from the city. But Lola left the Island when she was only a baby, and she has no memories of the place.
By talking to her elders and neighbors, Lola discovers the beautiful, colorful, rich history of the Island. She also learns about the "Monster," an entity brave Islanders fought against. There are so many rich layers to this picture book, but the subject is also little kid appropriate. -
4/29/2018 ~~ I'm really struggling with a rating for this book: as a book about memories and the immigrant experience for adults, it would be have 5 stars. As a picture book, which by definition is intended for child audiences, I find it to be very abstract. Though I started with 3 stars, through writing about the book, I've moved to 4 stars. The illustrations are vivid and engaging. So much happens on each page. However, don't grab it to share share with a four year old, as the cover might suggest.
The book is an excellent reminder that the ways in which adults talk about difficult issues to children can be abstract, leading to more confusion. For example, when the building superintendent (grandfatherly age) talks about the monster who came to the Dominican Republic, he is picturing a dictator with repressive laws. However, he uses the image of a monster; hence the child pictures a monster with green wings.
Perhaps, the best place for this book is in a text set about the immigrant experience for older elementary children. Or perhaps it could be used with high school classes studying metaphors.
