(2) K-3 Illustrated by Devon Holzwarth. As cold weather gives way to spring, the monarch butterfly migration begins, and Lucia's papa commences his own journey north. The forested region near the Mexican state of Michoacan is home to Lucia and her family (who are implied, from the back matter, to be Mazahua Indigenous people of the region) and to millions of monarchs, which hibernate there during winter months. Through lyrical text, Harmony describes the parallel journeys of the butterflies and migrant farm workers like Papa, who travel miles "across rivers and mountains" with a guiding sense of purpose; as he reassures his daughter: "When the weather turns cold and the monarcas return, our winged ancestors will guide me home." Lush greens of regional flora frame almost every page and ground the connection between nature and people. The illustrations -- rendered in gouache, watercolor, pencil, crayon, and digital elements -- capture the flitting motion of the monarchs, shifting viewpoints to allow readers to admire their patterned wings or marvel at the specks of orange flying en masse. An author's note detailing the monarch migration and the butterfly's cultural significance in the region; a Spanish glossary; and a "How Can We Help?" section are appended. Concurrently published in Spanish as Un aleteo de esperanza.

Reviewer: Jessica Agudelo | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2024

(2) YA Adapted by Andrew J. Rostan. Illustrated by Celia Jacobs. Jiménez's iconic, award-winning memoir -- an episodic collection of short stories published in 1997 -- receives a handsome graphic novel adaptation. Francisco's family leaves their small town on the outskirts of Guadalajara for the promise of a better life in California. Making their way to Mexicali, they dig under the wire fence to cross the border, finding employment in the southern part of the San Joaquin Valley as migrant farm workers. An early memory has a five-year-old Francisco watching his infant brother while his parents and older brother pick cotton. It's a hard life: constantly moving and uprooting themselves to find work; substandard housing, education, and medical care; and the entire family making sacrifices, both physical and emotional. Here, as in the original source material, Jiménez's plainspoken narration resonates with dignity, humility, and timelessness. The mixed-media illustrations convey both the time period and the mood of the piece with a limited color palette of olive green, lavender, and vermillion on a sepia background. (Francisco is drawn here with black hair and brown skin, rather than the fair skin and blond hair described in the original source and in the family picture that accompanies the author's note.) A glossary is also appended.

Reviewer: Jonathan Hunt | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2024

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Carl Angel. Born in 1896 under Spanish colonial rule in the Philippines, Pedro Flores immigrated to the United States as a teenager. It wasn't until years later -- after he had worked in Hawaiian pineapple fields, on steamships in the Pacific, and at a hotel in California -- that he produced the first Flores yo-yo. Though Flores did not invent the toy (Peñas traces its origins back thousands of years to China), his ingenious reengineering of it led to its rise in popularity (the word yo-yo means "come back" in Tagalog). Peñ as's straightforward text is well supported by deeply saturated images that illustrate Flores's experience as an immigrant: long hours of physically demanding labor and the dogged pursuit of education. It was with the help of a neighbor that Flores was able to start his business, and he committed to bringing his fellow kabayan into his success, as employees. Readers will delight in learning (or remembering) how to "Rock the Baby," "Loop the Loop," and "Walk the Dog." An author's note provides history about the Philippines, the yo-yo, and Flores's life.

Reviewer: Gabi K. Huesca | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2024

(1) 4-6 In this lyrical verse novel set in 1965 California, Lula has lost her voice. She can only speak in "a whispery rasp" that doesn't help when she has to call out in the fields where she picks grapes with her family of migrant workers. It doesn't help when her father becomes angry and accuses her of not doing her part for the family's survival. And it doesn't help when there is danger and she needs to protect her siblings. With a stronger voice, she would make her case for attending school, but now that her mother has been stricken by a mysterious illness, that's not possible. When the exploited farmworkers start organizing and a woman named Dolores Huerta urges them to strike, things begin changing. Will her father be receptive to these ideas? Will her mother get medical assistance? Will Lula and her siblings return to school? Salazar seamlessly combines historical events of the farmworkers' rights movement and the 1965 Delano grape strike with a sensitive portrayal of a girl trying to make sense of the world. It's a powerful coming-of-age story filled with evocative language, memorable characters, and apt nature imagery. A lengthy author's note tells more about what Salazar calls "one of the greatest labor justice movements undertaken in United States history."

Reviewer: Alicia K. Long | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2022

(1) 4-6 Evicted from their Oklahoma farm in the midst of the Dust Bowl, the Willard family strikes out for California looking for work as migrant pickers. Scrappy Gloria Mae, the youngest child, tells the story, and Schrempp admirably never wavers from her perspective. Not fully understanding the scope of their circumstances, Gloria resents the move and the loss of all she knows, particularly her dream of playing baseball. She's good enough; even Pa admits, "You got the arm of a boy twice your size." When they arrive at a California peach orchard, they encounter despicable conditions: an unsafe working environment, low pay, squalid housing, and long hours. To quash dissent, managers intimidate the workers, forbidding group meetings, locking down the compound, and increasing police presence. For Gloria these are only background issues (she thinks that the forbidden "organizing" has something to do with arranging peaches); she has discovered the existnce of a baseball team at the orchard and vows to play. After a child is seriously injured in the orchard, Pa, who previously avoided all conflict, now believes that a strike is the only option for better working conditions. Gloria's struggles to join the team and her father's desire for change coalesce in Ma's words: "When you don't fight for what you deserve, the world just digs its heel into you a little bit more." An informative author's note adds historical context.

Reviewer: Betty Carter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2022

(2) K-3 A group of despondent anthropomorphic animals, carrying little in the way of possessions, treks across land and sea in this wordless story from Peruvian author-illustrator Watanabe. Following the party is a skeletal creature, assumed to be Death, accompanied by a tall blue ibis and wearing a long black cloak adorned with flowers. The group stops briefly to eat and rest, eventually arriving at the ocean. In attempting to cross the water on rough waves, the animals lose their boat. When on land again, they say goodbye to a member of their party who doesn't survive; this change in pace--the pause in weary walking to mourn the loss--is filled with tenderness, the bereaved creatures gathered dejectedly around their beloved friend. Afterward, Death stops to comfort the deceased creature while the party reluctantly moves on. The severe, distinctive palette includes a pitch-black background on each spread and (on most) a thin, green strip of grass, as if a stage the animals walk across. Their clothing provides vivid pops of color, along with rose-colored blooms on the trees they pass, which, at book's close, represent a sign of hope. This powerful portrait—stark, eloquent, and utterly devoid of sentimentality--depicts the arduous, dangerous journeys of migrants all across the globe. It's a small book that tells a big story of loss and courage.

Reviewer: Julie Danielson | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2020

(3) K-3 Pebble Books: Great Hispanic and Latino Americans series. The goals and achievements of prominent Latino and Hispanic Americans are highlighted in this accessible series, though this heritage is mentioned in passing if at all. Well-chosen photographs combine with a level-appropriate amount of information focusing on each subject's early education and the influences that led to careers and accomplishments. The simple, pointed prose will appeal to new readers. Reading list, timeline. Glos., ind. Review covers the following Pebble Books: Great Hispanic and Latino Americans titles: Cesar Chavez, Ellen Ochoa, and Sonia Sotomayor.

Reviewer: Kristy Pasquariello

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Sean London. A kayaking trip off the coast of British Columbia goes awry when thirteen-year-old Aaron's group of friends has a run-in with a ship smuggling mistreated, undocumented Chinese immigrants. Young readers with a passion for the outdoors will devour this fast-paced, suspenseful hi-lo adventure, full of details about camping and kayaking. Discussion questions and a note on migrants and refugees are appended.

Reviewer: Barratt Miller

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Bistra Masseva. Every spring, Dario and his mother move to Cape Cod so his mother can work. And every spring, a right whale and her calf migrate north. Dario's loneliness is assuaged by the calf, which seems to respond to the Brazilian boy's actions. Infused with blues and greens, the illustrations nicely capture Dario's feelings and the seaside setting. A note about right whales is appended.

Reviewer: Carolyn Shute

(4) K-3 Zoom In on Legendary Leaders series. These titles offer a superficial first glance at the lives of six influential leaders (all male), their accomplishments/impact on others, and their place in history. The historical photos, paintings, and drawings add depth to brief texts that align to Common Core Standards. Appended lists of quick stats and key dates may be helpful when writing reports. Glos., ind. Review covers the following Zoom In on Legendary Leaders titles: Abraham Lincoln, Barack Obama, Cesar Chavez, George Washington, Mahatma Gandhi, and Nelson Mandela.

Reviewer: Nancy Sheridan

(2) YA This fourth volume of Jiménez's memoir series (The Circuit, etc.) covers graduate school at Columbia during the turbulent 1960s, his courtship and marriage to college sweetheart Laura, and their children's births. Throughout, Jiménez never forgets his beginnings as the child of migrant farm workers. The humble sincerity of Jiménez's prose makes us root for him to succeed. A selection of captioned photographs is appended.

Reviewer: Jonathan Hunt | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2015

(3) 4-6 Small-town Mainer Lily and migrant worker Salma become fast friends, bonding over Lily's blind dog, Lucky. Lily wants to earn money for surgery for Lucky; Salma wants to win the local Blueberry Queen pageant. Both support each other's plans despite the obstacles (the operation is risky; "outsiders" never enter the pageant) in this warm-hearted, thoughtfully written tale of a memorable friendship.

Reviewer: Jennifer M. Brabander

(4) K-3 Because of a drought, Pancho Rabbit's father heads north for work. When he doesn't return, Pancho goes looking for him, guided by Señor Coyote. What begins as a light allegory becomes a darker tale. Tonatiuh effortlessly employs Spanish words, and folk art–like illustrations complement the story's origin. The author's note on immigration is geared to an older audience. Reading list, websites. Glos.

Reviewer: Betty Carter

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Robert Casilla. Dolores "asks each boss to pay the workers enough money for shoes and books and medicine." Warren uses straightforward sentences to explain labor leader Huerta's efforts to help farm workers and their families get a better life. Casilla's watercolor and pastel illustrations are thoughtful--sometimes to a fault, given the over-dramatization of emotion in the characters' faces. Reading list, timeline, websites.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) YA Roar witnesses a terrible car accident in which an illegal immigrant is killed. Her lawyer-turned-organic-farmer father encourages the victim's family to sue the other driver; meanwhile, Roar quietly begins dating the son of the woman who caused the accident. The story, though compelling, is a bit overstuffed. The first-love element will appeal to romantic readers.

Reviewer: Amanda Mc. MacGregor

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Isabelle Arsenault. An author's note explains that Anna is a German Mennonite, traveling from Mexico to Canada to work the crops. This little-known group, wearing old-fashioned garb and speaking a German dialect, merits attention, and the story is sensitive to the inequities of migrant life. However, the text and pictures are distracted by too much nature imagery as Anna imagines herself to be various animals.

Reviewer: Roger Sutton

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Marie Olofsdotter. Using quotes from their subject's autobiography, the Adlers tell an abbreviated life story of César Chávez, from migrant farm work in childhood through his life of activism to his death in 1993. Olofsdotter's warm-hued illustrations reflect the man's heritage and commitment to his cause. The book's source notes and other ancillary material are excellent. Timeline, websites. Bib.

Reviewer: Tim Wadham

(3) K-3 Translated by Carolina Valencia. Illustrated by Joe Cepeda. Brown makes a significant contribution to the increasing number of books about César Chávez by focusing equally on his partner, Dolores Huerta. Their life stories are told in parallel until they meet and "side by side...began their journey." Huerta's accomplishments are admirable, and she gets her due in this heartfelt bilingual volume enhanced by Cepeda's emotion-filled mixed-media illustrations.

Reviewer: Tim Wadham

(4) YA Essential Lives series. Nicely laid-out and easy to read, these informative, if bland, biographies provide historical context as well as personal information about their subjects. Many sidebars, pull-quotes, and photographs enhance the presentation. Reading list, timeline, websites. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Essential Lives titles: Rachel Carson, Frederick Douglass, Cesar Chavez, and Henry Ford.

Reviewer: Cyrisse Jaffee

(2) YA Fifteen-year-old Pearl starts an illicit relationship with Amiel, an undocumented migrant laborer. When fire consumes southern California, Pearl abandons her family to warn Amiel of the approaching flames. Pearl ominously hints at impending disaster throughout the narrative; this foreshadowing heightens the climax's suspense. Inspired by southern California's 2007 fires, McNeal captures the desperation of both love and survival with wrenching authenticity.

Reviewer: Katie Bircher | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2011