Author: Mitali Perkins

Illustrator: Sara Palacios

Page Count: 40

Published: September 10, 2019

ISBN: 9780374303730

A timely debut picture book about love overcoming the border fences between Mexico and the United States.
 

It's almost time for Christmas, and Maria is traveling with her mother and younger brother, Juan, to visit their grandmother on the border of California and Mexico.

For the few minutes they can share together along the fence, Maria and her brother plan to exchange stories and Christmas gifts with the grandmother they haven't seen in years. But when Juan's gift is too big to fit through the slats in the fence, Maria has a brilliant idea. She makes it into a kite that soars over the top of the iron bars.

Here is a heartwarming tale of multi-cultural families, and the miracle of love.

• Américas Award for Children's and Young Adult Literature Winner
• Golden Poppy Award Winner
• Charlotte Huck Honor Book
• ALSC Notable Children's Book
• NCSS Notable Social Studies Trade Book Pick
• Junior Library Guild Selection
• Northern California Book Award nominee
• A California Department of Education Recommended Title

"A story of family strength and unity overcoming fences along the Mexican/United States border. Another poignant piece to add to the current national discussion about the border. A must for any collection." –School Library Journal, starred review


"A powerful picture book debut . . . Cartoon drawings emphasize the resilience of Abuela and her family as they navigate the border landscape, the impenetrable wall, and a situation that feels unfathomable—but is, unfortunately, all too based in reality." —Publishers Weekly, starred review

"This touching contemporary story sensitively focuses on the U.S.–Mexican border and Mexico's cultural traditions in a heartwarming, informative, and hopeful way. Perkins gently voices some of the challenges families can experience when they are separated by a border . . . Maria’s inventive solution to that distance will make readers cheer, and Palacios’ warm illustrations in saturated colors make the scenes vibrant with feeling and quietly fold in informative visual details about the border and the family’s cultural traditions." —Booklist