What’s it like for children who have come to the United States illegally from Mexico and Central America? It’s a difficult and stressful journey and transition--even for adults--but for children, the move must be nothing short of traumatic.
A new children’s book titled Sometimes...tells the story of immigration from the eyes of a child by telling the story of Andrés and his sister, Clara.
The authors are Texas educator John Seidlitz and Hugo Ibarra. The book is illustrated by Katia Lara.
In the story, Andrés and Clara are forced to move to El Norte due to economic hardship in Mexico. The book is written in a way that it’s not clear if the siblings are violating immigration law in their journey.
Seidlitz said that was a deliberate decision because as an educator the residency statuses of the children in his classroom don’t matter. But it’s strongly implied that the children are in the country without authorization. (listen to the interview in the audio above)
As Andrés starts at a new school, he receives encouragement from a beloved teacher, buoying his hopes until he and his sister are finally reunited with their mother. Teaching a valuable lesson about holding on to hope, Sometimes... shows the impact of the courage, strength and hope parents and teachers provide to help children through a time of uncertainty.
Sometimes... is written for children between the ages of 4- and 8-years old.
