Feliz Tuesday everyone!
What better way to bring in another week than by reading a
great children’s picture book!
This week we will be reading The Quiet Place by
Sarah Stewart, illustrated by David Small.
In The Quiet Place we are introduced to Isabel, a shy
Mexican girl that now lives in the United States. Told in a series of letters
written to her auntie Lupita, we accompany Isabel as she learns to adjust to a
new place with new people and lots of new things to discover. Being a young
girl that can be at times overwhelmed with all these changes, Isabel finds
refuge in carton boxes she transforms into her own space, her very own quiet
place.
What I love about this book is the simplicity of text and
that the narrative is written through letters adding a certain charm to the
story. This format makes me feel as if I were auntie Lupita and really connects
me to Isabel. I also love that the carton boxes show Isabel’s transition
throughout the story and how in the end she unveils her grand masterpiece. One
added treat not to be missed in this book is the fact that the story does not
start on page 1 of the book but rather on the inside covers of the book. While
this book takes place in 1957 I find it is still a moving experience for any
child that has recently migrated or moved.
Think this is a great book? Make sure to keep an eye for
it and other great finds in our children’s section.
- Galia, Schools Program Coordinator
