Remembering by Xelena González, illustrated by Adriana M. Garcia

Remembering

By Xelena González

Illustrated by Adriana M. Garcia
Pura Belpre Illustrator Honor Book
Ages 4+, grades PK+

In Remembering, a family reflects on the life of their deceased dog. With poignant text and vibrant illustrations, the story follows a young narrator through their grief, love, and celebration. 

Justificiation

I chose this book from the Pura Belpre Honors list because it reminded me of another children’s book, An Ofrenda for Perro, which is a favorite for our family every fall. The stories are similar in that they depict young children navigating the loss of their pets and finding closure through the Latine tradition of building ofrendas, or altars, for Dia de los Muertos to celebrate the lives of departed loved ones. An Ofrenda for Perro helped me and my young children through the loss of our own dog, and Remembering certainly presents the same affective power. 

Content

The text, which originated as a poem by author Xelena González, is lyrical and tender. It portrays the sorrow of losing a pet in ways that resonate with adults, but still manages to be entirely accessible to young children. Anyone who has loved and lost a furry family member can relate to the emptiness left by their passing, and she captures that in lines like “The house seems empty without you here / So our family fills it with photos and stories until we feel like you are near.” In addition to the poem itself, both the author and illustrator provide strikingly honest notes at the end about the personal experiences that shaped their work on this book. Finally, González offers readers guidance for building their own ofrenda at home. In a time when we see deep division between groups of people, this lovely gesture serves to unite readers by inviting them to share in a meaningful cultural tradition.

Illustration

While the text stands beautifully cathartic on its own and earned significant recognition including School Library Journal Best Books of the Year, Tomás Rivera Mexican American Children's Book Award Nominee, Kirkus Best Picture Books of the Year, and Ezra Jack Keats Finalist; Remembering received the Pura Belpre Honor for its illustrations. Artist Adriana M. Garcia works primarily in murals, and her style carries over into her illustrations as well. The layers of rich color that might appear to blend together smoothly on the side of a building bring depth and texture to her work on the page. I especially love that the dog seems to come alive in each image, stretching beyond the framed pictures through the magic of the young narrator’s memories. Garcia’s lush saturation and dynamic strokes lend an appropriate otherworldliness to her down-to-earth scenes and to González’s story of the family grieving, reminiscing, and celebrating.

González, X. (2023). Remembering (A. Garcia, Illus.). Simon & Schuster.

Iveliz Explains It All by Andrea Beatriz Arango

Iveliz Explains It All

by Andrea Beatriz Arango Novel in Verse Ages 10+, grades 5+ Newberry Honor Book 2023

Summary

Iveliz has become known as both troubled and a trouble-maker, but she is determined to turn things around this year. This bilingual novel-in-verse, presented in diary format, follows the titular character through her seventh-grade school year as she faces the standard junior high obstacles of bullies, school drama, and self-consciousness, as well as some less-standard but incredibly genuine challenges of grief and loss, changing family dynamics, and PTSD. Through one-sided conversations with her journal, Iveliz navigates her own mental illness, that of her grandmother Mimi who moves in with them from Puerto Rico, and discovers what it means to have-- and to be-- a good friend. She eventually learns to speak her truth and advocate for herself, and also to really listen to the voices of those she holds most dear.

Justification

Iveliz Explains It All is formatted as a novel-in-verse, and was a Newberry Honor Book in 2023. I chose this book in part because of its accolades, part because of its reading level (I am seeking more exposure to middle-grade YA literature), and part because it is bilingual. As a bilingual mother of two little kids, we read a lot of bilingual children’s literature in my attempt to ingrain some of that linguistic fluidity in them. Iveliz Explains It All piqued that personal interest, and offers exemplary code-meshing of English and Spanish throughout the book. Arango weaves the two languages through the story with remarkable ease, often offering contextual hints and explanations instead of direct translations for English-only readers to navigate the Spanish text. This maintains a natural rhythm and pace of the writing even when rapidly switching back and forth.

Response

In this debut novel Arango tackles several hard-hitting topics: race, identity, immigration, grief, loss of a parent, generational trauma, mental illness and related stigma to name a few. She does so with notable grace; while some themes are more important to the overall plot than others, none feel as if they get swept under the rug and all are presented as formative parts of Iveliz’s experience. Even with the subject depth, there is also an entertaining air of angsty, awkward humor in the voice of the 12-year-old protagonist. At moments, the two combine to hit a cultural nail directly on the head, like when she becomes understandably irate at the ongoing mispronunciation of her name and that of her best friend, Amir: “Like, hello? / How hard is it to ask kids what they want to be called, / and then learn it?” The book is printed in a handwriting-style font on a notepaper background to evoke the feel of a diary. As an aspiring slam poet Iveliz subscribes to free verse, and responds to her father’s good-natured jeering with “Plus, I’ve read books in verse. / He can’t trick me– / I know there aren’t any rules when it’s a journal / just like there aren’t any rules / when Safia Elhillo or Sarah Kay / Or Mahogany L. Browne steps onstage.” In addition to its occasionally lyrical entries, there are bulleted lists and sketchy illustrations that feel true to pre-teen journal doodles. This approachable story illustrates major struggles in a pre-teen context, as well as the process of learning to manage those struggles with healthy coping mechanisms, honest communication, forgiveness, and the support of loving family and friends.

Arango, A.B. (2022). Iveliz explains it all (A. Bermudez, Illus). Penguin Random House.