This lyrical book is Estrellita’s farewell song to her island home. The gentle words paint a picture of her beloved environment in vivid strokes, filling our minds with images of, in Estrellita’s charmed words, the “little island / darling little piece of my heart!”
Estrellita’s beautiful tribute is framed by the window of an airplane as it whisks her away from her beloved world that will forever be framed in the window of her mind’s eye.
Estrellita’s ode to her home gives readers aged 3 to 7 a peek at her world, such as the rooster calling to her in the morning and the people that populate her lovely countryside. Estrellita offers a magical taste of her island leaving us hungry for another read.
Winner, “Reading With Energy” Hispanic Children’s Book Award
“The spirit comes through, making this ode to an island home a selection with wide appeal.”—School Library Journal
“[This book] will strike a response in readers, whether recent immigrants or not.”—Booklist
SAMUEL CARABALLO was born in Vieques, a gorgeous, tiny island off the East Coast of Puerto Rico. He spent many of his childhood days playing in the countryside hills and picking mango and guavas, his favorite tropical fruits. He has served as an interpreter for the courts in cases involving Hispanics and has also dedicated many years to teaching Spanish in several public schools in the United States. He is the author of four bilingual picture books for children, Estrellita se despide de su isla / Estrellita Says Good-bye to Her Island (Piñata Books, 2002), Mis abuelos y yo / My Grandparents and I (Piñata Books, 2004), My Big Sister / Mi hermana mayor (Piñata Books, 2012), and Estas Manos: Manitas de mi familia / These Hands: My Family’s Hands (Piñata Books, 2014). He lives in Virginia with his family.
Learn more at samuelmcaraballo.com.
Illustrator PABLO TORRECILLA grew up in Madrid, Spain. On weekends, he would visit his family’s hometown where he admired the displays in the market, the scents and the people. These colors and scents became his inspiration. He has been drawing and painting since he was five years old. Torrecilla has already illustrated several books, among them The Bakery Lady / La señora de la panadería (Piñata Books, 2001) and Marina’s Muumuu / El muumuu de Marina (Piñata Books, 2001). He now lives in California, where he enjoys flying his kite, playing soccer, listening to music and reading books in English, his new language.
Learn more at pablotorrecilla.com.
ATOS Interest Level: Lower Grades
Category: Picture Book
ATOS English: 4.4
ATOS Spanish: 4.4
Accelerated Reader Quiz #: 59185