A Journey Toward Hope

by Victor Hinojosa, Coert Voorhees, Susan Guevara (Illustrator)

Overview

Four unaccompanied migrant children come together along the arduous journey north through Mexico to the United States border in this ode to the power of hope and connection even in the face of uncertainty and fear.

Every year, roughly 50,000 unaccompanied minors arrive at the US/Mexico border to present themselves for asylum or related visas. The majority of these children are non-Mexicans fleeing the systemic violence of Central America’s "Northern Triangle": Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala. A Journey Toward Hope tells the story of Rodrigo, a 14-year-old escaping Honduran violence; Alessandra, a 10-year-old Guatemalan whose first language is Q'eqchi'; and the Salvadoran siblings Laura and Nando. Though their reasons for making the trip are different and the journey northward is perilous, the four children band together, finding strength in one another as they share the dreams of their past and the hopes for their future.

A Journey Toward Hope is written in collaboration with Baylor University’s Social Innovation Collaborative, with illustrations by the award-winning Susan Guevara (Chato's Kitchen, American Library Association Notable Book, New York Public Library's 100 Great Children’s Books / 100 Years). It includes four pages of nonfiction back matter with additional information and resources created by Baylor University's Global Hunger and Migration Project.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781644420089
Publisher:	Six Foot Press
Publication date:	08/04/2020
Pages:	40
Product dimensions:	8.70(w) x 11.20(h) x 0.50(d)
Lexile:	650L (what's this?)
Age Range:	6 - 8 Years

About the Author

Victor Hinojosa is Associate Professor of Political Science in the Honors Program at Baylor Universitywhere his primary research is in Latin American Politics and U.S.-Latin American relations. His articles have appeared in scholarly books and journals including Terrorism and Political Violence, Political Science Quarterly, the Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, and more. Dr. Hinojosa currently directs the Baylor Migration Project, a social innovation laboratory at Baylor Universitythat is bringing together an interdisciplinary team of faculty and students to address the challenges of child migration from Mexico and the Northern Triangle of Central America (Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador). In collaboration with the Texas Hunger Initiative, Mennonite Central Committee, and others Dr. Hinojosa and his students are working to design interventions into this challenging humanitarian crisis.

Coert Voorhees is the author of the novels On the Free, In Too Deep (Junior Library Guild Selection), Lucky Fools (Junior Library Guild Selection), and The Brothers Torres ALA Top Ten Best Books for Young Adults), as well as the Storm Wranglers children’s book series. He has been a Fulbright scholar in Chile and Visiting Writer in Residence at Rice University, and he now lives with his family in Houston, Texas.

Susan Guevara is a visual storyteller. She tells her tales with illustrations, paintings, drawings, and sculptures. For 27 years, her work as a children’s picture book illustrator has been recognized for its contribution to literature set in Latino culture. Her work has been included in The New York Times Ten Best Illustrated Books of the Year, won two Pura Belpré Illustrator Awards and the inaugural Tomás Rivera Award, and most recently, a Pura Belpré Honor Award for her book Little Roja Riding Hood (written by Susan Middleton Elya). Her book Chato’s Kitchen (written by Gary Soto) was recognized as one of the Best 100 Books of the Last 100 Years by the New York Public Library. She lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Read an Excerpt

Spread 4-5

Ten-year-old Alessandra says goodbye to the rippling waters of Lake Petén Itzá, in Guatemala.

She tries to remember her mother, who left four years ago, hugging her close before she went. Her mother promised to send for her as soon as there was money.

“I’m coming to meet you, Mamá,” Alessandra says softly as she walks away from the water’s edge.

Spread 6-7

Laura is thirteen and wants to go to school. Nando is seven and likes trains. They wish they could stay in El Salvador, but their parents want them to live with their aunt and uncle in the United States.

“I don’t want to leave,” Nando says through his tears.

“I’ll be with you, Nando,” Laura replies. “We can be strong together.”

Spread 10-11

Rodrigo and Alessandra meet in El Ceibo as they are about to cross into Mexico.

“Saqarik,” she says. “Good morning. Are you going to America?”

“Hello,” Rodrigo answers. “I am. You, too?”

This girl with the colorful dress reminds Rodrigo of his sister. Alessandra can sense that this mop-haired boy with the tattered shoes is a good person.

Spread 12-13

Halfway across the Suchiate River, Laura slips on the edge of the raft and tumbles into the rushing water.

“Laura!” Nando screams, reaching for her fingertips. “Don’t leave me!”

A stranger lifts her back into the boat, and Nando hugs her tight. They finally make it to dry land, exhausted. They are now in Mexico.

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

"When you meet Nando and Laura, Alessandra, and Rodrigo, you will understand why children migrate from Central America, seeking new homes in the United States. These kids will snuggle up next to your soul. And you will be changed." — Marv Knox, Fellowship Southwest

"This beautifully illustrated book provides young children with narratives that contextualize and humanize the lives of child refugees from Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador. The children's stories begin under different conditions yet merge as they find one another on a journey filled with peril, connection, and hope." — Nancy W. Brickhouse, Provost, Baylor University

" A Journey Toward Hope is a remarkable educational tool for children and adults alike to better understand the plight of migrant children hoping for a better life." — Jeremy Everett, Executive Director, Baylor Collaborative on Hunger and Poverty, and author of I Was Hungry

Editorial Reviews

Praise for A Journey Toward Hope:

"This picture book reimagines the journeys of four fictional children to the United States. It opens with ten-year-old Alessandra, a girl of Mayan heritage who only speaks Q'eqchi', as she embarks on a dangerous journey to reunite with her mother in the U.S. The other children, of various ages, also make the trip on a boat, a truck, and a system of trains known as "the Beast," traveling from Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador until they arrive at the Nuevo Laredo camp in Mexico. Older elementary readers may reflect on the struggles that unaccompanied migrant children must endure to find a better life in the U.S. and reunite with their families. Guevara employs pastel colors and curved lines to give life to dreamlike, soft illustrations while supplementing the narrative. This imagery is reinforced by using allegories of a bird, a butterfly, a monkey, and a jaguar, a loving nod to Mesoamerican history and culture....VERDICT A candid rendition of the jarring reality lived by migrant children told in inviting language accessible to elementary students." — School Library Journal

"The paths of four migrant children from different Central American countries cross as they enter Mexico, and together they continue their journey to the United States. Though their reasons for undertaking the perilous journey are different, their hopes are not: They all hope for asylum in the U.S....Along the way they encounter danger, hunger, kindness from strangers, and, most importantly, the strength of friendship with one another....Artist Guevara has added Central American folk art–influenced details to her illustrations that provide depth to the artwork...The backmatter explains the reasons for the book, helping to place it within the larger context of ongoing projects at Baylor Universityrelated to the migration crisis in Central America. An emotional entry point to a larger, necessary discussion on this complex and difficult subject." —Kirkus Reviews

"Superbly illustrated by artist Susan Guevara, A Journey Toward Hope is a compelling commentary on one of the primary social issues of today." — Midwest Book Review

Honors and Praise for Susan Guevara, for Chato’s Kitchen:
- Winner of the Pura Belpre Award for Illustration
- An American Library Association Notable Book
- A Parents' Choice Award Winner

"Guevara's cats are delicious send-ups of barrio characters, and Soto's words glisten with wit. Salud to this magical pairing of talents." — Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

"A really cool book. . . . Guevara's striking illustrations enrich the text with delightful, witty details." — School Library Journal, Starred Review

"Fresh and satisfying. . . Distinctly seasoned with the sights and sounds of East Los Angeles; the sprinkling of Spanish words and phrases adds the perfect flavor." —The Horn Book

From the Publisher

09/25/2020

Gr 3–5—This picture book reimagines the journeys of four fictional children to the United States. It opens with ten-year-old Alessandra, a girl of Mayan heritage who only speaks Q'eqchi', as she embarks on a dangerous journey to reunite with her mother in the U. S.The other children, of various ages, also make the trip on a boat, a truck, and a system of trains known as "the Beast," traveling from Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador until they arrive at the Nuevo Laredo camp in Mexico. Older elementary readers may reflect on the struggles that unaccompanied migrant children must endure to find a better life in the U.S. and reunite with their families. Guevara employs pastel colors and curved lines to give life to dreamlike, soft illustrations while supplementing the narrative. This imagery is reinforced by using allegories of a bird, a butterfly, a monkey, and a jaguar, a loving nod to Mesoamerican history and culture. The Spanish edition moves effortlessly, although at times this literal translation loses the natural expression used by native speakers. The small black-and-white type is placed in the corners of the pages to avoid concealing the art. This picture book could be used in a fourth-grade social studies unit covering the family migration crisis. The back matter contains a note from Baylor University, creator of the Global Hunger and Migration Project. Thoughts on how to get involved and notes from the illustrator are also included. The story does have one conflicting element: Alessandra is able to understand and verbally communicate with the other children, even though she does not speak Spanish. VERDICT A candid rendition of the jarring reality lived by migrant children told in inviting language accessible to elementary students.—Kathia Ibacache, Univ. of Colorado Boulder

School Library Journal

2020-06-03
The paths of four migrant children from different Central American countries cross as they enter Mexico, and together they continue their journey to the United States.

Though their reasons for undertaking the perilous journey are different, their hopes are not: They all hope for asylum in the U.S. Ten-year-old Alessandra, from Guatemala, hopes to reunite with her mother, who left four years ago. Thirteen-year-old Laura and her 7-year-old brother, Nando, from El Salvador, are going to live with relatives in the U.S. And 14-year-old Rodrigo, from Honduras, will try to join his parents in Nebraska rather than join a local gang. Along the way they encounter danger, hunger, kindness from strangers, and, most importantly, the strength of friendship with one another. Through the four children, the book provides but the barest glimpse into the reasons, hopes, and dreams of the thousands of unaccompanied minors that arrive at the U.S.–Mexico border every year. Artist Guevara has added Central American folk art–influenced details to her illustrations, giving depth to the artwork. These embellishments appear as line drawings superimposed on the watercolor scenes. The backmatter explains the reasons for the book, helping to place it within the larger context of ongoing projects at Baylor University related to the migration crisis in Central America.

An emotional entry point to a larger, necessary discussion on this complex and difficult subject. (Picture book. 7-10)

Kirkus Reviews