Picture Book Frenzy: A Journey Toward Hope by Victor Hinojosa and Coert Voorhees and illustrated by Susan Guevara

Picture Book Frenzy: A Journey Toward Hope by Victor Hinojosa and Coert Voorhees and illustrated by Susan Guevara

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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 journey 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. Written in collaboration with Baylor University’s Global Hunger and Migration Project, A Journey Toward Hope is a celebration of their humanity and an ode to the power of hope and connection even in the face of uncertainty and fear.

Six Foot Press

One of my book club books in January was American Dirt. This book was surrounded in controversy that I was not aware of prior to purchasing, so I did read it. My group had some great discussions and we looked for OwnVoices books centered around the migrant topic. This has been a topic on my mind since then.

When Six Foot Press reached out and offered me this picture book, I became very excited. This book is everything I was looking for- an OwnVoices book for children that would encourage some really deep and meaningful conversations.

This picture book has beautiful paintings inspired by northern Central American folk art and tells a powerful story of hope despite the challenges these children face. I encourage you to order this book-it is a must read. Thank you Six Foot Press and Baylor University, as well as the authors and illustrators, Hinojosa, Voorhees, and Guevara, for sharing this book with the Lit Review Crew.

I am a middle school teacher who loves to read. I am part of the ARC-sharing group LitReviewCrew and a creator for the YouTube Channel Legit KidLit.

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