Friday, March 1, 2013

From Sarah Stewart & David Small

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The Quiet Place by Sarah Stewart, illustrated by David Small
We all remember our first refrigerator box. The one that become a space ship, house, or train. In The Quiet Place, Isabel uses the boxes left over from birthday presents to build a quiet place all her own, one that provides security and a way to capture her old home in Mexico. The text is comprised of Isabel's letters to her Aunt Lupita back in Mexico. She uses these letters to practice her English and share the interesting new words she collects. David Small's illustrations add much to the text and his colors and energetic lines capture movement and emotion. As Isabel learns English and gains friends, growing more secure in her new environment, her quiet place mirrors the change, accepting friends and neighbors and their joyous singing. Young children will recognize Isabel's need to create her own space while older children will glimpse the larger implications of being a new immigrant in the 1950s. Like many of Sarah Stewart & David Small's books, The Quiet Place is sure to garner attention and awards.

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