Dreamers

Title: Dreamers

Author/Illustrator: Yuyi Morales

Genre: Multicultural

Awards: 2019 Pura Belpre Award 

Age Group: 1st-3rd

Dreamers is based off of the author/illustrator, Yuyi Morales', story of immigrating to the United States from Mexico and discovering the incredible joy within the pages of a book. The story begins when a woman crosses over a bridge to a new country with her baby. Not understanding anything in the foreign land, they stumbled into a library. They had never seen anything like it! Books became an invaluable part of the mother and child's lives. Through those books they learned how to read, speak, and write, and how to truly become a part of their new home. And, most importantly, they never gave up dreaming.

I would definitely use this book in my classroom! It was such a whimsical read with the amazing illustrations bursting from every corner of every page! It was even cooler to read the author's story in the back of the book, which made the meaning of the book much clearer. It is always neat when you find out that a book is based on a true story! This book teaches students about a mother and child from Mexico who are new to America and know very little of the customs and language. This book also teaches the power of books and reading, that no matter where you are from, books are for all, and they can help you hold onto your hopes and dreams.

I would recommend this book for 1st through 3rd grade. The text was very large (perfect for newer readers), and there were some words in Spanish sprinkled throughout that students may need help on. Other than that, the pictures were very expressive and will help students to uncover the meaning without knowing the meaning of every word.

To go along with Dreamers, I would have students participate in a KWL chart to discuss what they already know about immigration, what they want to know, and (at the end of the book) what they have learned. Students can keep track of any questions they have before, during, and after the story. Then, the class can have a discussion about what they think dreaming has to do with this book and what the author wants students to take away from this story.