Multicultural & International: Islandborn

Image: 

Evaluation of the book:

There is so much to be said when evaluating Islandborn by Junot Diaz and illustrated by Leo Espinosa. First and foremost, it is important to note the beautiful illustrations that go above and beyond the story-line. The story is simple enough: an immigrant girl named Lola needs to draw a picture of her country of origin for a school assignment but she can’t remember it, so she goes around asking other people from the same island to describe it. The illustrations show this story while also adding to it by illustrating Lola’s interpretations of the other people’s words. Her cousin describes bats as big as blankets; Lola interprets them - and the illustrations show them - as blankets-turned-bats. These gorgeous illustrations celebrate the beauty of a child’s imagination.

In addition, the illustrations show the layers of immigrant life in all its complexities. In the background of the illustrations is depicted a normal American life (buildings, houses, barber shops, schools, etc.) in normal colors. Layered on top of that life are the brightly colored images of Lola’s imaginations of the Island. The combination of the solid, steady background with the bright, exotic imaginings gives a beautiful illustration of the layers of an immigrant’s life. Both new home and old home should be celebrated together as one beautiful story-line, just as it is in this picture book.

Finally, although the illustrations are stunning and incredible, there is much to be said about the beautiful words of the story too. Most importantly, the words and descriptions are just vague and general enough that they could be applied to any child. Lola’s island is never named; it’s simply called the “Island.” Any child, whether immigrant or not, could put his own past life into that “Island” and thus relate to Lola’s story. Lola’s declaration, “The Island is me” is an important one for every child to understand. It’s a beautiful thing to embrace one’s culture, whether it’s learned through personal experience or learned through others’ experiences. We are all diverse; we come from somewhere. It’s important to celebrate that fact.

Response:

I personally don’t have any experience being an immigrant or not remembering where I come from, but living in Portland, ME and being surrounded by immigrants, this story helped me put myself in their shoes and see the beauty of the cultures I’m lucky enough to be surrounded by. I think it’s important for children to learn at a young age to celebrate diversity and to celebrate what makes them different. Islandborn is just that, a beautiful celebration of what it is to be unique and to come from somewhere special. I enjoyed every page of this book; the illustrations were stunning and the story was well written. I want to read it over and over, lingering on each page to soak it all in.

Conclusion:

Islandborn is filled with glorious illustrations of Lola’s imaginations that beautifully express cultural layers of immigrant life. The story is relevant to any child, immigrant or not, and is a celebration of diversity at its finest. All children should be introduced to this book in order to experience the beauty of diversity and the power of imagination.

APA Style Reference:

Diaz, J. & Espinosa, L. (2018). Islandborn. New York, NY: Dial Books for Young Readers.