"On the other bank, the great eagle
greets us. Dad waves at the soldiers,
and they tip their caps.
No one searches through my bag
this time. I say thanks to the Virgen.
We drive up the narrow main street
till Don Chava flags us down and
helps us park.
He and my dad shake hands."
As the news continues to carry stories of the Haitian refugees in limbo at the US border, it may mean that young children are hearing again about the situation that has exploded there. It is difficult to comprehend what events have brought so many people to faraway countries searching for asylum. This is the newest book I have read for young children.
Every other week on Saturday, a father and his young son get in their car and make a trip to The Other Side. It is not far away at all. They travel through town along the Rio Grande, the river that separates his life in Texas from the life of his family and friends in Tamaulipas, their twin town in Mexico. They drive over the bridge, park in town, and make their bi-weekly stops at some of their favorite places.
Their first stop is for breakfast at a restoran, the best place to fuel up for the errands they have come to do. Then, they are off to the jewelry shop, owned by Tio and Tia. While the adults discuss town matters, the boy and his cousins head outside to play soccer. After cooling paletas, the two must continue with the rest of their tasks. They have a list that includes food and drinks, medicine, and items to share with others on the way back home.
The long stop on the bridge allows the boy to get out of the truck, climb and up and over the wall to talk with refugee children from the Caribbean and Central America who are living in a border camp, awaiting a chance to find a safer home. There, they distribute all they have purchased, in hopes it will help the family through the next two weeks, until they can come again. Too soon it is time to leave them and return home.
"We take out our passports -
cards that give us the freedom
to travel back and forth."
He knows how lucky they are. His father promises they will be waiting when the border opens to welcome his new friends to their side of the border.
Difficult issues to talk about? Yes! Needed? Yes!
Images of the two towns mirror each other in vivid artwork created by Erika Meza using "gouache, watercolor, pencil and digital gimmicks". She captures both the empathy and tension that lies in such border towns. Sensitive, honest and enduring, this is an important book to read aloud. It is sure to invite
meaningful discussion.
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