Starting Over in Sunset Park

January 1, 2021

Gr 2-4-A young girl moves from the Dominican Republic to New York City with her mother. She and her mother miss their home, but within a few months, they adjust to their new life. The unnamed girl appears to be about seven; the reason for their move is never stated. Although the girl and her mother initially move in with relatives, once they move out, they are isolated. However, the bond between them is sweet and loving. The mother supports her daughter through her struggles at school and works hard to provide for her. Mother and daughter are brown-skinned, but there are people of many races and colors portrayed in the illustrations. The artwork's vibrant color scheme is appealing. Brightly colored markers and colored pencils make the illustrations shine. Exteriors and interiors are intricately detailed. Shops have fancy window displays. Kitchens are filled with fruits and vegetables. Tablecloths have fun patterns. The people are less skillfully composed. Head sizes vary, bodies are disproportionate, and perspectives are oddly skewed. The layout of pictures and text lacks cohesion. Some pages have one or two sentences, but a few contain multiple paragraphs of text. Illustrations typically take up a full page, but some pages contain comic-style panels with word bubbles, while others include dialogue within the narrative. By the end of the book, the protagonist has overcome her frustration at school and, thanks to a cat-sitting job, feels more at home in her new surroundings. Despite the lengthy text, readers may not know how she arrived at that state. VERDICT A sweet but uneven story of immigration and adjustment that will appeal to anyone who has ever been the newcomer.-Chance Lee Joyner, Haverhill P.L., MA

Copyright 2021 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 15, 2021
Grades 1-3 Starting Over in Sunset Park adds a new thread to the ever-growing tapestry of immigration stories in picture books. Here, a girl and her mother move to Brooklyn from the Dominican Republic, and their adjustment includes sharing a home with a Brooklyn family before they can be independent, finding work, starting school in an unfamiliar language, making friends, and always thinking of what was left behind. Diaz's brightly colored illustrations make Sunset Park appear cheerful and welcoming, reflecting the warm colors implied in the name. The Afro-Caribbean experience is seldom seen in children's books, and cultural insiders will appreciate the text's references to the Dominican Republic and its inclusion of Spanish language. This can be paired with other stories of immigration, change, or starting anew, such as Doyin Richards and Joe Cepeda's Watch Me (2021) and Hyewon Yum's Grandpa across the Ocean (2021).

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March 29, 2021
An Afro-Dominican child with brown skin and colorful bobbles in her braided hair takes her first plane ride, moving from the Dominican Republic to New York City with her mother. Upon arrival, the two stay with an aunt and cousins in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, until they can find an apartment of their own. As Mama gets a job making holiday decorations, the child works hard in school, eventually finding community. In a first-person perspective, Pelaez and McGee sketch vivid portraits of the family’s culture, incorporating defined Spanish: “I missed mi abuela (my grandmother) and her house.” Detailed, marker-bright illustrations by Diaz effectively employ comics-style panels and speech bubbles, successfully reflecting one child’s gradual journey of adaptation. Ages 6–8.

July 1, 2021
Arriving in the U.S. from the Dominican Republic, "homesick and a little afraid," a young girl wonders whether her new life in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, could ever be beautiful. At first, she and her mother stay with family, but after Mama gets a job at a factory making holiday decorations, the two find an apartment and begin to make their own way. It takes time, and it's not always easy: frustrated at not being able to keep up in English at school, the girl lashes out at her teacher; but Mrs. Kowalski, herself an immigrant from Poland, understands. At a conference with Mama, who gently insists on speaking English, the girl feels supported in learning a new language. Mama helps, too, along with upstairs neighbor Mr. Palmieri, who introduces them to cat-sitting ("People pay you for that?" asks Mama). Soon their cozy apartment becomes a temporary home for a comical assortment of cats, and as everyone settles in, the girl finds that "this strange new place began to feel a little magical." Diaz renders Sunset Park in culturally specific detail and with a rainbow of tropical colors; amid a variety of page layouts, a muted double-page spread of Central Park in the snow stands out beautifully. Meanwhile, Pelaez and McGee's text is compassionate and earnest; occasional Spanish sentences are translated in parentheses throughout. Back matter includes a list of resources for immigrants and those who want to learn more about immigration. Anamaria Anderson

(Copyright 2021 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

July 1, 2021
Arriving in the U.S. from the Dominican Republic, "homesick and a little afraid," a young girl wonders whether her new life in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, could ever be beautiful. At first, she and her mother stay with family, but after Mama gets a job at a factory making holiday decorations, the two find an apartment and begin to make their own way. It takes time, and it's not always easy: frustrated at not being able to keep up in English at school, the girl lashes out at her teacher; but Mrs. Kowalski, herself an immigrant from Poland, understands. At a conference with Mama, who gently insists on speaking English, the girl feels supported in learning a new language. Mama helps, too, along with upstairs neighbor Mr. Palmieri, who introduces them to cat-sitting ("People pay you for that?" asks Mama). Soon their cozy apartment becomes a temporary home for a comical assortment of cats, and as everyone settles in, the girl finds that "this strange new place began to feel a little magical." Diaz renders Sunset Park in culturally specific detail and with a rainbow of tropical colors; amid a variety of page layouts, a muted double-page spread of Central Park in the snow stands out beautifully. Meanwhile, Pelaez and McGee's text is compassionate and earnest; occasional Spanish sentences are translated in parentheses throughout. Back matter includes a list of resources for immigrants and those who want to learn more about immigration.

(Copyright 2021 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)