Islandborn Explained

Islandborn is the first children's book by Dominican-American author and Pulitzer Prize-winner Junot Díaz.[1] With illustrations by Leo Espinosa, who was born in Colombia, the picture-book features Dominican girls living in the Bronx, much like Díaz's goddaughters to whom he had long promised a children's book.[2] The protagonist Lola, who immigrated when she was six years old, does not remember the Dominican Republic, and sets out to fill in her missing memories.[3]

In The Chicago Tribune, Nara Schoenberg reviewed Islandborn as a "pitch-perfect children's book", noting Díaz's "humor, vivid detail and an authentic kid’s-eye view" as well as the "enticing mixed-media illustrations that bring Lola’s candy-colored world to life, infusing it with myth and magic."[4]

The 48-page work was published by Dial Books for Young Readers on March 13, 2018.[5]

Notes and References

  1. News: Morgan. David. Author Junot Díaz on his first children's book, "Islandborn". 10 April 2018. CBS News. March 12, 2018. en. 10 April 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180410135144/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/author-junot-diaz-on-writing-his-first-childrens-book-islandborn/. live.
  2. News: MacPherson. Karen. Junot Diaz says children's books lack diversity. He hopes his will help change that.. 10 April 2018. Washington Post. 9 March 2018. 5 April 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180405081800/https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/books/junot-diaz-says-childrens-books-lack-cultural-diversity-so-he-wrote-one-of-his-own/2018/03/08/a92467a8-208b-11e8-badd-7c9f29a55815_story.html. live.
  3. News: Inskeep. Steve. In Junot Diaz's 'Islandborn,' A Curious Child Re-Creates Her Dominican Roots. 10 April 2018. NPR. March 12, 2018. en. 10 April 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180410213103/https://www.npr.org/2018/03/12/591732716/in-junot-diazs-islandborn-a-curious-child-recreates-her-dominican-roots. live.
  4. News: Schoenberg. Nara. Junot Diaz's 'Islandborn': A pitch-perfect children's book — plus more kids' books reviewed. 10 April 2018. Chicago Tribune. March 19, 2018. 9 April 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180409223437/http://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/books/ct-books-childrens-roundup-03192018-story.html. live.
  5. News: Children's Book Review: Islandborn by Junot Díaz, illus. by Leo Espinosa. Dial, $17.99 (48p) ISBN 978-0-7352-2986-0. 10 April 2018. Publishers Weekly. December 18, 2017. en. 10 April 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180410201715/https://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-7352-2986-0. live.

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