Voices from the South: Migrar

Books del Sur means "Books from the South."  Our name carries an important meaning because it stands for our mission: to provide books from the Latin America that represent and celebrate the millions of Latinos here in the United States. Our mission is clearly demonstrated through the book, Migrar, is a story narrated by a young child who grew up on a farm in México.  

His father is forced to leave the family in order to look for work abroad. Shortly after, the children and their mother, who is also desperate to find work, leave their house and cross the border too. The children want more than anything to find their father.  This stunningly illustrated book unfolds into a long sheet like an Aztec codex, its black and white images detailed and beautiful. It is a tender story presented in a visually powerful way, literally unfolding as you read; a work of art.

The part of the book that really spoke to me is the last line in which the child wonders what his dog is doing back at the farm.  I cannot tell you how many students have told me about their dog that lives with their grandmother in México.  That last line flooded me with the memory of all those conversations with students, the longing they must feel washing over me.  It is these lines in stories that we seek for our Books del Sur catalog; the lines that pull at our heartstrings, the lines that give us goosebumps, the lines that bring us to new realizations, that connect us to other people and other experiences.