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panda_incognito's review
3.0
This nonfiction picture book tells about the little-known historical event of children whose parents sent them to Mexico on a boat to escape the Spanish Civil War. The war lasted much longer than anyone had anticipated, with WWII on its heels, and the children ended up staying in Mexico long-term. It's an interesting story with implications for today, but I wasn't especially impressed with the execution of the idea, which covers the boat ride and arrival.
The text comes from the perspective of the children, but it is frequently vague, poetic, and abstract in a way that doesn't fit with how a child would describe their circumstances. Sometimes, the metaphorical language works: "War is a very loud noise. War is a huge hand that shakes you and throws you onto a ship." However, at other times, the figurative prose is so vague and overly poetic that I had to read lines three or four times to fully understand them.
Some of this is my problem, because I am a very literal person who struggles with indirect communication in both books and social situations. However, the text style is in an adult voice, with an adult's poetic and abstract thought, and I don't think that children will understand or connect with this much better than I did. "The Republic is a house. The Republic is a raised fist. A bird." So much of this is nothing that a child would ever say or think of, and it all feels unnatural.
On a similar note, even though the charcoal gray illustrations capture the mood well, the monochromatic color palette is unlikely to appeal to young readers, and many of the children's faces look distorted. As the author's note explains, the faces are often based on real children's photographs associated with this historical event, but on some of the pages, the proportions of the kids' heads and features are unnatural and look strange.
I would recommend this to adults who enjoy poetic, artistic children's books about important social issues. This could also be helpful in a classroom setting, where a teacher is prepared to dive into figurative language and what the majority of the text even means. However, this isn't something that I would want to share with a child, since some of it doesn't even make sense to me. It's unlikely that children would connect with this, and this is primarily an art piece for adults.
The text comes from the perspective of the children, but it is frequently vague, poetic, and abstract in a way that doesn't fit with how a child would describe their circumstances. Sometimes, the metaphorical language works: "War is a very loud noise. War is a huge hand that shakes you and throws you onto a ship." However, at other times, the figurative prose is so vague and overly poetic that I had to read lines three or four times to fully understand them.
Some of this is my problem, because I am a very literal person who struggles with indirect communication in both books and social situations. However, the text style is in an adult voice, with an adult's poetic and abstract thought, and I don't think that children will understand or connect with this much better than I did. "The Republic is a house. The Republic is a raised fist. A bird." So much of this is nothing that a child would ever say or think of, and it all feels unnatural.
On a similar note, even though the charcoal gray illustrations capture the mood well, the monochromatic color palette is unlikely to appeal to young readers, and many of the children's faces look distorted. As the author's note explains, the faces are often based on real children's photographs associated with this historical event, but on some of the pages, the proportions of the kids' heads and features are unnatural and look strange.
I would recommend this to adults who enjoy poetic, artistic children's books about important social issues. This could also be helpful in a classroom setting, where a teacher is prepared to dive into figurative language and what the majority of the text even means. However, this isn't something that I would want to share with a child, since some of it doesn't even make sense to me. It's unlikely that children would connect with this, and this is primarily an art piece for adults.
bookdragon_library's review
4.0
Here is another slice of history that was unknown to me. I think people in general are familiar with Kindetransport and stories of Jewish children being evacuated for safety prior to WW2 and during but I had no idea that 456 Spanish children were sent to Mexico (and left there) in 1937 during the Spanish Civil War. The were put on a ship without their parents and landed in Veracruz and were then transported to Morelia, Michoacán,Mexico where the government cared for them until 1948. They were left there because Francisco Franco won the war and started capturing and killing Republicans who had opposed him. Then WW2 started so parents decided to leave children in Mexico.
The illustrations are mostly black and white with children (and some adults) having peach colored faces, arms and legs, and then an occasional red piece of clothing. I couldn’t figure out a significance to the characters with colored clothing.
As a parent, reading stories like this about sending your children away and NOT going after them tells me so much about the difficult time in history. I know there are parents now who are willing to risk danger to give their kids a better life and get them in to one country and out of another no matter the cost. The story in this book could be easily linked to Kindertransport books and also the Life on the Border picture book that recently came out about children in detention facilities on the border of Mexico.
Notes: Refugee children, Spanish civil war, 2020, discussion guide available www.eerdmans.com/young readers
Published in Mexico 2018: Mexique: El nombre del barco
The illustrations are mostly black and white with children (and some adults) having peach colored faces, arms and legs, and then an occasional red piece of clothing. I couldn’t figure out a significance to the characters with colored clothing.
As a parent, reading stories like this about sending your children away and NOT going after them tells me so much about the difficult time in history. I know there are parents now who are willing to risk danger to give their kids a better life and get them in to one country and out of another no matter the cost. The story in this book could be easily linked to Kindertransport books and also the Life on the Border picture book that recently came out about children in detention facilities on the border of Mexico.
Notes: Refugee children, Spanish civil war, 2020, discussion guide available www.eerdmans.com/young readers
Published in Mexico 2018: Mexique: El nombre del barco
_mariana_'s review
5.0
This 2020 international fiction children’s book explained the violence of the Spanish civil war and how families fled Mexico. This book specifically shows the impact of the war on kids and how it affected them
wordnerd153's review against another edition
3.0
Interesting style of story telling. I really appreciated the information in the back about the children sent to Mexico from Spain during the war.
fernthepanda's review
4.0
I never knew the story of The Children of Morelia and I am very glad to finally know about it. How heartbreaking, but such hope.
erine's review
4.0
After the story, is this note: "This book is based on extensive research and interviews, and the images in this book are based on photographs..." I wanted that information so badly. The picture book was a teaser full of fascinating tidbits, but WHAT HAPPENED TO ALL THOSE KIDS!?
The illustrations are dark and gloomy, matching the severity of the historical circumstances. Over 400 children were evacuated from Spain as a consequence of civil war... and then world war... and then the complex difficulties of reuniting refugee children with their parents. The story follows these children across the ocean from France to Mexico in a poetic, dramatic fashion, echoing the realities for refugee children and families across times and place. It manages to be both a highly specific story and a universal one.
The illustrations are dark and gloomy, matching the severity of the historical circumstances. Over 400 children were evacuated from Spain as a consequence of civil war... and then world war... and then the complex difficulties of reuniting refugee children with their parents. The story follows these children across the ocean from France to Mexico in a poetic, dramatic fashion, echoing the realities for refugee children and families across times and place. It manages to be both a highly specific story and a universal one.
annegorah's review against another edition
5.0
Este libro fue un gran descubrimiento.
1) es una parte de la historia que no sabía que existía y parte es en México.
2) María José Ferrada fue una revelación.
3) AAAMO el trabajo de Ana Penyas y quiero todos los libros que ella ilustra (hasta es posible que se esté volviendo mi favorita).
Pero sí, justo uno de los libros que más me impactó y que toman un lugar importante en los libros que leí este año.
1) es una parte de la historia que no sabía que existía y parte es en México.
2) María José Ferrada fue una revelación.
3) AAAMO el trabajo de Ana Penyas y quiero todos los libros que ella ilustra (hasta es posible que se esté volviendo mi favorita).
Pero sí, justo uno de los libros que más me impactó y que toman un lugar importante en los libros que leí este año.
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