Something Happened to My Dad

March 15, 2022
A well-researched, deeply affecting picture book examines deportation and its effects on communities and immigrant families. Carmen, a young girl, and her mother were born in the United States, but her father, a magician, is from Mexico and doesn't have documentation to stay in the U.S. Mam� asks Carmen to keep the situation a secret--"I don't want people to look down on us"--but when word spreads at Carmen's school, a collection is taken up to help her family pay for an immigration lawyer. Wisely, the book broadens the narrative scope to briefly acknowledge other family histories involving displacement--readers learn about Irish immigration, Syrian refugees, and enslaved Africans. Though the story never wallows in pain--even a visit to Papi's detention center is portrayed warmly as he declares "I'm not embarrassed. We've built a beautiful life"--it doesn't shy away from the realities of immigrant struggle, as evinced by the open ending. The comprehensive backmatter includes a glossary of Spanish terms used in the story, immigration data, a discussion guide for parents and educators, tips for cultural sensitivity when interacting with immigrant families, and more. Papi has straight hair and medium brown skin while Mam� and Carmen have comparatively darker skin and read as Afro-Latina. Background characters, one of whom uses a wheelchair, are diverse in age and skin tone. The simultaneously publishing Spanish edition is a solid translation and identical in content. (This book was reviewed digitally.) An important, empathetic, and well-told immigration story that strikes a hopeful note of resilience. (glossary of immigration terms, illustrator's note, further reading, Spanish edition) (Picture book. 4-8)

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May 1, 2022
Grades K-3 In a colorfully illustrated, picture-book format, this Something Happened . . . title focuses on a young girl's experiences when her immigrant father faces possible deportation. Carmen's papi is a magician, but when he suddenly vanishes, Mam� explains he's been arrested because, unlike them, both American-born, Papi, born in Mexico, doesn't have documents to live in the U.S. "Don't tell anyone," Mam� says, "I don't want people to look down on us." However, after hearing her classmates' various immigration stories, Carmen eventually shares her own. Meanwhile, Mam� decides she needs to ask for help, too. As time passes, Carmen and Mam� find support from friends and their family, and while Papi's situation remains open-ended, there's a glimmer of hope. This thoughtful book sympathetically portrays many elements of family separation, from financial impacts to the emotional realities of living with deep uncertainty. Extensive back matter to help adults broach the topics with children offers background on immigration and deportation, as well as detailed suggestions and scripts for discussing complicated feelings and cultivating cultural sensitivity and compassion.

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