In this story, two kids are immigrating to different countries. ( )

This book deals with the transitions of moving to a new place as a kid. It captures the feelings of missing the place where you used to be. It shows the excitement of moving to a new place as well. Students can get the opportunity to see what it’s like moving to a new place and it’s transitions. ( )

Have you ever thought about moving somewhere else? Will it be different or do you just have an idea of what it would be like? Well in the book, A New Home two children talk about and explore moving to each others home town. They discover some things about each others home towns; it was not completely what they thought. They discovered a new way of thinking. While it does seem like a book for younger students, I think that this can really open many students eyes that they are more like their peers than they think. I give it five stars because I think it can make a difference in a students thinking, but in a math class they could rope in the different economies in different places. What does cost of living mean and how does it differ? ( )

Author/illustrator Tania de Regil, a native of Mexico City who studied fashion design in New York City, creates a love letter to both metropolises in this wonderful picture-book. As a young New York boy worries about moving to Mexico City with his parents, a young Mexican girl frets about her own family's upcoming move, in the opposite direction. Their concerns, and fear that they will be terribly homesick for the sights, sounds and experiences of home, are parallel to one another, something captured in the artwork, which depicts the New York and Mexico City scenes above and below the text, which runs across the center of the page. The children's hope that their new home won't feel too unfamiliar is subtly fulfilled by the parallel structure of the story, which emphasizes (for the reader, anyway) the many similarities between the two children and their two cities...

A New Home is de Regil's picture-book debut, and what a debut it is! The text itself is simple but effective, capturing the children's fears in a gentle but convincing way, and demonstrating (again, through the parallel structure) that there is nothing to fear. I enjoyed the main narrative, and particularly appreciated the afterword, in which more details about each subject raised - monuments depicted, social problems mentioned - is given. The artwork, done in ink, colored pencil, watercolor and gouache, is colorful and cute. Although the two children here never meet (they do pass one another in the airport!), I've added this one to my cross-cultural friendship shelf, as I think the parallels drawn really emphasize the commonalities of custom and culture, between the two great cities. Recommended to anyone looking for books about moving house (especially when the move is international), or about the similarities between two of the world's great cities. ( )