Pablo is nervous about starting school in his new country, but everyone is kind and welcoming. In class, his teacher points out Colombia on a map. When she asks the boy what he misses most about his life there, his voice quivers as he talks about his grandmother, dog Lola and old friends. It’s okay to feel sad, the teacher tells him, because “missing is how we remember those we love.” When Mom picks him up from school, Pablo has lots to share with her—until he sees she’s been crying. She admits that she too misses their home. That evening, Pablo begins drawing his cherished memories: the house with its mango tree, sweet Lola and his grandmother, who is as “chubby as if she was full of stories.” He excitedly shows his mother everything when she comes in to say goodnight, including the empty box he left for her to fill in. There are many things she misses about Colombia, she tells him, but “you are my home everywhere.” This sweet bilingual picture book with vibrant illustrations will reassure children that it’s okay to miss people and places. Kids—and their parents too—will appreciate the sentiment that home is wherever love is found.
