Edie Colón is an elementary school teacher in New York state. She
emigrated from Cuba at age 5. Her book Good-bye, Havana! Hola, New
York! is based on her childhood.
Raúl Colón is the award-winning illustrator of many picture books,
including Draw!, an ALA Notable Book and recipient of the
International Latino Book Award; Imagine!, an ALA Notable Book, a
New York Public Library Best Book for Kids, and a BookPage Best
Book; Susanna Reich’s José! Born to Dance; Angela’s Christmas by
Frank McCourt; and Jill Biden’s Don’t Forget, God Bless Our Troops.
Mr. Colón lived in Puerto Rico as a young boy and now resides in
New City, New York, with his family.
Good-bye, Havana! Hola, New York!
Edie Colón, illus. by Raúl Colón. S&S/Wiseman, $16.99 (32p)
ISBN 978-1-4424-0674-2
Edie Colón's autobiographical story about making a new life in the
Bronx after leaving Cuba in 1960 stars a six-year-old version of
herself named Gabriella; Colón describes her journey, emotions, and
adjustments to America in simple language. In his signature, almost
pointillist style, Raúl Colón's earth-toned artwork imbues the
story with a comforting texture and warmth, closely depicting the
clothing, hair, and décor of the era. The dialogue is smoothly
rendered in Spanish and English, and many Spanish words are defined
on the final page. This gentle look back at an important time will
also speak to contemporary children whose families are starting
anew in the United States. Ages 4–8.
--Publishers Weekly, May 16, 2011
An immigrant tale builds on the author’s childhood experiences.
Six-year-old Gabriella and her parents leave Havana shortly after
Castro’s takeover of Cuba and move to the Bronx. Adapting to life
in a new country is daunting. After arriving in New York, Gabriella
must adjust to vistas of city traffic instead of a beach scene
outside her window, a new school, a new language and snow,
something she’s never seen. Eventually, she makes friends, improves
in English and awaits the day when her family will reunite with her
beloved grandparents, still in Cuba: When that happens, her new
house and new land truly feel like home again. The story is derived
from the author’s own life and evokes tender memories, yet the
narrator recounts her story in a flat and dispassionate voice and
hurries events along. She also laces her reminiscences with Spanish
words and sentences, which are translated immediately afterward in
context, making for awkward pacing. The author wisely downplays
politics in this picture book, but readers might enjoy learning
more about Gabriella’s new experiences; for example, what was it
like to play in snow for the first time? Fortunately for Gabriella
and the author, she seems to have settled in easily and well. The
true charm here is in the artwork, lushly rendered by Colón’s
husband. His signature soft, muted watercolor-and-pencil style
befits the nostalgic theme...
.-- Kirkus Reviews, July 1, 2011
Good-bye, Havana! Hola, New York!.
Colon, Edie (Author) , Colon, Raul (Illustrator)
Aug 2011. 32 p. Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman, hardcover, $16.99.
(9781442406742).
Edie Colón, wife of illustrator Raul, bases this fictional story on
her own coming-to-America experience
from Castro’s Cuba. As a six-year-old, Gabriella isn’t sure what
revolution means. But soon enough, it
begins to affect her family: her grandparents’ restaurant is
confiscated, and her parents leave to make a
home in the U.S. As much as she loves her grandparents, she is
relieved when her father returns for her, not really understanding
how different her life in America is going to be. Everything
changes for
Gabriella: language, climate, sights, sounds, and smells. Slowly,
though, she adjusts, and when her dearly missed grandparents
arrive, her new surroundings finally feel like home. This story is
a poignant
reminiscence of a child who is buffeted by forces beyond her
control and adjusts rather well to a
reconstructed life. Raul Colón’s art, rendered in his familiar
style, in watercolor, colored pencil, and
lithographic pencil, has a sweetness that’s sometimes tinged with
anxiety, sometimes with hope. A fine
addition to books about the immigrant experience.
--Booklist, September 1, 2011
After Castro confiscates her father’s restaurant, Gabriella’s
parents leave Cuba for New York to settle in the Bronx. Unaware of
the reason for their departure or its consequences, Gabriella stays
with her grandparents. Several weeks later, her father returns and
takes her to her new home. “She missed her toys, the sound of the
beach, and Abuelita and Abito.” She cries the first day of school;
“Miss Lepoor kept talking to Gabriella, but Gabriella did not
understand.” This picture book chronicles the year in which
Gabriella learns English, makes friends, and acclimates to her new
life. One year and seven months after her parents immigrate, both
Cuban grandparents join the family in America. Youngsters will gain
insight into the immigrant experience as well as the Cuban
revolution through the simple, heartfelt narration. Lush, evocative
watercolor and colored-pencil artwork captures the warmth of the
child’s family as well as the contrast between the tropical beauty
and unrest of her homeland and the wintry New York landscape. Pair
this book with Rosemary Wells and Secundino Fernandez’s My Havana
(Candlewick, 2010), which is a more detailed account of a
six-year-old boy’s exodus for similar reasons.
School Library Journal, September 2011
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