Common Sense Media Review
By Monica Encarnacion
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Beautiful, timely tale of life and hope along the border.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 4+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
MY TWO BORDER TOWNS begins on a Saturday morning, when a young boy (who's never named) prepares his "special bag" for a day trip with dad to the other side of the border. It’s a short trip -- just down the street from his school. To get there, the father and son duo drive their truck across town, along the Rio Grande, and over a bridge into a twin town, where Spanish is frequently heard and English is spoken less. As they arrive at the border, they’re greeted by a giant statue of an eagle and a soldier keeping guard. On the other side, they first stop for a meal at their favorite restaurant, visit with Tío Mateo at his jewelry store, gather groceries and some other supplies, and make a quick pharmacy pickup for Mom. On their way back home they make their final and most important stop to check in with friends, "refugees, Dad calls them. Stuck between two countries". Taking advantage of the slow traffic on the bridge, the boy jumps out of the truck and shares the gathered supplies and toys from his "special bag" with a boy named Elder and his family, who like many others have been living at the border for months, waiting to be admitted into the United States. Told from a child's point of view, the story ends as father and son, passport in hand, drive back home and the little boy imagines a "wonderful day" when his friends from the Other Side will be able to go back and forth between border towns, just like him.
Is It Any Good?
This loving, sometimes nostalgic story about what it's like to grow up along the U.S.-Mexico border is told from the perspective of a young boy who belongs to communities on both sides. The poetic prose in My Two Border Towns tells a sweet story but also shares a timely message about the importance of sharing in the responsibility of community care, tactfully shedding light on the heart-wrenching scenes along border towns between the United States and Mexico. Lively watercolor illustrations take over each page, drawing readers into colorful scenes and beautiful sights, sounds, and smells of a border community.
This story is a beautiful tribute to the fluidity, complexity, and vibrancy of life along the border, and author David Bowles fearlessly introduces readers to some of the issues displaced people face as they live at the border and await entry into the United States. This is a must-have picture book for families looking to spark conversations with kids about community, kindness, empathy, helping others, and even immigration policies.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how the main characters in My Two Border Towns might be feeling about his day trip into Mexico to run errands and visit with family and friends. Do his feelings change by the end of the trip? How? Why?
Dad tells the boy, "We have a duty to care for our gente." What does he mean by this? How do the main characters care for those they feel connected to?
At the end of the book the author tells us that the boy imagines a "wonderful day." What does a "wonderful day" look like to you? What are your hopes for the future? What do you wish for others?
Do you find the characters relatable? Have you or someone else you know gone through a difficult time when you needed help from others?
Book Details
- Author: David Bowles
- Illustrator: Erika Meza
- Genre: Picture Book
- Topics: Friendship , Great Boy Role Models
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Kokila
- Publication date: September 14, 2021
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 4 - 8
- Number of pages: 40
- Available on: Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
- Last updated: September 22, 2021
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