Review by Booklist Review
Young Estrella's Tía Fortuna is no stranger to moving, thanks to Cuban roots and her Sephardic family's voyage from Spain to Turkey to Cuba to Miami. Through the curious and poignant perspective of a child, Behar's story follows Tía Fortuna's latest move from her beautiful pink casita in the Seaway, her longtime apartment building, to an assisted-living facility. Eloquent multilingual storytelling couples with peaceful artwork as Estrella learns that change can be OK and that keeping your traditions and culture alive is even more important. Tía Fortuna embarks on her new chapter with optimism and grace, reminding Estrella through her delicious Jewish Cuban cooking and her stories and mantras in Ladino that you can take the feeling of home with you no matter where you go. Holzwarth's seaside illustrations will no doubt bring pleasant nostalgic memories to readers of all ages, and the book's positive message is supplemented by a glossary of multilingual terms and an author's note on the inspiration behind this Sephardic Jewish tale.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Estrella's elderly aunt must leave her longtime home, a pink Miami Beach casita--the place where, as a Sephardic Jewish refugee fleeing from Havana she brought "nothing but a suitcase of old photographs and the mezuzah that hung on her doorpost and a key to a home gone forever." As Tía Fortuna prepares for a new life at what she calls "La Casa de los Viejitos," she and Estrella say goodbye to the beach and eat a plate of homemade borekas that the woman tells her niece are filled with "potatoes and cheese and... esperanza." Behar's (Letters from Cuba) warmhearted storytelling turns the past, present, and future into a confluence of connections as Estrella realizes her role in a legacy of faith, hope, and resilience. The text's lyrical mood is well supported by Holzwarth's (Papa, Daddy, and Riley) mixed media illustrations. Tía Fortuna's colorful dress, warm smile, and swirl of bright white hair exude energy and resolve, while the compositions' curvilinear lines and embellishments of Sephardic Jewish and tropical motifs speak to a life well lived--with plenty of joy still ahead. Back matter includes an author's note and Spanish-to-English glossary. Ages 4--8. (Jan.)
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Review by Horn Book Review
Estrella's tia Fortuna must leave her casita in Miami's Seaway before it is torn down. She is moving into La Casa de los Viejitos, a facility for seniors. As she and Estrella say goodbye to various elements of the Seaway, Tia Fortuna's attitude is accepting -- her home will be a memory, like the home she left in Havana years earlier -- though there are hints that she shares some of Estrella's apprehension. Bittersweet though the story is, the overall atmosphere is one of warmth, both in the reassuringly portrayed Casa de los Viejitos as Tia Fortuna settles in and meets her neighbors and in the central Sephardic Jewish family. The dreamy mixed-media illustrations are filled with references to all aspects of Tia Fortuna's background, both in her remembrances and physically among her belongings, with the (somewhat lengthy) text granting particular significance to a mezuzah, a key, and, of course, tasty borekas. An author's note gives more information about Sephardic Jews and Behar's own connection to the story, and a glossary defines the many terms from Spanish, Hebrew, and other languages used within the text. A welcome story about change and aging loved ones, and about Sephardic culture. Shoshana Flax May/June 2022 p.114(c) Copyright 2022. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
A young Cuban American girl learns the real meaning of home in this poignant story drawing on the real-life history of Cuba's Sephardic Jews. Estrella loves to visit her aunt, Tía Fortuna, in her little pink house at the Seaway in Miami. Tía Fortuna once lived "on the other side of the sea, in Havana," Cuba. When she "had to leave" her home (a closing author's note pinpoints the Cuban Revolution as the cause), she took only a suitcase of old photographs, her mezuzah (prayer scroll) from her doorpost, and "a key to a home gone forever." Now, years later, she must move once again, this time to an assisted living facility. While Estrella spends time with her aunt at the seaside and helps her pack, she listens to her life stories, learns about the cultural and religious significance of her most prized possessions, and ultimately learns that, like her ancestors, she can find hope wherever life takes her. This heartfelt intergenerational story illuminates a lesser-known facet of Jewish American immigration. Ladino (i.e., Judeo-Spanish) words are seamlessly integrated into the dialogue between aunt and niece, and Behar weaves Sephardic symbols and traditions into the narrative. For example, Tía Fortuna wears a lucky-eye bracelet (a Sephardic Jewish talisman) and serves borekas (a Sephardic Jewish pastry). Detailed paintings, rendered in gouache, watercolor, and color pencil with digital finishing, skillfully move the visual narrative between the past and the present. (This book was reviewed digitally.) A nostalgic glimpse at a little-known but rich culture within the broader Jewish American community. (glossary) (Picture book. 5-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
