A NEW HOME written and illustrated by Tania de Regil is a double story told by two small children: one living in New York City and moving to Mexico City and the other living in Mexico City and moving to New York City. This picture book is both delightful and interesting as it highlights the beauty and energy of each city as well as the doubts each child has regarding their move to a new place ---especially the things they will miss.
The little boy with his stuffed bear in hand will miss baseball at Yankee Stadium and the little girl holding her doll close will miss soccer at the Aztec Stadium. He will miss the hot dog stands on busy corners and she will miss corn on the cob sellers in the streets. They also worry there won’t be parks where they can walk, play and ride bicycles.
The back material features 22 pictures with extended captions of the various parks, cultural landmarks, museums and buildings in each of the two cities as well as a gentle whisper about when people move from one country to another they add variety to the cultural landscape.
A NEW HOME is written and illustrated charmingly with two darling first person narrators by Tania de Regil. It is a well told and designed picture book for youngsters 4-8 years of age that supports the fact that moving doesn’t always have to be scary. Also available in Spanish. (Candlewick Press, 2019).
Activity Questions for A NEW HOME
Have you ever moved from one country to another or one state to another or one city to another? How did it make you feel? Make a list of the things you missed? What were some of the new things that you found in your new home? Draw a picture of one of your favorite things about your new home: think about your bedroom, your school, a park, a teacher or a new friend. If you have never moved draw a picture of the things you would miss if you did move.
Study the final two-page illustration. Which family has landed? In what city is this airport located? Where is the other family going? If the little girl and the little boy had an opportunity to talk, what might they say to one another? Make up a short conversation. Have fun!
Older kids: read through the interesting back materials and locate the answers to the following questions: Where is the most filmed park in the world? What is the name of the oldest capital in the Americas? What is the peripheral ring in Mexico City? Where was America’s first rollercoaster introduced? In the heart of what city park is there a royal castle? In what city park is there a famous ice rink? An immigrant from what country opened the first hot dog stand on Coney Island? Yummy!
