A review by dandelionfluff
Carmela Full of Wishes by Matt de la Peña, Christian Robinson
3.0
I thought it was very thoughtful and full of heart, but I have to wonder if kids would understand what the book is about. There's a definitive moment where Carmela thinks about her father getting his papers "fixed" so he can come home, which made me realize we're talking about a lot here: family separation, living in a neighborhood with obvious signs of poverty, going back home to a more rural environment (also, more than likely, affected by poverty). At the end, I found myself a bit like those puffs: up in the air and wandering a bit for what the story had been. Is it more of an experience?
Like [b:Last Stop on Market Street|22521973|Last Stop on Market Street|Matt de la Pena|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1453342770s/22521973.jpg|41969141], this gives kids the chance to recognize their homes in a book, or to talk about the differences they see. Both families are full of love, and I still recommend this book, even if it didn't quite register at first what thread I was meant to follow.
Like [b:Last Stop on Market Street|22521973|Last Stop on Market Street|Matt de la Pena|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1453342770s/22521973.jpg|41969141], this gives kids the chance to recognize their homes in a book, or to talk about the differences they see. Both families are full of love, and I still recommend this book, even if it didn't quite register at first what thread I was meant to follow.