Picture book · Fiction
Islandborn
Junot Díaz; illustrated by Leo Espinosa
About the book
Lola, asked to draw a picture of the island her family came from, gathers memories from neighbors and relatives because she left as a baby.
Reading notes
Opens conversations about memory, heritage, and the stories communities hold together. One neighbor's memory describes a "Monster" (an allusion to a dictator) who once ruled the Island, and hurricanes are mentioned; adults may want to be ready for questions.
This description was drafted with AI assistance and checked by a separate AI review against catalog, publisher and award sources on 2026-11-11. It has not been reviewed by a human editor. Report an error.
Recognition
- ["Pura Belpré Illustrator Honor (2019)"]
Recognition is listed from the awarding bodies’ published records. How we verify awards.
Book details
- Author
- Junot Díaz
- Illustrator
- Leo Espinosa
- First published
- 2018
- Suggested ages
- Ages 4–8 (editorial estimate — children vary)
- Reading mode
- Best read aloud
- Topics
- immigration, memory, hispanic heritage
- Edition shown
- ISBN 9780735230958 · Penguin Young Readers Group, 2018
- Catalog record
- Open Library work record · edition record
Metadata verified against Open Library on 2026-11-11. Other editions and formats exist; ISBNs differ by edition.
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