Luisa Uribe

Have you ever had a day where nothing seems to go right? After a long day of teachers and classmates mispronouncing her beautiful name, a little girl tells her mother she never wants to go back to school again. Instead of getting upset, her mother takes her on a lyrical walk through the city streets. Along the way, she teaches her daughter about the wonderful musicality of African, Asian, Black American, Latinx, and Middle Eastern names. They discover that names are not just words, but actual melodies filled with history and magic. Empowered by this beautiful lesson, the young girl finds her voice and her courage. She returns to school the very next day, ready to share the special song of her own name with the entire class.

In the first picture book written by a DACA Dreamer, Areli Morales tells her own powerful and vibrant immigration story. When Areli was just a baby, her mama and papa moved from Mexico to New York with her brother, Alex, to make a better life for the family--and when she was in kindergarten, they sent for her, too. Everything in New York was different. Gone were the Saturdays at Abuela’s house, filled with cousins and sunshine. Instead, things were busy and fast and noisy. Areli’s limited English came out wrong, and schoolmates accused her of being illegal. But with time, America became her home. And she saw it as a land of opportunity, where millions of immigrants who came before her paved their own paths. She knew she would, too. This is a moving story--one that resonates with millions of immigrants who make up the fabric of our country--about one girl living in two worlds, a girl whose DACA application was eventually approved and who is now living her American dream. The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) is an immigration policy that has provided relief to thousands of undocumented children, referred to as “Dreamers,” who came to the United States as children and call this country home.