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The Remembering Stone
A surprising journey of self-discovery
In early fall, the blackbirds creak like rusty wheels behind our apartment . . . "One day I will return like you," my mother tells the birds. "But for now, you go. Que les vaya bien. Safe journey."
Ana doesn't understand the pull of this faraway place until one night she puts her favorite thing -- a stone spit from the volcanoes of Costa Rica - underneath her pillow. She imagines herself a blackbird flying to this country her mother longs to see again, with "mountains [that] stretch over steamy cedar and ebony forests, noisy with bright birds . . . [her] grandfather and uncles gathering cacao pods from the trees." And as Ana imagines what she would see, she develops her own emotional link to this place and people, who, while far away, are part of her.
This evocative picture book with its striking, bold art celebrates the importance of hope, dreams, and cultural roots -- and will have special resonance for all thos who find themselves at the crossroads of two cultures.
In early fall, the blackbirds creak like rusty wheels behind our apartment . . . "One day I will return like you," my mother tells the birds. "But for now, you go. Que les vaya bien. Safe journey."
Ana doesn't understand the pull of this faraway place until one night she puts her favorite thing -- a stone spit from the volcanoes of Costa Rica - underneath her pillow. She imagines herself a blackbird flying to this country her mother longs to see again, with "mountains [that] stretch over steamy cedar and ebony forests, noisy with bright birds . . . [her] grandfather and uncles gathering cacao pods from the trees." And as Ana imagines what she would see, she develops her own emotional link to this place and people, who, while far away, are part of her.
This evocative picture book with its striking, bold art celebrates the importance of hope, dreams, and cultural roots -- and will have special resonance for all thos who find themselves at the crossroads of two cultures.
- GenresPicture BooksCultural
Hardcover
First published April 2, 2004
1 person is currently reading
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
March 16, 2020
Remembering who you are, yet living in the present. A realistic fiction children’s book, The Remembering Stone, details the story of a young girl who dreams of encountering the life her mother once had in Costa Rica. Now living in a different country, the narrator encounters a world that is contrary to the one her mother once knew. As she engages life, she approaches it with a swelling of hope as she marries her culture with the one of the country she now resides in. She lives in the norms of life, while never forgetting the value of her own culture. She has hopes for the present and the future that are a meeting of everything she values. She encourages her friends to chase their dreams, while she simultaneously chases her own dream of seeing the life her mother once had in the narrator’s dreams. While it is never directly stated, this family is immigrants from Costa Rica. I believe this book is a beautiful way of portraying what life can look like after immigrating – adopting new customs, but never forsaking or forgetting from where you came.
I believe this book would be a great introduction for a social studies unit about cultures. So often we expect those around us to conform to what we see as a ‘norm’ for our culture (such as the baker is described in this story – he is negative and all about work, because that is probably all he has ever known!). This story illustrates the life, hope, and dreams of a young immigrant. This would be a great book to base a study of multiple-perspectives on. Another great way to integrate this book into the classroom would be in a language arts approach. Students could be asked to write a letter from the young girl to her grandmother or grandfather in Costa Rica – outlining her dreams, hopes, and admirations of them. It would also be a great way to introduce biography, even though this isn’t a story about a real person. Students could be asked to write a short biography of the mother’s life in the story to begin to understand important elements of biographies.
I loved this book, because it presented the idea of a marriage of cultures in such a real and beautiful way. The young girl loves her new home, but will never forget where she came from. It encouraged me to want to know people’s stories as everyone has a story to tell. It would be a shame to only outline the girl’s new life without considering her past. Her past and present are beautifully described as she lives in the present. The girl approaches everything with hope!
I believe this book would be a great introduction for a social studies unit about cultures. So often we expect those around us to conform to what we see as a ‘norm’ for our culture (such as the baker is described in this story – he is negative and all about work, because that is probably all he has ever known!). This story illustrates the life, hope, and dreams of a young immigrant. This would be a great book to base a study of multiple-perspectives on. Another great way to integrate this book into the classroom would be in a language arts approach. Students could be asked to write a letter from the young girl to her grandmother or grandfather in Costa Rica – outlining her dreams, hopes, and admirations of them. It would also be a great way to introduce biography, even though this isn’t a story about a real person. Students could be asked to write a short biography of the mother’s life in the story to begin to understand important elements of biographies.
I loved this book, because it presented the idea of a marriage of cultures in such a real and beautiful way. The young girl loves her new home, but will never forget where she came from. It encouraged me to want to know people’s stories as everyone has a story to tell. It would be a shame to only outline the girl’s new life without considering her past. Her past and present are beautifully described as she lives in the present. The girl approaches everything with hope!
February 20, 2019
The Remembering Stone is an excellently written realistic fiction children’s book that captures the reader’s attention through both words and pictures. This book takes readers on a journey through what it means to have aspirations and dreams in all stages of life. The young narrator explains the world from her own eyes and reflects on her mother’s memories of the life she once had in Costa Rica. The narrator visits many characters in her community that express their own dreams or on the other hand lack there of. We are reminded as readers to continue to strive for the dreams we have and push forwards when others may put you down. The young narrator reflects on her mother’s dream of returning to Costa Rica as the blackbirds do in the story. Through an actual dream the narrator has while sleeping, she visits her family in Costa Rica and soon her mother’s dream becomes her own. The connection between culture and family through this is very touching. We are given hope at the very end of the book that like the blackbirds, the narrator will eventually fly and reach her own dream.
Overall, I felt this book did a fantastic job of connecting culture and language as one. The author used many words written in Spanish, as well as references to Costa Rica and it’s culture. The book was accompanied with breathtaking illustrations that capture the mood of hope through colorful representation. Using this story as an example of realistic fiction and connecting the book to a lesson in social studies of culture can easily be accomplished. You could have your students related their own experiences of culture to the one described in this book in any grade! You could also tie in similarities and differences among families through different cultures (Kindergarten Social Studies Standard in NC). Teaching students the importance of understanding other cultures and life of immigrants in America is important in helping them understand diversity. An educator could as combine multiple writing activities to reflect this book. From students writing their own realistic fiction short story, to studying imagery, this book fits a multitude of standards for teaching for upper grades as well. One last idea and theme of this book is the idea that everyone can have a dream and push towards a goal over time. The reality of hope is one that is relevant and encouraged for all that read!
Overall, I felt this book did a fantastic job of connecting culture and language as one. The author used many words written in Spanish, as well as references to Costa Rica and it’s culture. The book was accompanied with breathtaking illustrations that capture the mood of hope through colorful representation. Using this story as an example of realistic fiction and connecting the book to a lesson in social studies of culture can easily be accomplished. You could have your students related their own experiences of culture to the one described in this book in any grade! You could also tie in similarities and differences among families through different cultures (Kindergarten Social Studies Standard in NC). Teaching students the importance of understanding other cultures and life of immigrants in America is important in helping them understand diversity. An educator could as combine multiple writing activities to reflect this book. From students writing their own realistic fiction short story, to studying imagery, this book fits a multitude of standards for teaching for upper grades as well. One last idea and theme of this book is the idea that everyone can have a dream and push towards a goal over time. The reality of hope is one that is relevant and encouraged for all that read!
October 25, 2018
A child who lives in a small city apartment dreams of going back home to Costa Rica where her family is from. She has a stone from Costa Rica that she keeps under her pillow as a remembrance of that place. There are also other characters in the story that dream about going home too, such as Mr. Nguyen, the child and mothers baker. This story is great and this children who are from immigrant families will be able to connect to the story on a much deeper level.
October 5, 2011
Americas Award Commended List 2004
This book is about Ana’s wonderings about her mother’s wishing to return to her home of Costa Rica. The beginning of the story is about wishes and doesn’t really seem to be about the same thing as the rest of the story. At first, Ana is exploring her friend, Sophia’s dream about wanting to be an actress. Then, she has a dream about returning to Costa Rica as a blackbird. It shows the other side of immigration, the returning, rather than the leaving.
This book is appropriate for grades 4-6, for discussions about leaving a country and what you would miss. Background knowledge about Costa Rica would be helpful.
Read to 4th DL, 4/5/6 ELL CC at Highland
Read to 4/5/6 BL at Creekside
This book is about Ana’s wonderings about her mother’s wishing to return to her home of Costa Rica. The beginning of the story is about wishes and doesn’t really seem to be about the same thing as the rest of the story. At first, Ana is exploring her friend, Sophia’s dream about wanting to be an actress. Then, she has a dream about returning to Costa Rica as a blackbird. It shows the other side of immigration, the returning, rather than the leaving.
This book is appropriate for grades 4-6, for discussions about leaving a country and what you would miss. Background knowledge about Costa Rica would be helpful.
Read to 4th DL, 4/5/6 ELL CC at Highland
Read to 4/5/6 BL at Creekside
September 27, 2012
This is a lovely picture book about dreams, emigration, nostalgia, and longing, but I do think it might be more appropriate for older children or even adults, since it's rooted even more in missing something than it is in striving for it, and most children might not be able to summon that same feeling. However, for anyone who's ever lost a home, it might be the perfect book. Despite its elegiac tone, it's ultimately warm and hopeful, and beautifully, lushly illustrated.
October 19, 2013
This book is about a girl whose mother dreams of returning to Costa Rica. The illustrations are beautiful and it addresses the difficulty immigrants have when they miss their family from their homeland. Students who have family from other countries can relate to this because many of them most likely have parents that also want to visit their homeland. I recommend this book!
May 8, 2012
"He must have forgotten that a person must have dreams as well as bread."
"She sings the way Mama does when she thinks no one is listening."
"She sings the way Mama does when she thinks no one is listening."
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews