Going Home

by Eve Bunting, David Díaz (Illustrator)

“A joyous tale of a Mexican American family's Christmastime trip to the parents' home in Mexico.” — Publishers Weekly ( starred review) Christmas is coming, and Carlos and his family are going home — driving south across the border to Mexico. But Mexico doesn't seem like home to Carlos, even though he and his sisters were born there. Can home be a place you don't really remember? This dazzling picture book was written and illustrated by Eve Bunting and David Diaz, the Caldecott Medal-winning team behind Smoky Night . At first, La Perla doesn't seem very different from the other villages they pass through. But then Carlos is swept into the festivities by Grandfather, Aunt Ana, and the whole village. Finally, Carlos begins to understand Mama and Papa's love for the place they left behind and realizes that home can be anywhere, because it stays in the hearts of the people who love you. Glowing with holiday joy and the spirit of Mexico, this is a must-have for any home or library collection.

Genres: Picture Books, Family, Christmas, Childrens, Cultural, Fiction, Realistic Fiction

32 pages, Paperback

First published August 16, 1996

About the author

Also known as Evelyn Bolton and A.E. Bunting.

Anne Evelyn Bunting, better known as Eve Bunting, is an author with more than 250 books. Her books are diverse in age groups, from picture books to chapter books, and topic, ranging from Thanksgiving to riots in Los Angeles. Eve Bunting has won several awards for her works.

Bunting went to school in Ireland and grew up with storytelling. In Ireland, “There used to be Shanachies… the shanachie was a storyteller who went from house to house telling his tales of ghosts and fairies, of old Irish heroes and battles still to be won. Maybe I’m a bit of a Shanchie myself, telling stories to anyone who will listen.” This storytelling began as an inspiration for Bunting and continues with her work.

In 1958, Bunting moved to the United States with her husband and three children. A few years later, Bunting enrolled in a community college writing course. She felt the desire to write about her heritage. Bunting has taught writing classes at UCLA. She now lives in Pasadena, California.

Reviews

[Melki · Rating 4 out of 5]

A migrant family crosses back over the border to spend Christmas in Mexico. There the children learn not only about their culture, but about all the sacrifices their parents made to give them more opportunities in the US. A beautiful story, made more special by David Díaz's gorgeous artwork.

[Karla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. This book really hit a lot of heart strings for me. This book really spoke to me and reminded me of my life and this is my dream and hope for what I can provide for my children in my classroom. I will definitely have a lot of copies of this book in my class. Wow is all I have to say. It brought up a really important topic in this book, immigration/immigrants. The plot in this book is on the thicker side but it is very needed for children to read about. It is a very touchy subject but I think that this author handled it perfectly. The illustrations were so wonderful and colorful for the reader to look upon. Although the book did touch on subjects that can be seem or looked at in a negative light, this book did not make it seem negative at all and didn't enforce any negative stereotypes. The illustrations did add to the plot and helped the reader see what the story was without even reading the words necessarily. This book is so colorful and I think will catch the eyes of many and all children who read it. This is my favorite book now. It shows family struggles and what life is like for immigrants. A lot of children go through these thoughts and now there is a book to vocalize it and inform the world. It is so important for us to start to get people to talk about these topics and make it more acceptable for people to be themselves. I know that my wish for the future is that children do not have to grow with fear for their parents and parents do not have to live in fear of judgement for their families.

[Jose Valadez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Going Home by Eve Bunting is a story about a young boy named Carlos and her family. After a year of hard work in the fields the family decided to go to their home town in Mexico for Christmas. This is a wonderful story as Eve Bunting is able to capture the life of migrant workers and their families. In this heart touching story the parents of Carlos said that they left Mexico so that their kids would have better opportunities even though they love their hometown in Mexico. This story easily captures the struggles migrant workers have to encounter in order for their children to have a better future, it shows that the parents love their hometown so much that all the pain they felt in California vanished once they reached La perla in Mexico.
The dust jacket is covered in art and it is placed in the form of a collage.
The illustrations are wonderful and it is fun to see how much work was put into this book. The illustrations alone make this book wonderful it can easily be translated into a wordless picture book since Eve Bunting provided such detailed drawings. The illustrations were all made on the computer as Eve Bunting is a graphic artist and used her wonderful talents to create such works of art. I enjoyed reading this Picture book since it was able to touch me in a personal level in which my family did work in the fields at one point and we are only able to visit our hometown in Mexico once every two years. This is a fantastic story for any student, parent or teacher. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone of all ages.

[Destiny Zayas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Text to self connection: There’s no place like home! Mama and papa sacrificed for their kids and tried to give them a better life by moving from Mexico to California. I too, as a parent, have made many sacrifices to better my sons future. I had the opportunity to move to California to better myself. Ultimately, I made the decision to stay. My family is here in Georgia and my family is a major part of who I am. I didn’t want to uproot my son from everything he knows and I didn’t want to make the move without him. My family was happy for me but sad at the same time because they were going to miss us. When I decided to stay everyone was joyful. I felt just like the parents in the book. Overjoyed, dancing around and full of love. I believe that home is where the heart is! My heart is definitely here in Georgia with my son and all my loved ones.

[Cassidy Crawford · Rating 4 out of 5]

Going Home is a realistic fiction picture book published in 1996. It tells of a family of immigrants living in America who return to Mexico for the holidays. I really like the message the story tells which is home is wherever you are happy. This book could relate to ELL and other students and could be a great way for other students to get an understanding as to what these children are going through.

[Cyril · Rating 3 out of 5]

A sweet story, but the text is a little long for our 2-year-old.

[Samantha Sheeran · Rating 4 out of 5]

Going Home by Even Bunting is about a Latino family who is going back to Mexico. The children are unsure about going back because they have grown up in the United States their whole lives, even though they were born in Mexico. The books talks about the struggles of this Latino family and how they can only live in a house that belongs to their labor manager because they work his crops for him. Along the journey the young boy asks his parents why they left Mexico if they love it so much. The parents explain that there is no work in Mexico and they moved because of the opportunities. They finally reach their village and are welcomed by the people and their Grandfather and Aunt. The night of their arrival people come over to their Grandfathers. They tell the parents how wise it was for them to take the children to the land of opportunities. Eventually the young boy realizes that his parents sacraficed their love for their village for him and his sisters to have a better life.

I thought this book was very sweet. I think that it was very informational to young readers on teaching them the hardships of different cultures. It shows that not all countries are as priveleged as America and that different cultures move here for opportunities. My favorite part of the book were the illustrations. They were so brightly colored and did a great job of depicting the Latino culture. My favorite illustration was of the parents dancing in the streets of Mexico because they were happy to be home, and the three children standing off watching them. The colors are so bright and the illustration is two full pages. It shows a little farm and houses off in the background and the mother and father are very big in the foreground. Another illustration that I liked was the illustration that showed different Christmas decorationg for the Latino culture. The colors are bright and eye catching.

Overall, I really enjoyed Going Home. It would be a very useful tool to teach young students about different cultures.

[Molly Finnerty · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is Christmas and Carlos and his family are driving to Mexico, where their parents are from. Carlos and his two sister's have many questions pertaining to their trip and why Mama and Papa are so excited. During their journey to Mexico, Carlos sees how happy his mother and father are to be heading back to Mexico. He does not understand why their parents continue living in the United States where life is such a struggle. Carlos's mother and father moved to the United States for opportunity for the sake of their children's education. When their family reaches La Perla, Mexico Carlos meets his Aunts, Uncles, and Grandparents. Their family is amazed at how well he speaks Spanish. Although Carlos does not know these family members well, he feels right at home as soon as he is in their arms. This is a great story of family and it shows that no matter how far you travel, home is where your family is. Reading this book, presents a great opportunity to teach about different cultures and backgrounds. This book would be great to read, especially in classrooms in Texas, California, and Arizona as many children have the same roots as Carlos. Even though the book is written in English, there are some words in Spanish that children can learn. The pictures are bright and contemporary with great images presenting the Mexican culture such as: dark hair with braids, colorful streets, bright clothing, and the architecture of the buildings in La Perla. After reading this book aloud in class, the children can go home and discuss their culture with their parents. The next day, the children can bring in something from home that presents their culture and they can present it, almost like "show and tell" to the class.

[Melody Stewart · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the realistic fiction book, Going Home, the American born children travel with their immigrant parents back to Mexico to visit relatives. The story is appealing to young audiences and encourages children to think about immigrant families, opportunities cultures and countries offer, and sacrifices people make for the people they care about. The rich, thick plot is age appropriate and uses appropriate style and language for young students. The problem faced in the story appears when the narrator does not want to go back to Mexico. He does not know Mexico as home like his parents do. This problem is solved when the children discover Mexico as part of their culture, home to their parents, and their home as well. The characters represent realistic roles. Children born to immigrant parents are often confused about their ethnic and cultural identity in certain situations. The illustrations in the book correspond and hold a reader’s attention. They are vivid to reflect the culture of the narrator and his family. In this story, the reader sees the different perspectives and variations of a cultural group in the children of immigrant parents, the immigrants, and the native people who have not immigrated. The characters are genuine and complex. The children are curious about their country of origin and why their parents decided to immigrate to America. The parents are portrayed as caring and sacrificial as they leave the place they love in order to provide the best for their children.

[Yesenia Sepulveda · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book's main theme is family. It seems to be stereotypical of a Mexican American family. This can be viewed positively for those who do live a similar life. However, it suggests that all Mexican families are how they are presented in the book. The family works on a field, sends money to Mexico, moved to give children a better life, and are not fluent in English. It is beautifully illustrated with vivid pictures and enticing vocabulary to make Mexican children feel at home. Eve Bunting uses some Spanish words when the parents are speaking, suggesting that most immigrant parents do not know English well. She explains that the parents do not speak English because they do not need it to work on the field(stereotypical). Young readers may be able to relate to not fitting in as the children in this book have felt. When they are back in Mexico, their family asks them to say something in English and are amazed when they do. This points out that the kids feel different from their family back home and may also feel different from others in America. This theme of identity may help readers feel connected to the characters. Happiness is another theme focused on since the children notice that the parents are quite different when they are back in Mexico. All themes eventually come together to suggest to the reader that happiness, family, and identity equal to home and it is all within you when surrounded by loved ones.

[Aiyana Martinez · Rating 3 out of 5]

In going home the narrator is a young hispanic boy who goes on vacation with his family to visit his grandfather and aunt in Mexico. On his travels there he experiences new things on the way like seeing different cultures of women and men all around him. When he arrives in Mexico to his grandfathers house he realizes that his parents moods change. They were not that happy in the United States like they were in Mexico, which effected Carlos the young boys mood noticing that his parents did something he did not realize until now. They left Mexico for their children, in order for their children to have a better life they had to leave home (Mexico) to give them an opportunity in life. This story helps us gives a new perspective we don’t really get in normal society. We see hard working people in the working fields picking and planting in the hot sun. We assume they are illegal immigrants and do not get enough money for their work but in this perspective in the story you see their reasoning. These people work hard for what they want, and in this story the parents left the only place they called home in order for their children to get the benefits they could not get as children. David Diaz did a great job getting this message through with the front cover, back cover and the illustration through out the story.

[Kayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Going home is a realistic fiction story. It's an excellent book about an immigrant family going back home to Mexico for the holidays. This book displays how "home" can have many meanings. Although Carlos in his sister were born in Mexico they consider California home and are hesitant to go back to Mexico. However once they get there this soon changes. This book is filled with culture as well as fun family moments that all young readers can relate to. The illustrations of this book are extremely colorful and are sure to keep your reader engaged.This book is interesting to children and is age appropriate and easy to understand. The story has a rich thick plot that includes a problem and a solution.It utilizes style and language that are appropriate for the children's ages and interest. It also includes realistic and convincing characters that children can relate to. The illustrations of the story are accurate in terms of the plot and correspond to the test nicely. The vibrant colors of the text are sure to hold a young readers attention. The characters of this story use speech that accurately represent their culture and oral traditions. There is diversity represented within the cultural group and no negative stereotypes towards this group.

[Josie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Going Home by Eve Bunting
Illustrations by David Diaz
Published by Joanna Cotler Books Harper Collins Publishers
1996
Fiction: Picture book
Ages 6 to 9

Going Home centers around a family's journey home for Christmas. The main characters are Carlos, his sisters Nora and Dolores and his parents. They drive from California to Mexico, where Carlos' parents are from. The ideas of home and opportunities are pondered by Carlos throughout the ride. When they arrive in Mexico, Carlos sees why it holds an important place in his parent's hearts
The illustrations are very unique throughout the book. A combination of bright colored drawings and photographs for the page background is used. It makes the pages very vivid and dynamic, but I thought the background photographs were fighting too much with the drawings on each page. I would have more liked to see a plain color to accent the drawings.
I liked this book and the messages it conveyed about immigrants and what they sacrifice to provide better opportunities for their children. It takes a simple "road trip" story to a more compelling level.

[Melba Deoleo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Carlos and his family are taking a a trip back home to Mexico, a long drive across the border to a place that despite being born there Carlos and his sister do not consider home. La Perla, their parents home village, did not seem any different than the others they had passed along the way, they simply couldn't see why this place was so special to them. As the story goes on Carlos and his sister get to see why this place is so important their parents, they simply seem so happy and at peace there and they realize that home can be anywhere that your heart desires. I really loved this book and think that it would be a great way to connect with kids that might have had a similar experience. I was able to relate to the story when the little girl said " Say something in English, a woman asks me and everyone is quiet, waiting", this is something that I have experienced when I go visit back home and can share with my students. The book also uses Spanish words that I could use that to teach vocabulary, but I would mainly use it to teach kids about what they consider to be home and what makes that place home, can build a great writing lesson from this book.

[Laura Brower · Rating 3 out of 5]

This work, written by Eve Bunting and illustrated by David Diaz, depicts the life of a Mexican family who immigrated to the United States to work in fields. Carlos, the main character, and his family take a trip back to Mexico, his birth place and the place that his parents consider as home. At first, Carlos does not understand his parents' emotional connection toward the town, La Perla; however, once Carlos immerses himself within the culture of his family members, he soon enough realizes his parents' love for the place and cultivates an utmost appreciation as well.

Diaz's illustrations frame the story line beautifully, capturing the upbeat happenings of Carlo's family. By using vivid paint tones, he depicts the characters in a tasteful manner that will capture the attention of readers.

Everything considered, I highly recommend this read. Children who read this picture book will, if not already, learn about the family values and joyful traditions that shape Mexican culture. Our nation is extremely diverse, and we must teach children to appreciate and understand every aspect of American culture.

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Going Home is a multicultural picture book about Mexicans. Carlos’ parents moved to America in order to have more opportunities for their children. His parents are hard farm workers. The family is going back home for Christmas. Carlos does not remember Mexico and wonders why his parents think this place is so special. This is a good picture book for young adults to read.
This picture book includes many words in Spanish which helps the story to be more realistic. The author goes into many details about the look and feel of Mexico. The illustrations look like drawings. They are really beautiful. The pictures make me want to go to Mexico.
Many young children can connect with Carlos and his family. Many students come from different countries. Like Carlos, their families came for more opportunities and they might not even remember what it was like in their home country. This book can be used in a classroom to explain the feelings and decisions of immigrants. The students could also draw pictures of their homes model after the illustrations in the book.

[Dana Keiper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eve Bunting's Going Home is about a family of five heading back home to Mexico from the U.S. for Christmas.
Though the kids were born there, they have no memory of living there so they can't quite understand why their parents are so excited about going on this trip, but once they get there, they begin to understand.

I like how Eve Bunting incorporated Spanish into the dialogue because it gives the story a sense of authenticity as well as reminds me of an old neighbor friend of mine who's older sister would call "Mijo!" over the wall when it was time for him to come home for dinner. It was very nostalgic.

David Diaz's drawings and Cecelia Zieba-Diaz's photographs give the story a fable like feel, kind of like a 'going back to our roots' feel, which would make sense since the story is about going back to somewhere they haven't been to in what feels like, to them, a very long time ago.
The way they put the photographs in the background and the illustrations in the foreground inside borders just seems to work in a way I just can't express into words.

[Danielle Harriger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Diversity Themed PB 5: I think this is an exemplary book for children to broaden their knowledge about different cultures and the reasons that families choose to immigrate to other countries. This book resonated with me because as a child, I always enjoyed learning about other people’s heritage that differed from mine. I think this book does a wonderful job of being descriptive, yet subtle in telling the similarities and differences between America and Mexico, and I think it is valuable to show that while other cultures are different, all cultures and countries have aspects that make them alike. The part I was most drawn to was when the children talked about how their parents missed their home country, but knew they had to move because of the opportunities in America. I was drawn to this because it sheds light on how people make the tough decision to leave behind the familiarity and comfort of home for better opportunities.

[Jennifer Velez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Going Home is a very special book, because Carlos’ family instead of going to the United States they are going to Mexico for Christmas, which is their home. The three children were born in Mexico, but like their parents tell them, they left Mexico to go to the United States for the “opportunities”. They don’t understand what those opportunities are; they all work very hard in the fields along with their parents. The book has many Spanish words, and Carlos is very detailed about his experience during the trip. Carlos at the end of the story realizes that his parents have made the sacrifice of leaving the country they love for them to have a better education and future in the United States. The students may interact with the book, because there might be students that just like Carlos was told, they came to the United States looking for better opportunities. I can use this book in the classroom to know and use context clues to figure out what the Spanish words mean.

[Gretchen · Rating 2 out of 5]

PB 1: This picture book was boring to me as a reader. I don't see how a child let alone an adult would enjoy reading this book. The plotline is meant to be meaningful as the parents who have worked all their lives to make a better life return to their village in Mexico with their family. The son, Carlos, has a strange voice that seems too naive in my mind for a child who has seen such struggles. The saving grace of this book may have been the illustrations. Unique and heavey-handed, the bright depictions of the characters created a strong presence of family. However the eye was easily drawn away from the illustrations with strange, and personally distracting photographs of objects, dolls, and cloth that trimmed all the pages. Overall this book was less than satisfactory. I would like to see something from this author that is a little more child-friendly, and maybe less bland.

[Jesicca Welch · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is describing the journey of a migrant family. The Mexican- American family visits Mexico for a Christmas trip, to see family they left behind by moving to America. They moved to America so that they could have better opportunities as well as a better way of life. This story was written to just somewhat compare the Mexican to the American culture. The plot is developed within the story and is being developed my cultural interaction between the characters in the story. This book has several genres which I have identified. They are realistic fiction, poverty, family, etc. I chose this book because it depicts a plethora of different genres and the author has incorporated multiple cultures within the story. I did not notice any inappropriate content in the story. The author does not identify with the cultural group that is being represented within the story.

[Lori Shook · Rating 4 out of 5]

One one hand, I thought this was a very captivating book with a touching story line and illustrations. (I actually teared up.) On the other hand it could seem as if there is a glossing over of issues. The story is about a Mexican family who moved to California for their children. They work on strawberry fields and sometimes the three children do as well. They drive back to their hometown in Mexico. The children are surprised to see their parents so happy once they return to the small village. I think this book could be used in the classroom, however, as deep as the teacher is willing to take it. The theme of the book is opportunity. In terms of critical literacy, viewpoints about opportunity could be explored.

[Lzhao · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Going Home” by Eve Bunting is that Carlos and his families are going to La Perla in Mexico, where they came from, for Christmas from California. During the trip, Carlos and his sisters are discovering the magic in their roots. They are making connection with their roots. On the trip, Carlos and his sisters understood their parents better. I was moved when I saw that Carlos’ parents danced at midnight in the street of their hometown barefooted. I truly understand why people say that home is where the heart is. The book’s illustration is interesting for me. Every page is full of colors and cultural elements. It really amazed me because I rarely see this kind of strong expression with colors.

[Taylor Munson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Eve Bunting's books so I decided to read another one. I particularly loved the illustrations in this book. The lesson behind this book was also appropriate to talk to children about. This children's book goes over the fact that a home can be anywhere you make it. Whether it is a place where family or friends is a place can always be a home. It is also home where your ancestors were located and there are a lot of lessons to be learned. I could even relate to this book because I am far from home right now, but after reading this I kind of thought that I can have two homes - one here in Arizona and one in Illinois. I liked this book and I really like this children's author!

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book! This book is about a Mexican-American family that takes a trip back down to Mexico for the holidays to see their family. While on this journey and in the village where her parents are from, Carlos who is the main character realizes that the reason his parents left the village they love and came to America was so that him and his siblings could have a better life and more opportunities. This idea is very heart felt and makes Carlos very appreciative of the hard work that his parents do. This book could possibly be useful in the classroom when learning about topics involving culture or immigration. I think that this book could potentially be very eye opening for children and would aide in teaching about differences and diversity.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Carlos and his family are going home for Christmas from California to Mexico and they aren't very happy about it. As he and his family - Mama, Papa, Nora and Dolores travel by car they experience many sights along the way. Each page of this picture book by Eve Bunting, describes a scene from their trip. They pass through small towns and "beautiful little villages where flowers hang from lampposts". They meet buses and pass men and women on bicycles. They soon arrive at their destination and see "beautiful children" and the lovely town of La Perla. Out of everything they see during their trip, they see their parents with smiles on their faces showing how much they love Going Home.

[Tiffany · Rating 3 out of 5]

Genre: PB21

A cute story about a family going back to Mexico to visit relatives for Christmas. The best part of the story were the illustrations. They was a lot of depth and lines drawn into each page that you could almost skip reading the story just to see the lovely pictures. The storyline is good, but may be hard to read and understand for younger children. This story would be good for older children because it has some Spanish words in the story that help make the story come to life in a different way. this is a good holiday story with a message of hope and love all readers will like.

Three words to describe this book: Seasonal, beautiful, sweet

[Haydee Romero]

Going Home is a story of a young boy, Carlos and his family trip to Mexico. Carlos has an inner conflict because he does not understand how the United States and Mexico can both be considered home. I would use this text to provide the perspective of a child from an immigrant family. As a class we can explore how families work on farms and how they travel back home for holidays. It is an opportunity for children to share their family traditions and learn from and about one another. Eve Bunting is an immigrant from Ireland, it gives her a perspective and allows her to relate to the topic. The illustrations by David Diaz are beautiful and different from other children’s book.

[Christian Espinoza · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Mexico is not our home, even though we were born there." This book is about a family who moved to the U.S. for opportunities that were not available in Mexico. The parents are farm workers and so are the children on the weekends. This family travels back "home" to Mexico for Christmas and the children have a hard time recognizing their destination as their home as they have now made the U.S. their home. The book addresses the fact that your place of origin is not always what you call home. The book introduces some Spanish phrases and is rich in vocabulary. The illustrations are colorful, and geometric. They enhance the story flawlessly.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful story about a family who migrated to America for more opportunities from Mexico. The parents are taking their children back to their village, but the children have no idea what the big fuss is about compared to America; however, their minds are quickly changed when they get there - they eventually call Mexico home. The illustrations are phenomenally captivating and truly representative of Mexican culture. The text also represents Mexican culture with authentic vocabulary.