cbr15bingo On the Road: a young boy immigrates to America
I had decided that I did not want to read It’ll Be Irie: Staying True to Yourself by Alejandra Barajas for no other reason than I had read a lot of being yourself type of books and one more was going to be one too many. I then found a physical reader copy and since I prefer reading books that way, I thought I would give it a shot. I am glad I waited for it and did not read the second I found it.
This book has layers. The first is that as the adult/parent/teacher/caregiver of the child you should read it before reading with your child. There is an afterword that actually allows you to interact with the child while reading it. Of course, you can skip that, but I think if you know the story before you share, it might help any questions your child may have. The second layer is that it is not really your typical be yourself story yet the other students learn to accept their friend as is. Which at first, is them trying to be “American” instead of “Jamaican.” I felt some things (like the, “Are you sure you’re “really” Jamaican?” question) was not addressed as well as could, or could have been handled differently. It felt off the way it was presented.
However, Donn Swaby has some delightful illustrations. They are colorful and really bring things together. The style itself was a little too “polished” or “computer” for my personal tastes, but the details are good and things flow well. I am not the audience for this book. I think you need to read it (coming in early July 2023) and figure out if it meets your needs.
