Luis Paints the World

Gr 2–5—Luis, who appears to be eight or nine, is upset because his older brother is leaving for the army in the morning. He can't understand why Nico can't see the world from where he is—his neighborhood—which is full of culture and diversity. Luis's mother gently reminds him that "sometimes people, they move on. They don't come back for the baseball. Even the flan." So Luis paints the world on the wall in the alleyway outside his house. As the seasons pass, Luis adds to the mural, focusing on scenes he has seen in his brother Nico's texts and shared photos. Pretty soon, the entire neighborhood is adding their special touches to the alleyway mural. After what seems like forever (but only about a year), Nico returns home to his brother's smiling face. The vibrant paintings depicting Luis and his community in attractive tones only add to the feel of the story. Spanish words are sprinkled throughout and are understandable in context for the most part. Farish identifies the setting as Lawrence, MA, in her author's note. The book includes a glossary of Dominican cultural references.