Un mundo nuevo: (When This World Was New)

by Danilo Figueredo, Danilo Figueredo

In Spanish. Un mundo nuevo brings us a gentle and uplifting story of coming to America. It was Danilito's first day in America. He and his parents have just made a long, exhausting move from the Caribbean to New York City. The ocean and the palm trees he is familiar with are now replaced by tall buildings and crowded streets. Danilito is scared. He has heard that some Americans are not friendly to foreigners. In addition, he does not speak any English. His parents have worries, too. They will have to find new jobs, a new home, and adjust to the new surroundings. This was going to be their first cold winter. Danilito's worries disappear the next morning when he wakes up and Papa leads him on a magical trip of discovery. Translated from When This World Was New , Un mondo nuevo brings us a gentle and uplifting story of coming to America.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Immigration, Cultural

32 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

Reviews

[Loraine]

This cute children's book tells the story of emigrating to America and the feelings of fear and delight that capture the heart of an emigrant child who is experiencing culture, customs, and speech different from his own. Well written story from a child's perspective.

[Irma Dogic]

This moving children's book invites an audience to follow main character Danilito on a journey from his native Caribbean island to an unknown land of The United States. Soon after he arrives, Daniel awakes to snow, something he has never seen! It takes awhile, along with a lot of adjustment and obstacles Daniel soon begins to acclimate to his new home. Daniel and his family face many struggles associated with immigrating to a new land, but are able to to overcome them. The book does an incredible job immersing readers into Daniel's feelings. I also find this book to be a great tool to introduce students to the concept that not everyone is from the same country.

[Ryan Regynski]

This book expresses a child's experience of moving to a new country (America). Themes such as culture shock and all the emotions that come with it are shown. One example is the weather from a warm/tropical climate to a city where it is snowing! I could use this book in my classroom to help explore empathy and what it would be like to move to a different country, or even open the discussion for ELLs if they would like to share their experiences.

[Sandra]

Not entirely engaging, but important. Almost sad that this ends up being another winter in the country view...

[Whitney]

Though I wouldn’t consider this “good” literature, I think it could be used as an example for emigrated children that similar concerns of moving to the United States are valid. Overall, this book seemed unfinished. Figueredo could have expanded past the scenes where he’s playing with his father. Showing Danilito’s first day at his English-only school would have been good. It could have showed a rocky first day, but end with a hopeful outlook. Perhaps a story for another book.

When This World Was New did display a thorough transition between the Caribbean and New York City. From the illustrations, one could get the feeling of warmth through the bright colors Sanchez uses to depicts Danilito’s homeland. Sanchez then depicts NYC as a cold and dark place where Danilito and his family must where heavier, thicker garments along with boots and coats to protect themselves from the winter elements. Sanchez also depicts Danilito and his family in a non-stereotypical way. They are a bit cartoony looking, but realistic at the same time.

Danilito has all these fears of going to America: the people might not be nice, you could get hurt (from slipping on the ice), he has to go to a school where no one speaks Spanish, how will his father support his family. These fears are the overall issue of the book. Danilito is assured by his uncle, who the family is staying with, that overall Americans are nice and that as long as you walk carefully you won’t slip and get hurt. However, his father’s employment status and Danilito’s schooling aren’t addressed, but father and son playing in the snow seem to signify a new beginning of sorts and a come what may lesson. Hopefully Danilito and his family won’t be part of the 23.7 percent of Puerto Ricans living in poverty and contribute to the high unemployment rate. Nothing is mentioned about the family dynamic other than it is implied that the mother is a stay at home mom or at least works from home.

[Josiahpa]

this Book is based on a boy who moved to New York City from the Caribbean and his struggle to adapt to a non-native language. As well as dealing with that he has to learn to deal with the cold temperature and the huge culture difference. This book is good because it deals with almost the same thing mine does, which is a young boy and his family moving from the Caribbean to the US and the struggles that it comes with. It would help me be able to model good ideas of what will work for my book. It also can be used as a reference point of how immigrants deal with language differences and how everything is ok when you are surrounded by people you love. It is a fiction. It is in my opinion a developmentally appropriate book and I feel as though it is a quality book because both the author and illustrators are insiders into what it is like to be a immigrant as they both migrated from no English speaking countries.

[Morgan]

In this story, Daniel moves from a Carribean island to the United States. He is unsure and nervous at the idea of a new place and new people. Soon after arriving, Daniel wakes up to snow, which he has never seen. As he plays in the snow, Daniel slowly decides that he enjoys his new surroundings. As we read the story I encourage students to think about their own experiences with moving, new places, or unknown people and empathize with Daniel. Several of my students who have moved to the United States from other countries often share their own stories about moving to a new country and compare and contrast their own experiences with Daniel's.

Approximate Reading Level: M

[Hatka Kecalovic]

The book When This World Was New by D.H. Figueredo addresses the struggles a family faced after moving to New York from the Caribbeans. The book can be used to address experiences immigrant students face after moving to a new country. The story also addresses family structure. The book can also be a resource for teaching characteristics of seasons. This book can be used in Kindergarten- 2 grade classrooms.

[Abbi Kraus]

This is a good book to read if you have ENL students in your class or school. It can be very true for a lot of your students: new languages, new customs, new weather, and worries about fitting in and parents finding a job. This book can give a child confidence to want to go to school.

[Sarah Ballentine]

I personally would use this book in an elementary classroom to teach the students that not everyone in their class is from America. It's a great way to teach students that though a big move or change may be scary at first, things always work out for the best in the end.

[Colleen]

Eve Bunting's World of Stories - unit 6
Leveled Books - Lexile: 400

[Violet]

For the adjustment of coming from one country to another, this is a wonderful book to have. This shows the worries that many ELL kiddo's probably share. The illustrations are wonderful as well.

[Andrew Jongeneel]

When This World Was New, written by D.H. Figueredo, is about a boy who moved to New York from the Caribbean; he struggles to adapt to his new surroundings and the language. He also is struggling to adapt to the colder temperatures and different cultures. This story lets children who, not only immigrated from the Caribbean, but from everywhere in the world, relate with this little boy and how he deals with different languages and how he overcomes this problem with the help of him family.