First of all, I would like to say that I absolutely loved this book. The true spirit of a child is captured in this book. Owen and Naomi portray the ideas of hope, love, and innocence. The reason that I chose this quote was because I felt as if I would react the same way as Naomi did in this part of the book. My father left when I was young and I still have not seen, talked to, or know where he is. I can relate to Naomi in so many ways. The emotions that she felt through this book were some and are some of the same ways I felt/feel. This part stood out to me the most due to the fact that I imagine what the day will be like when I see my dad, pure shock and another feeling that is not quite describable with words. I felt it as I read. Knowing the curiosity that is felt about that person, the feeling of void, and the idea of being wanted by someone who created you. The life struggles that are presented in this book are going to be similar to the struggles the children in the classroom may be having, so by reading this book it can really help children understand that their are many sides to every story, and that thinking positive is the best way to move from one day to the next. My grandmother always told me "that everything will work out for the best, just pray."
As for the multicultural aspect of this book, it is packed with the Hispanic culture and it is portrayed in a non-stereotypical way. I believe that all of the Hispanic culture that was portrayed in the book was informational and very interesting. I loved the things that the author included about family traditions. (Eating as a family, radish carving, singing, and the giving personality of the Hispanic people) The Spanish that was used flowed wonderfully with the text and always gave the meaning of the words in the context clues. This book is great to use when learning about the Hispanic culture because it includes many traditions and beliefs. (Los Posados page 176, La Noche de los Rabanos page 93, Nuestra Senora de la Soledad page 215) This book was definitely my favorite and I can’t wait to read some more of Pam Munoz Ryan’s books.