Yenebi’s Drive to School

K-Gr 2–A girl crosses the Mexico-United States border every day with her mother and sister to attend school in this sweet picture book. Waking up every day at 4 a.m., Yenebi and her younger sister practically sleepwalk through their daily routine. Bleary-eyed, they get dressed, get in the car, eat breakfast, and drive to the border, sometimes taking up to four hours to arrive at school. The family enjoys the commute, listening to banda music and eating yummy treats from the vendors selling their wares. Yenebi’s narrative is matter-of-fact, while the cheerful illustrations denote the sense of warmth and connection she feels in her family. While the crossing itself doesn’t include much angst, there are guards and dogs, hinting at the not-always-sunny experiences many people have migrating between the two countries. Careful readers might notice how the horizon becomes brighter as it grows later, from dark blues to pinks and turquoises. An author’s note illuminates the inspiration behind the debut work, how the daily transit taught Santamaria patience, community, and perseverance. It also delves deeper into why the end papers feature pigeons with backpacks perched on fences—birds that traverse these artificial and unnatural divides with freedom.