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Isla to Island

By Alexis Castellanos
Illustrated by Alexis Castellanos

About The Book
This stunning wordless graphic novel follows a young girl in the 1960s who immigrates from Cuba to the United States and must redefine what home means to her.

Marisol loves her colorful island home. Cuba is vibrant with flowers and food and people…but things are changing. The home Marisol loves is no longer safe—and then it’s no longer her home at all. Her parents are sending her to the United States. Alone.

Nothing about Marisol’s new life in cold, gray Brooklyn feels like home—not the language, school, or even her foster parents. But Marisol starts to realize that home isn’t always a place. And finding her way can be as simple as staying true to herself.

About The Author
Janssed Solberg
Alexis Castellanos

Alexis Castellanos was born and raised in Florida where she enjoyed sunny days, dramatic thunderstorms, and delicious Cuban food. After graduating from college, she moved to New York City and worked as a scenic artist, bringing theatrical sets to life with a little bit of paint and a whole lot of ingenuity. She currently works as a graphic designer by day and spends her nights dreaming up stories. She lives in Seattle with her partner and her extremely photogenic cat, Belle. Isla to Island is her first graphic novel.

About The Illustrator
Janssed Solberg
Alexis Castellanos

Alexis Castellanos was born and raised in Florida where she enjoyed sunny days, dramatic thunderstorms, and delicious Cuban food. After graduating from college, she moved to New York City and worked as a scenic artist, bringing theatrical sets to life with a little bit of paint and a whole lot of ingenuity. She currently works as a graphic designer by day and spends her nights dreaming up stories. She lives in Seattle with her partner and her extremely photogenic cat, Belle. Isla to Island is her first graphic novel.

Product Details
  • Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers (July 6, 2022)
  • Length: 192 pages
  • ISBN13: 9781534469235
  • Ages: 10 - 99

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Raves and Reviews

*"Powerfully depict[s] the disorienting experience of immigration in a way reminiscent of Shaun Tan’s The Arrival."

– The Horn Book Magazine, starred review

*"Beautiful and heartbreaking.... [Marisol's] story will resonate with Cuban children growing up on their abuelos’ stories and anyone who has had to leave their home and start over.... An important and authentic look at the Cuban refugee experience."

– Kirkus, starred review

*"Employing spare text in the form of signs and radio chatter in Spanish and English, debut creator Castellanos effectively uses color as a vehicle to portray Marisol’s loving life with her family in Cuba, despair at their separation, and slow arc to a new life in which she honors her Cuban identity through food and music."

– Publishers Weekly, starred review

*"An inspiring, empathy-building story."

– School Library Journal, starred review

"A different kind of immigrant story uniquely told."

– Booklist

Awards and Honors
  • ALA Notable Children's Books
  • CBC/NCSS Notable Social Studies Trade Book
  • SLJ Best Book of the Year
  • Massachusetts Children's Book Award Nominee
  • Black-Eyed Susan Book Award Nominee (MD)
  • ALA Great Graphic Novels for Teens
  • New York Public Library Best Books for Kids
  • Américas Award for Children's and Young Adult Literature
  • Intermediate Sequoyah Book Award Master List (OK)
  • The Will Eisner Graphic Novel Nominee
  • Little Maverick Graphic Novel Reading List
  • ALA Round Table Best Graphic Novels for Children

Resources and Downloads
Isla to Island Reading Group Guide (pdf)

High Resolution Images

Isla to Island

By Alexis Castellanos
Illustrated by Alexis Castellanos