CIRCLES OF HOPE

When Lucía comes into the world, Papa is away working in the city. Facile, her young brother, tries to plant a tree for her to match the tree planted for him by his father. Facile watches as successive seedlings are destroyed by forces both natural and manmade, while Lucía falls ill and must be taken to find medical care. Facile finally builds a circle of stones around a seedling and it grows strong, as does the baby when she’s able to return home. A note explains that the stone circles are currently being used to aid reforestation. Deforestation and the lack of jobs and health care in rural areas are serious problems in Haiti and are presented simply, but realistically, here. Saport depicts the hot, barren countryside in intense, glowing pastels, but the growing areas of green provide oases of hope. A story of sibling love and responsibility, written without didacticism or sentimentalism. (Picture book. 6-8)