I definitely gave this book the rating based on the illustrations more than the text. The book is pretty forlorn and I did not love the transition from the child missing her island home and then suddenly appreciating New York City as her new home in one moment. I would have liked more information on the after effect of the parades rather than before when we hear about her being sad and homesick. I illustrations are super poppy and graphic. Details on the people are done entirely with lines of color linking the idea that the colors of the island are still in the blood of these people who have relocated to NYC. Also the contrast in color and form between the girls memories of the island and her current observations of the city are amazing. Similar drafting style with completely different affect. ( )

Angelina was uprooted from her home country of Jamaica and brought to New York, which she did not like one bit. She constantly told her momma that she wanted to "go home", but all her mom would say is "we are home" in return. Angelina knew this wasn't her home and longed for the day she could return to Jamaica and taste the food, feel the sun and see her grandma. Her mother prepared her for a parade celebrating Carnival but she still wanted to go home. When the parade started she finally felt the same as she did in Jamaica, the sights, smells and tastes were the same and she was finally home, "her island in the sun". I really liked this book for students because it teaches them about two locations and their differences, as well as the tradition of Carnival. ( )

This story is about a little girl who is missing home. She's from Jamaica. Her and her family moved to New York for a better life. Angelina misses her home and wishes she could go back. She misses her culture, the food, and everything about Jamaica. As the story goes on, Angelina's mom finds a carnival for her to attend in New York. The carnival makes her feel as if she is back at home and this makes her happy. Angelina accepts New York as her new home. I loved the illustrations. The story is very colorful and lively. I think this story can teach children about the culture in Jamaica as well as New York. ( )

This book feels so relevant to me, and I love that it is written as a first person narrative of a displaced child. A young child, Angelina, struggles to adjust to her new home in New York city, until her mother finds a way to include her in Carnival. Finally, Angelina can connect her two worlds. This connection is beautifully depicted in as "an island in the sun" near the end of the book. Incredible 2-D "silhouette" artwork throughout. Definitely use with kids who are having a difficult time adjusting to a life change. ( )

Angelina's Island tells a story of Angelina and her journey away from home. She has made a grand move from the Carribean to New York. She longs for her home and compares everything that she interacts with to her home such as the pigeons to the colorful birds on her island. After being reminded of her home Angelina dreams of her school bus driving her home, dreaming that the airplane flying over her head would fly her back home. Her mother and father are always working and Angelina does not understand how their lives are better like her parents say. Their is a parade coming up and Angelina's mother tells her to be patient that her home will not seem so far. Angelina and many others prepare a dance from home. They dress up in beautiful colors and the day of the parade their is music that sounds like the music from her home! Angelina is delighted. ( )