The Boy from Mexico Becomes a US Citizen

About the Book

"Edward Dennis's grandfather, who came from Mexico to the United States and became a migrant farmworker, is at the center of Dennis's book, which spotlights the valuable contributions of immigrants in America." -Publishers Weekly

"This delightful, color-rich picture book has a simple design that helps young children better understand the complexities, challenges, and uncertainties of immigration." - School Library Journal

The heartwarming story of a young boy's journey to becoming a US citizen, highlighting the emotions and challenges of the immigration process

The Boy from Mexico Becomes a US Citizen continues the story of Luz, from Edward Dennis's The Boy From Mexico Becomes a Farm Worker and The Boy From Mexico: An Immigration Story.In this book, Luz tells the story of gaining US citizenship and the emotions involved in this difficult process. It includes the exact steps to applying for citizenship and information on getting it started.

Edward Dennis is a leading advocate for immigrants coming to the United States from Central and South America. His work as an author and illustrator supports children and offers guidance to families and children who are coming to the US. Edward has also worked with organizations that support farm workers in the US, including the UFW Foundation. As a Mexican American and Indigenous person, Edward finds it extremely important to tell stories that highlight his people.

About the Author :
Edward Dennis is an illustrator, an art teacher, and a social media marketing maven with expertise working with many businesses, hotels, and restaurants improving their individualized market outreach. He has written and illustrated The Boy from Mexico: An Immigration Story of Bravery, The Boy From Mexico Becomes a Farmworker: Grown-Up Luz and His Friends Feed America, and The Boy from Mexico Becomes a US Citizen. Additionally, Edward has illustrated the story of the immigrant chef, Cristina Martinez, from the Netflix special Chef’s Table, and has illustrated other books, including a collection of children’s books called My First BMX Race, and a book about ocean care, A Mermaid's Message. Edward has also created artistic work for big names such as Madonna and Erick Cedano. He lives in Los Angeles, California. 

Review :
"This delightful, color-rich picture book has a simple design that helps young children better understand the complexities, challenges, and uncertainties of immigration. Guided by cartoon images of Luz and his hermano, Pedro, readers learn, 'Each year, people come from all over El Mundo to the U.S. with hopes of peace, freedom, and a better life.' Though Luz has come to work in the artichoke fields of California, Pedro still lives in Tijuana. Their dream is to create a business together, cultivating and selling honey in America. Luz has a special green card as a resident alien and is studying to become an American citizen. The pages feature vibrant, bold colors; each page contains just one sentence superimposed in bright white or black with a large font, which allows the words to stand out and blend Spanish with the English text seamlessly. On pages that express Luz's fears of being deported, dark, foreboding colors fill the background. This deceptively uncomplicated book weaves a friendship story with a clear explanation of the citizenship process and the character traits of dreamers who work hard as they strive to achieve a bright future in a new home. VERDICT This book goes a long way toward demystifying current topics of interest to a generation of young learners." — School Library Journal, Lonna Pierce