The Other Side

7/5/2021

"The Other Side is not so far away."

My Two Border Towns by David Bowles ill by Erika Meza

This little treasure is a love letter to community, culture, and heritage. My Two Border Towns chronicles a typical Saturday journey of a father and son to a nearby town. A routine that is both ordinary and extraordinary.

This twosome have an itinerary: begin with breakfast at a favorite restaurant, purchase grocery items requested by family and friends, fill medical prescriptions, visit with extended family, and make deliveries.

It seems to be a simple and straightforward description of a father and son outing. However, there is one important difference. The neighboring town is in another country. The two leave their home in the United States and travel to Mexico. This means stopping at a checkpoint, producing necessary documentation, and passing a border guard’s inspection. Spanish phrases are liberally sprinkled throughout the narrative with plenty of context to help young readers infer meaning. Spanish is evident, to a varying degree, in both towns.

The journey concludes with a stop at a center for refugees. It is obvious that this is not the first time the pair have visited the site. The boy calls an individual by name. He has come prepared with comics, notebooks, and pencils to share with children "stuck between two countries." After distributing their gifts, the pair head for home, hoping that someday they will be no longer be separated from their immigrant friends.

Cover art brilliantly depicts a mirrored image of young man. He’s the same person, but each image colors his world in a particular way. Both towns offer context and dimension to his life.

Title page features a stylized overhead view of the two towns, the river that divides them and the road that connects them. The image is a prelude to a story of separation and connection.

Illustrations for the town across the river are replete with local vivid details: papel picado (paper banners) and paletas (ice pops). Meza's art shows the landscape from a variety of views and perspectives.

Bowles has penned a gentle narrative that celebrates the unique qualities of living near a border town. It's a tribute to family and home. The neighboring Mexican community allows youngsters to appreciate similarities and differences. Text presents a sensitive view of those trapped between two countries, seeking for a place to call home. Reassuring. Hopeful.