“My sister and I came from Honduras.” “Our grandfather saw the gang kill our neighbor. They threatened to kill him so we all had to leave.” “There is not even enough room for the baby to crawl.” “I have been here without bathing for twenty-one days.” International children’s advocate Warren Binford has devoted her legal and medical career to inspecting conditions in immigrant detention camps. Still, she was appalled by the conditions at the Border Patrol Station in Clint, Texas, in 2019. Children were separated from their families and crowded into cages; they were cold, hungry, dirty, and exhausted for weeks on end. Many were sick but didn’t receive medical treatment. Each double-page spread in this dual-language (Spanish/English) book includes several sentences from first-person testimonies collected from the children and translated from Spanish, Mam, Portuguese, Urdu, K’iche’, and other languages. Each statement is illustrated by a different artist, some well-known in the United States, such as Yuyi Morales and Raúl the Third; most are Mexican or Mexican American artists who will be new to American readers. This deeply emotional work ends with an author’s note, “Amplifying Children’s Voices,” providing historical background dating back to 1985. The author also provides questions for children to think about and suggests ways children and families can help, from writing to politicians to serving as a foster family. The children’s own testimonies end on a poignant note, completing statements that begin, “I want …,” “I wish …,” “I hope … ” (Age 8 and older)

The Testimony of Children

A moving picture book for older children and families that introduces a difficult topic, amplifying the voices and experiences of immigrant children detained at the border between Mexico and the US. The children's actual words (from publicly available court documents) are assembled to tell one heartbreaking story, in both English and Spanish (back to back). Each spread is illustrated in striking full-color by a different Latinx artist. A portion of sales will be donated to human rights organizations that work with children on the border.