When This World Was New

"D.H. Figueredo stays remarkably true to a child's perspective; the author's voice is as fresh and pure as a first snowfall. Danilito's fears about facing new experiences are realistic, as is his genuine excitement about snow. The soft edges of Enrique O. Sanchez's muted illustrations perfectly complement the bittersweet tone of the story."

"True to the child's viewpoint, this picture book tells an elemental immigration story that is candid about both the hardship and the hope. . . . Sanchez's tender acrylic illustrations show the child's feelings of fear and wonder as well as the adults' tension. The picture's show what the title says about the sense of discovery in a new home."

In his first picture book, Figueredo offers a boy's first-person account of his Spanish-speaking family's arrival in the United States from "an island on an ocean that was warm and far away.". . . Even when set in the intimidating city, the illustrations in gentle tones of reds and blues create the feeling that the boy's transition to a new life and culture will be a smooth one.