The Notebook Keeper: A Story of Kindness from the Border by Magdalena Mora, Stephen Briseño
Published by Random House Studio on June 28, 2022
ISBN: 0593307054
Pages: 40
Genres: Non-Fiction
Format: Picture Book Nonfiction
Goodreads

“The Notebook Keeper: A Story of Kindness from the Border” is a picture book based off of a true story. A mother and her daughter travel to the border, seeking asylum in the United States. They must first speak with the notebook keeper there, who writes down their names and gives them a number. Once their number is called, they are allowed to cross the border. We find out that the notebook keeper is a volunteer who eventually passes the duty along to another. This continued until the covid-19 pandemic began.

Written by Stephen Briseño and illustrated by Magdalena Mora, this book features bright and colorful large-scale illustrations that draw you in to the story. Themes of kindness and helping others make this book a suggested purchase for most libraries. An author’s note about the true story, a photograph of one of the notebook keepers, and a list of sources are included at the back of the book. Written for children age 4 – 8, this book is recommended for elementary level library collections.

Reviewed by Kate Radke, Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, ME.