I Wish You Knew - Hardcover

by Jackie Azúa Kramer (Author), Magdalena Mora (Illustrator)

A Chicago Public Library Best of the Best Children's Book of 2021

A heartfelt story that explores the aftermath of deportation, I Wish You Knew celebrates the power of connection and empathy among children.

When Estrella's father has to leave because

he wasn't born here, like her,

She misses him.

And she wishes people knew the way it affects her.

At home. At school.

Always.

But a school wrapped around a hundred-year-old oak tree is the perfect place to share and listen.

Some kids miss family,
Some kids are hungry,
Some kids live in shelters.

But nobody is alone.

A story about deportation, divided families, and the importance of community in the midst of uncertainty.

Author Biography

Jackie Azúa Kramer studied acting and voice at New York University and earned her MA at Queens College for Counseling in Education. Jackie has worked as an actor, singer, and school counselor. Her work with children presented her with an opportunity to address their concerns, secrets and hopes through storytelling. Now she spends her time writing children's picture books. Jackie's books include the award-winning The Green Umbrella (a Bank Street College Best Children's Books of the Year), If You Want to Fall Asleep, and The Boy and the Gorilla. Jackie lives with her family in Long Island, New York. When not writing, you'll find Jackie reading, watching old movies and travelling to her family's roots in Ecuador, Puerto Rico and Spain.

Magdalena Mora is a Minneapolis-based illustrator and graphic designer with a special interest in children's books and visual storytelling. She has also illustrated Deborah Diesen's Equality's Call. When not drawing, she spends her free time reading, people-gawking, and trying to find the best tacos in the Twin Cities. Mostly the latter.