When Esperanza and her family arrive in the United States from Cuba, they buy a little house, una casita. It may be small, but they soon prove that there’s room enough to share with a whole community.

“It was a little house. Una casita . . .
It was small.
It smelled like old wet socks. . .
But even though they were far from home,
The family was together.”


As Esperanza and her family settle into their new house, they all do their part to make it a home, working multiple jobs and doing chores to pitch in.  When Mami’s sister Conchita comes to stay with them, she helps other families by taking care of their children during the day. Together they turn the house into a place where other new immigrants can help one another and feel accepted.

Esperanza is always the first to welcome them, making sure that la casita offers a home for those who don’t have a place to go. It’s a safe place in a new land.

Terry Catasus Jennings first came from Cuba to the U.S. in 1961, when she was twelve years old. With Una Casita de Esperanza, she tells an inspiring, semi-autobiographical story of how immigrants can help each other find their footing in a new country.

An English edition, The Little House of Hope, is also available.

A Bank Street Best Children's Picture Book of the Year in Spanish
Una selección del Junior Library Guild
A New York Public Library Best Book of the Year "Colón’s trademark watercolor and color pencil illustrations begin by showing the uncertainty of a new place with a gray, almost stormy sky as the backdrop to the unfamiliar, and then move on to depict a loving family, warm home, sunny outdoors, and the hopes and dreams of many who face difficulties in their attempts at a better life. The poetic Spanish text (an English edition, The Little House of Hope, is also available) deftly conveys these hopes and fears in a accessible way to young readers. A great selection that honestly presents the hardships and the victories of families working hard for a bright future."—School Library Journal