Evelyn Del Rey Is Moving Away invites readers to experience a range of relatable, bittersweet emotions. Evelyn’s best friend, Daniela, narrates the happenings on the day before her best friend moves away. Sweetness is illustrated as the girls play together one last time, doing all their favorite and familiar activities. Bitterness and grief is shown in the final goodbye-moments and the unfamiliar loneliness of being apart.
The text is rich in figurative language:
A big truck with its mouth wide open… Ready to gobble up Evelyn’s mirror.
Sunny yellow walls….pink like cotton candy …
Our apartments are almost twins…
The story encourages readers to recognize the treasure that these two girls will forever be each other’s” numero uno” best friend, regardless of the move. The final scene jumps to later years, showing Daniela reminiscing while reading through her keepsake notes from Evelyn.
Students said:
Everyone actually has a one-and-only “first” friend!
I bet the author will write a second book when Daniela finds where Evelyn is and they visit each other as grown ups.
I want to start collecting things that remind me of special people!
1 thought on “Evelyn Del Rey is Moving Away, written by Meg Medina and illustrated by Sonia Sanchez”