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"Zettie and her Mama left their warm and comfortable home in Jamaica for an uncertain and sometimes freightening life in the United Sates. With Papa gone, Mama can't find a steady job that will sustain them and so they are forced to live in their car. But Mama's unwavering love, support, and gutsy determination give Zettie the confidence that, together, she and her mother can meet all challenges."
Monica Gunning's moving and authentic story about homelessness in an American city and about the real lives of the people it affects is a milestone in children's literature. Elaine Pedlar's strong and lively illustrations bring the story even closer to the heart of the problem and to the heart of the reader, who will remember these two indomitable forces, Zettie and her Mama, for a very long time.
Monica Gunning was born in Jamaica, West Indies, and immigrated to the United States to work and further her education. After graduation, she became a teacher in the Los Angeles Unified School District. The author of two critically acclaimed books of poetry for children, "Not a Copper Penny in Me House" and "Under the Breadfruit Tree," she has also published extensively in magazines and anthologies. Ms. Gunning has two sons, Michael and Mark, and four grandchildren.
Elaine Pedlar was born in Queens, New York, the youngest girl of seven children. She graduated from Parsons School of Design in 1987 and, since then, has been a fashion designer. Illustrating books for children has been her constant dream, however, and A Shelter in Our Car was her first opportunity to make it come true. Single and living in a loft in Brooklyn, she has nine nieces and nephews that she loves dearly.
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