"Take care of Tanya, Annushka. And remember, we love you."

Those are Grandpa's parting words as he and Grandma wave goodbye to Annushka and her younger sister. The girls are leaving the small village in Russia to begin a long and arduous journey to America, where Papa is waiting.

Set at the turn of the century, Edith Tarbescu's sensitively told story follows the sisters aboard a gigantic steamship jammed with immigrants and across the Atlantic Ocean. Expressive, full-color illustrations by Lydia Dabcovich capture the extraordinary moments of the trip: the miseries of seasickness, the colorful Hungarian singer on the ship's deck, the endless lines of hopeful immigrants at Ellis Island, and - with the help of a pair of Sabbath candlesticks - the glorious reunion with Papa.