Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me access to the free advanced digital copy of this book.

A beautiful book that celebrates all of our digference from all over the world. Its the human experience summed up . The illustrations are really beautiful and artistic. Highly recommend.

I was not sure what to expect when I started this book. However, by the time I reached the end, I was awed and so very grateful that I read it. It is hard to believe that four different people worked on its narrative. On the one hand, you can hear each of their voices distinctly. And on the other, they are all woven together in an effortless manner to make it all seamless and beautiful. Somehow, this helps add to the central message that no matter where we are from, we are all essentially the same while being unique in our own ways.

The four authors each come from varying backgrounds and the beauty of diversity plays out wonderfully through their words here. And the artwork – what can I say about it except it is amazing and frame-worthy. I spent longer than expected to finish this book for I kept looking at the art and reading the lyrical words a few times over. Plus, so much to learn through their narratives – histories, cultures, and stories so rich in everything!

In summary, this one is simply gorgeous in its artwork and powerful in its narrative! And last, but not the least, the backmatter adds so much to this already must-have stunning book.

It is one for all ages.

Disclaimer: I received a digital ARC of all the featured book from NetGalley, and these are my honest opinions of the book.

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Thank you to John Coy; Shannon Gibney; Sun Yung Shin; Diane Wilson, Lerner Publishing Group, Carolrhoda Books ®, and Netgalley for this Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of "Where We Come From" for an honest review.

This is a stunning collection of poems about what connects all people, past-present-and-future, beyond all the lines that our times have tried to lay down as ones that could not be crossed. Richly illustrated and with such lyrical words choices, I found my heart caught up in my throat through so much of this. As I work a lot around diversity and inclusivity, I can't wait to have this up in my classroom and added to my curriculum for next year.

This is a very interesting collaboration between four authors who share their story and ancestral heritage in a poetic form. The illustrations are appealing to younger kids, but I feel even adults can enjoy this book and take something meaningful away from it. The end of the book also allows the authors to extend their stories and elaborate on parts of their history presented in the book.
I do plan on adopting this title in my classroom library.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. My review will be posted on instagram at lizzies_little_library_

Thanks to Netgalley and Lerner Publishing for this ARC!

This was a lovely look at where we come from, from stardust and family history. The art style and words were lovely and engaging. My kids enjoyed this one with me.

Beautiful telling of lands, traditions, beliefs, and backgrounds that make up the different voices.

As an archaeologist, I wasn't expecting to find a book of poetry that would be a perfect fit for my page. This is a feast for the senses for any student of existence and culture!

I really really loved this book for children. To me this book has a melodious flair to it and should be put to music. Its a simple learning book about people being different. As a homeschool teacher, it gives me an idea for my son to make a family tree. I simply love this beautiful book!

I received a free copy of the book and is voluntarily writing a review

This multi-racial story and poem has the unifying thread of we all come from the same stardust and from single cells, from there are stories are linked by migration stories - places and beings. Each migration story is unique but similar in the themes of coming from somewhere and someone. The vibrant illustrations reinforce the words and can help to demystify the story for younger children, adults can take in the artwork and enjoy the colors and talent.

I appreciated the authors did not shy away from talking about race in a multifold way, including talking about slavery and calling it out: "White people called my ancestors "slaves," and Native boarding schools: "I come from ... ancestors forced to learn English at boarding schools." Addressing it in children's books is how we grow our racial fluency and to face our realities.

I can see teachers or artists using this book as a jumping-off point for activities related to identity.

I'm looking forward to getting my hands on a bound paper copy of this book when it is released. I have a feeling the pages will pop with vibrancy.

I thought the illustrations were really beautiful but I found the multiple perspectives in the poem confusing.

This book is awesome. The illustrations are beautiful and the words are so poetic and stay with you long after you finish reading them.

Gorgeous. The art was absolutely breathtaking. Soft watercolors and brilliant use of negative space - chef's kiss. The prose itself is approachable, yet lyrical and can easily be understood by its target audience. It includes further reading, and doesn't shy away from talking about colonialism, slavery, and famine. While it talks about some serious topics, it also talks about how beautiful the world is, how beautiful humanity is, and why these stories matter.

A lyrical and beautiful book that celebrates history, culture, heritage, identity and legacy. It also contains themes of war and displacement, which might be hard-hitting but no less important. The illustrations are so lush and stunning to the point that they felt immersive. I also loved the diverse representation.

A wonderfully complex and beautifully illustrated amalgam of different stories that unite the diaspora of people in the United States. A real winner.

Where We Come From was a sweet little read. My favorite part was absolutely the illustrations, which I felt carried the story more than the text did. This picture book is about the universal human story, as well as the intricacies of our stories individually. This book has several authors that add their story into this book from all over the world and all through history. We see several forms of heritage and ancestors. I liked the idea of this book, that we do have a lot in common as humans, as well as a unique and treasured history of our own.
However, I felt that the text, made up of a sort of freeverse prose, was a bit difficult. I feel that the brevity of the lines held back the stories being told, and sometimes the lines referenced complex issues, such as slavery and migration, and I wished the text could give more for that story. I also felt like the text didn't have any sort of flow, and came off quite clunky. Another little thing was that some of the words in the text read in a different color, but that colorful word being highlighted was often not a key word (or so I think), and those choice words confused me when I tried to think on them. Overall, I liked the idea of the book and I thought the illustrations were absolutely beautiful, but the execution of the text took away from the importance and depth of the stories being told.

Read this outloud with my 6.5 year old. He said he enjoyed this story, and was engrossed by the pictures. I thought the weaving of the stories was a bit confusing for this age group, and would have preferred to see the four stories as chapters, with illustrations of the speakers earlier on in the story. Still, beautifully told with exquisite illustrations.

Artistic, poetic, and beautiful. This is a rich text for thinking about history and identity, and a wonderful assembly of creative voices.

Thanks to NetGalley for the e-arc in exchange for this review.

The most striking thing about this title, at first glance, are the vivid illustrations. Dion MBD's use of color entrances readers and invites them into the mood of each page. The writing is sparse but contains wells of depths, and I can see how carefully considered the arrangement of the pages are.

This picture book features authors of several different ethnic and racial backgrounds describing their personal and family histories, though it begins with the beginning of evolution of life on earth. From there, children are invited to imagine their own unique histories, the lives of their ancestors, and how the land around them supports them even now.

I imagine this would make for an incredible elementary read, especially first or second graders, but younger children, older children, and certainly adults will find plenty to admire and enjoy about this title as well. I will certainly be adding this title to our collection, and I would highly recommend it for other libraries as well!