Where We Come From

What a beautiful book of interconnectedness. Talking about how our ancestors and cultures of this world have shaped and molded each and every one of us. All cultures depicted were depicted favorably….and many cultures featured. This book did not shy away from tough topics like slavery and the relocation and reeducation of Indiginous people in North America, so it could definitely evoke fabulous conversations in the upper elementary grades. Well done!

This was STUNNING! A book about the significance of where we come from.
The illustrations were all full of life and well thought out to convey meaning. I would often want to stop and just stare at an illustration before moving on with the story. I fully support taking your time with this book and taking it in.
The words are also full of meaning. Words that feel earned and help connect the reader with the world around us. It was powerful. I, as an adult, felt a little moved to tears by this simple book. I recommend it to all ages!

This is amazing, the illustrations are gorgeous. It tells the story of people who come from different places, who have different stories and backgrounds and it does it in a beautiful way. Apart from the illustrations and poem it has a little bit of history and descriptions of the different events that are mentioned in the poem. Highly recommend.

This book is filled with beautiful illustrations and beautiful words about where different people who inhabit the Americas come from.
I loved these layered illustrations and layered stories.
A beautiful book that needs to be added to every library and school.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!

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!

I absolutely loved this book! The art is amazing and visually interesting, the words poignant and culturally relevant. While I'm unsure if children would like this book as it is wordy and long, I do think it could serve as a great introduction to numerous hard and/or heavy topics.

I loved the idea of this book, seeming like a long form poem, and am so glad that I picked it up. It really is an exploration of how we are impacted by not only our present lives, but the lives of who came before us and who we came from. Everything that our ancestors struggled through to get us where we are was represented in this book. The art that accompanies the words makes it even more poignant and truly brings the words to life.

I loved this book! Beautiful, poetic language describes where each author is from. Would be a perfect companion to Where Are You From? By Yamile Saied Mendez & Jaime Kim

Adding this book to the list of children's books that has made me cry this month. This book of poetry seamlessly connects each author's story with the next and takes the reader on a journey around the world and into each author and their family's past. The illustrations were gorgeous and the words were powerful. This book is a lovely read as an adult, but it's perfect for adults who want to tell a set of powerful stories to children and to keep an open dialogue about culture, country, family, science, and racism with their children, with a handy glossary and informational guide at the back. I also loved that the illustrator of the book illustrated one of my favorite childhood books, A Single Shard!