Where Are You From
Author: Yamile Saied Méndez
Illustrator: Jaime Kim
Harper Collins
Ages 4-8
Asked by friends at the playground, at dance class, at dinner…she responds, “I’m from here, from today, same as everyone else.” That answer doesn’t seem to suffice so she asks her Abuelo and his answer is absolutely priceless.
A seemingly innocent question–“where are you from?” Usually the answer to that question is as simple as a name comprised of just one word. In this story, the answer is so much more than just a place.
Asked by friends at the playground, at dance class, at dinner…she responds, “I’m from here, from today, same as everyone else.” That answer doesn’t seem to suffice so she asks her Abuelo and his answer is absolutely priceless.
His answer is one that is filled with awe, and love, and wonder. His answer is one that says so much more than just a place she comes from. His answer explains what every child needs to know when asked where they are from.
In a moving and detailed description, he gives her an answer that provides her with the history of her background without ever giving her one specific answer. He describes the places that relate to where she is from along with the significance and importance of each of those places.
He goes further to explain that she comes from love which seems to be the driving force of his explanation. He tells her that she comes from his heart, his love, and the love of all that came before them. His answer gives her the opportunity to see that where she comes from is so much more than just a geographical location.
The illustrations help the reader go on a journey to all the places described by Abuelo and see the beauty and the importance of each place. The explanation gives her not only a reference to places that are associated with her background, but also a clear description of the sentimental value of what all those places are.
A beautifully written and illustrated story, Where Are You From? is the kind of story that shows readers how a simple question can have a complex answer that delves into the feelings and emotions of where we are from. It is the type of story that shows young children that where they are from is so much more than just a place on a map.
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