Where We Come From by Diane Wilson, et al and Dion MBD - ESSENTIAL

Where We Come From by Diane Wilson, Sun Yung Shin, Shannon Gibney, John Coy, illustrated by Dion MBD. PICTURE BOOK. Carolrhoda Books, 2022. $19. 9781541596122

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3), EL, MS - ESSENTIAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

Four authors, of different ethnicities and backgrounds, describe where they and their ancestors come from. They start with a general description of their ancestors and move to a more specific description of themselves. They use figurative and descriptive language to describe themselves and their familys' history with a focus on storytelling. 

If you don't read the book summary, you may not realize that the book focuses on four specific people and not the world in general. This is made more clear at the end, but it's a good perspective to have at the beginning. The art is beautiful and detailed. I especially liked the images of the four authors (portrayed as children) with their bodies a reflection of their different family stories. This would be a great book to use for older grades as a way to introduce personal narrative. There is additional information in the back about the 4 authors and their histories. Most students would find they have something in common with one of the four. 

S. Graf, Librarian