Where?
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- 6,99 €
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- 6,99 €
Publisher Description
A passionate, personal and political picture book that calls out racism from an important new voice, illustrated by the acclaimed artist of Feathers.
'Where are you from?' they say.
What they mean is,
'Why is your skin that colour?'
'Why does your hair look like that?'
I am from the mountains,
The seas and the sky.
I am from children of millions of years,
A timeline of humanity.
I am from this planet
And all others.
A heartfelt picture book that challenges racism from an exciting new voice that is both a cry of pain and a demonstration of inner strength, which takes us on an intergalactic journey past collapsing stars and glowing nebulae to remind us not of our differences but of our shared humanity.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Collins, making a picture book debut with this work that began as a slam poem, employs energetic prose, giving voice to a child, portrayed with brown skin and curly hair, explaining how they respond when asked, "Where are you from?" Beginning with a joke ("Well, when a mother and father love each other very much...") and a question ("What can I possibly say/ to make my answer/ seem slightly okay?"), the narrative soon delves into a more expansive mode. Answers range from "the void and cosmic dust/ around our solar system" to "the redwood trees,/ their roots sunk deep into the ground." Recognizing the basis of the question, the speaker ponders, "Because what they mean to ask me that is,/ ‘Why is your skin that color?/ Why does your hair look like that?'// They don't care that my molecules were made/ in the same place as theirs." Digital illustrations by Lesnie (A Soldier, a Dog and a Boy) depict the child traveling across various realistic and fantastical landscapes, accompanying responses that build to a final, powerful response: "I'm from the same place/ that you are.// So no need to ask again." Creators' notes conclude. Ages 4–8.
