From Powells.com
Hot new releases and under-the-radar gems for adults and kids.
Staff Pick
A young girl is often asked, "Where are you really from?," so she turns to her abuelo for guidance. He provides her with a lovely and unexpected answer. The beautiful prose and colorful illustrations combine for a very powerful message about love and family. Recommended By Jennifer H., Powells.com
Synopses & Reviews
This resonant picture book tells the story of one girl who constantly gets asked a simple question that doesn't have a simple answer. A great conversation starter in the home or classroom — a book to share, in the spirit of I Am Enough by Grace Byers and Keturah A. Bobo.
When a girl is asked where she's from — where she's really from — none of her answers seems to be the right one.
Unsure about how to reply, she turns to her loving abuelo for help. He doesn't give her the response she expects. She gets an even better one.
Where am I from?
You're from hurricanes and dark storms, and a tiny singing frog that calls the island people home when the sun goes to sleep....
With themes of self-acceptance, identity, and home, this powerful, lyrical picture book will resonate with readers young and old, from all backgrounds and of all colors — especially anyone who ever felt that they don't belong.
Review
"An ideal vehicle for readers to ponder and discuss their own identities." Kirkus starred review
Review
"An enchanted, hand-in-hand odyssey... and] opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate the many, many backgrounds, roots, histories, of those who live in these United States." Shelf Awareness
Review
"This touching book addresses a ubiquitous question for children of color, and in the end, the closeness between the girl and Abuelo shows that no matter the questions, she knows exactly where she's from." Booklist
About the Author
Yamile (pronounced sha-MEE-lay) Saied Méndez was born and raised in Rosario, Argentina, in a family with roots from all over the world. She now lives in a small mountain town in the United States with her Puerto Rican husband, five multicultural kids, two bilingual dogs, and a herd of deer that love to eat her flowers. She’s a graduate of the Vermont College of Fine Arts. Visit her at www.yamilesmendez.com.