Sorell, Traci. Being Home. Michaela Goade, Illus. Kokila, 05/2024. [32]pp. Picture Book. Trade $18.99. 978-1-9848-1603-0. GRADES Preschool–3. OUTSTANDING.
Leaving a busy contemporary urban life, a Cherokee family joyfully journeys home. Sweeping atmospheric watercolor illustrations move us through the family’s travels, incorporating a child’s journal entries and dramatic use of composition and color, to contrast the two worlds. In addition to the jubilant celebratory gatherings of people of varied hues and sizes, the increasing symbolic presence of pink and of rounded shapes help fully embrace the narrator’s welcoming experience of “being home.” A morning filled with expectation flows through the day to a rosy sunset of children at ease in play surrounded by community rediscovered. Includes Cherokee symbols and a small Cherokee glossary.
Alexandre Petrakis—San Francisco Public Library