Being Home
By Sun Cooper, Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Dreamy tale of young family moving to ancestral homeland.
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What's the Story?
Beginning with clustered scenes of a busy city, BEING HOME tells an intimate story of a young Cherokee family's move from a city to quieter country where their "faraway family" live and their ancestors before them. Through the lens of a young daughter who draws colorful, childlike scenes along the way, the story's pages expand in vivid colors from one scene to the next: the family saying goodbye and expressing gratitude to their city house, friends helping them move, cultural traditions to look forward to, driving through different landscapes, arriving at their new home, family helping them unpack, and exploring their new surroundings and reconnecting to nature. The story concludes with a dreamy setting of home and a brief glossary of Cherokee words.
Is It Any Good?
A mother-led move from one place to the next is a refreshing take on family road trip narratives, warmed by the child's confidence and joy in her decision. This sweet family story features spare, lyrical text layered with splashes of pink, reinforcing this as a deeply heart-centered narrative. Doodles reflect innocence and optimism alongside larger dreamlike landscapes and Indigenous symbols—both create a cozy read and can lead to meaningful discussions on how family, ancestors, and homelands influence our feelings of home, community, and belonging. Contrasting a busy city with country life may pose some thought-provoking questions about what nature offers that an urban place does not, and vice versa. The author focuses on the importance of a family finding their own "rhythm," offering readers an opportunity to determine what best creates a sense of home and community for them.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about what Being Home means to them. What do you like about where you live? Do you live somewhere that your ancestors also lived? Do you know where your ancestors came from?
In the story, a young Cherokee girl draws pictures to describe what is happening in her life. Do you like to draw or write about what's happening in your life? What kind of scenes or words would you use to describe your home?
Look up the Cherokee names mentioned in the book and practice saying them. What word means "hello"? How do you say "hello" in other languages? If you don't know any, look some up.
When the family prepares to move from one place to the next, they express gratitude for some things about their home in the city before they leave, like a tree and a swing. What are some things you are grateful for about your home?
Book Details
- Author: Traci Sorell
- Illustrator: Michaela Goade
- Genre: Picture Book
- Topics: Brothers and Sisters , Science and Nature , Wild Animals
- Character Strengths: Gratitude
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Kokila
- Publication date: May 7, 2024
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 4 - 8
- Number of pages: 32
- Available on: Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
- Award: Common Sense Selection
- Last updated: July 8, 2024
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Where to Read
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