Vendor
	Mohrbooks Literary Agency Annelie Geissler
Categories
Children’s picture books

BEING HOME

Michaela Goade Traci Sorell

From Sibert Honorwinning author Traci Sorell and Caldecott Medalwinning artist Michaela Goade comes a heartwarming picture book about a Native American family and the joy of moving back to their ancestral land.

Today is a day of excitement - it's time to move! As a young Cherokee girl says goodbye to the swing, the house, and the city she's called home her whole life, she readies herself for the upcoming road trip. While her mother drives, the girl draws the changing landscape outside her window. She looks forward to the end of the journey, where she'll eat the feast her family has prepared, play in the creek with her cousins, and settle into the new rhythm of home. With warm, expressive artwork and spare, lyrical prose, the story of a young girl's move toward rather than away from home unfolds. Traci Sorell writes inclusive historical and contemporary fiction and nonfiction in a variety of formats for young people. She is a two-time Sibert Medal and Orbis Pictus honoree and an award-winning audiobook narrator and producer. Her first five books, including We Are Grateful: Otsaliheliga, At The Mountain's Base, and We Are Still Here! Native American Truths Everyone Should Know, have received awards from the American Indian Library Association. Traci is an enrolled Cherokee Nation citizen and lives in her tribe's reservation in northeastern Oklahoma. Michaela Goade is a 2021 Caldecott Medalist and the New York Times bestselling illustrator of We Are Water Protectors, also a 2020 Kirkus Prize finalist. Her other books include Encounter; Shanyaak'utlaax: Salmon Boy, winner of the 2018 American IndianYouth Literature Award for Best Picture Book; and Berry Song, which received a Caldecott Honor. Michaela's work focuses on Indigenous kidlit, and she is honored to work with Indigenous authors and tribal organizations in the creation of beautiful, much-needed books. She is also an enrolled member of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska.

Available products
Book Published 2024-05-07 by Kokila

Comments

An evocative, heartwarming testament to the power of home and community.

It's a joyful image of a family embracing change that examines 'the rhythm of being home.

The author beautifully expresses core themes of family and the importance of full self-realization on ancestral land; in doing so, she echoes the oh-so-important rhythms which animate her characters. Goade's mixed-media art is at once delicate and strong, with spirited, sparkling colors and a keen sense of motion that reinforces the text's rhythm and energy... an exceptional offering, emphasizing the inherent rhythms and motions of life.

Sorell's minimal but resonant text speaks from an authentically childlike voice... Goade's blend of media is beautiful, with the cool jewel tones of the city giving way to gentler, bright greens and browns as mother and daughter return to a place that embraces them fully... While this will especially resonate with Indigenous children considering their heritage, the thoughtful text and beautiful visuals will engage any kid in contemplating what it means to be at home.

On the surface, Being Home is a simple story of a small family that leaves one home, takes a long road trip, and settles in a new place. But layered on top of that premise is a message of deep connections felt by the girl and her mother to their ancestors and land... Readers young and old will want to linger with these gorgeous pages, noting the rich textures and details.