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Tuesday, September 14, 2021

See Where We Come From!: A First Book About Family Heritage, written and illustrated by Scot Ritchie. Kids Can Press, 2021. $17.99 ages 5 and up

 


"Martin can't wait for his friends
to meet his cousin. She can tell 
them all about what it's like to 
live in Japan. The friends are 
going to walk to the festival 
together, and Martin and Taeko's 
first stop will be Sally's house."

In this ninth book in the Exploring Our Community series, Scot Ritchie helps young readers begin to understand the concept of family heritage. The five friends involved will be recognized by children who have read the earlier books. After learning about mapping, buildings, homes, food, movement, bees, plastics, and mindfulness, this book focuses on the customs and traditions of people who come from various world communities. 

The group is helping to host a Heritage Festival, meant for others to see what is important to the families who attend their school. Each member of the group of five has a different heritage: Martin's mom is from Japan and his dad is from India, Sally is Haida, Pedro is from Brazil, Yulee is from Egypt, and Nick's family comes from Scandinavia. So much to share for all of them! 

Mr. Ritchie introduces each child's family as they prepare for their visit to the festival. In that way, readers learn something about each of them: music, food, crafting, sports, a family tree, family photos, and the stories and traditions they have to share. At show-and-tell, they are invited to put their own special things on a table, and then tell visitors about them and why they hold such importance. 

In the end, the author suggests making a heritage box that will help to tell each reader's own personal story. 

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