Where?

Collins, making a picture book debut with this work that began as a slam poem, employs energetic prose, giving voice to a child, portrayed with brown skin and curly hair, explaining how they respond when asked, “Where are you from?” Beginning with a joke (“Well, when a mother and father love each other very much...”) and a question (“What can I possibly say/ to make my answer/ seem slightly okay?”), the narrative soon delves into a more expansive mode. Answers range from “the void and cosmic dust/ around our solar system” to “the redwood trees,/ their roots sunk deep into the ground.” Recognizing the basis of the question, the speaker ponders, “Because what they mean to ask me that is,/ ‘Why is your skin that color?/ Why does your hair look like that?’// They don’t care that my molecules were made/ in the same place as theirs.” Digital illustrations by Lesnie (A Soldier, a Dog and a Boy) depict the child traveling across various realistic and fantastical landscapes, accompanying responses that build to a final, powerful response: “I’m from the same place/ that you are.// So no need to ask again.” Creators’ notes conclude. Ages 4–8. (Aug.)