A poetic, heartwarming ode to the defining small moments of a boy’s life, by a brilliant debut author and a Caldecott Honoree. For fans of Last Stop on Market Street.
Early morning wakeups and homemade pancakes,
Raucous bus rides and schoolyard games,
Family games and bedtime rituals…
I’m From is an invitation into the vivid world of one small boy, a poetic account of all the people and places and things that shape who he is and define where he is from.
Gary Gray, Jr., is a Black Canadian poet and educator who writes for young children and adults, and he's the host of the podcast ItsPersonal. Gray's love for literature stems from told and untold stories within his hometown of Preston, Nova Scotia, the largest Black community in Canada. He and his wife have been international educators for more than ten years.
Oge Mora graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design with a BFA in illustration. When not painting in her studio, Oge is in the kitchen cooking her late grandmother’s recipes. Her first picture book, Thank You, Omu!, was a Caldecott Honor, a Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent illustrator award, an Ezra Jack Keats illustrator award, a New York Times Notable Book and Editors’ Choice, and a Junior Library Guild selection. Her newest picture book is called Saturday.
"While describing a seemingly ordinary routine, the lyrical text is a journey through Black language and culture, evoking a sense of identity, community, and connectedness. Mora's mixed-media illustrations enhance the poetic storytelling. The colorful collage-work adds texture and motion to the pages, while selective hand-lettering emphasizes parts of the verse. This beautifully rendered picture book serves as a reminder of the importance of familial and cultural identity and the grounding that it offers in the wider world." -Horn Book (starred review)
"In a book that comes right from the heart, Gray explores a young Black boy’s experience during a typical day in his neighborhood. Mora’s beautiful illustrations enhance the view of the hero’s environment and experiences. Although the focus of this book is on a Black family, children of all ethnicities and gender identities will be able to relate to the main character feeling out of place for something that outwardly casts him as “different” from others. A beautiful, simple look into one child’s typical experience that all readers can learn from and relate to." -School Library Journal (starred review)
"For some, 'Where are you from?' has a geographical answer, but this kid offers a thoughtful and poignant alternative perspective that showcases the layered textured papers and gouache paints of Mora’s illustrations. The answers he ultimately offers readers are as tasty as 'buttermilk biscuits' or as touching as 'bear-tight cuddles,' as soft as pecks on the cheek or as far-reaching as the hopes and dreams of his family. An origin story for the ages—intimate, poetic, singular, and broadly relatable." -Kirkus Reviews
