My Favorite Memories

This beautifully simple story about moving to a new home explores themes of change and permanence with warm illustrations from an award-winning illustrator.

A young girl is moving to a new country, and there’s so much that she wants to bring: an aquarium, a pear tree, her best friend, the ocean. As she moves through the list of the things she loves, she comes to understand that while we cannot always carry things with us physically—maybe they can travel with us in other ways.

Sepideh Sarihi was born in Iran. She studied screenwriting and dramaturgy in Tehran, where she later worked in children’s television. She has lived in Germany since 2012.

Julie Völk is a celebrated illustrator from Austria. In 2018, she was named an IBBY Honored Illustrator and her picture books have won many awards, including a White Raven Award.

Elisabeth Lauffer grew up bilingually (German-English) in rural Vermont and earned a masters in education from Harvard Graduate School of Education. Elisabeth was the recipient of the
2014 Gutekunst Prize for Emerging Translators.

★ “A gentle story about change, home, and the hope life hands us when we open our hearts to receive it.” — Amina Chaudhri, Booklist, starred review

"A globally collaborative trio present lucky audiences My Favorite Memories, a poignant, hopeful journey of transition and relocation. Sarihi's spare story, translated from the German by Lauffer and enhanced by IBBY-Honored Völk's magnificent illustrations, will undoubtedly resonate with audiences around the world.” — Terry Hong, Smithsonian BookDragon + Shelf Awareness

“Volk brings Sarihi’s simple but heartening story to life through beautiful … illustrations…. Staying true to its childlike perspective, this book offers the opportunity to explore and discuss themes of change, resilience, permanence, and connection.” — Weileen Wang, The Horn Book

​"Sarihi's simple, heartfelt story is equally matched by Völk's unfussy yet evocative illustrations….A charming tale exploring themes of change, migration, and resilience told from a child's point of view." — Kirkus Reviews

A gentle, empathetic story about acclimating to big change, not to mention a story about creative problem-solving, and about a child’s understanding that some things are carried in one’s heart or mind.”  — Julie Danielson, Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast