Today's read heads to Asia...and the U.S.. This one hits multi-cultural goodness and takes a look at what it's like to have '2 worlds'. Of course, this one caught my interest thanks to our own, multi-cultural family. While my kids have very much settled into American life by now, they still have to slip right back into the German one when heading back. And yes, there is a difference. It's not just about food or holidays, but also about mindsets and different ways of viewing and going about life. I think it's, actually, this aspect which makes switching back and forth most interesting and challenging.
Anyway, let's see how this little girl coasts between the two worlds.
THIS IS WHO I AM
by Rashmi Sirdeshpande
Illustrated by Ruchi Mhasane
Magination Press
Picture Book
32 pages
ages 4 to 8
What does it mean to belong to two cultures?
One little girl explores how she has come to be who she is. She knows that she is much more than where she is from. Her family came from Asia, but there is more to it. She is also her ancestors, their traditions, and their environment, and she is her parents, who bravely moved to a new country, and their dreams, and she is all the people who helped along the way and even the people who didn't. She is her own memories, from family visits and the journeys back home to new traditions and old customs. She is every teacher and every book that has opened her eyes to the world around her.
She is all her experiences and those of everyone who came before her. As she navigates through her rich heritage, she finds she feels proud to be who she is.
With beautiful illustrations, rich prose, and a loving message, This Is Who I Am is a celebration of identity and the richness of diversity.
One little girl explores how she has come to be who she is. She knows that she is much more than where she is from. Her family came from Asia, but there is more to it. She is also her ancestors, their traditions, and their environment, and she is her parents, who bravely moved to a new country, and their dreams, and she is all the people who helped along the way and even the people who didn't. She is her own memories, from family visits and the journeys back home to new traditions and old customs. She is every teacher and every book that has opened her eyes to the world around her.
She is all her experiences and those of everyone who came before her. As she navigates through her rich heritage, she finds she feels proud to be who she is.
With beautiful illustrations, rich prose, and a loving message, This Is Who I Am is a celebration of identity and the richness of diversity.
MY TIDBITS
These pages celebrate embracing every part of life...even if they sit on two sides of the world.
This little girl has lived in the U.S. with her family for a few years already and has very much settled in to everyday life and the world around her. And she likes it. But she's more than that, and also is a complete part of her life in Asia. Although she doesn't live there, that's where she came from and her relatives and friends still remain. So, when she returns, she dives right in and clicks into that puzzle of life as well. It's like two different lives in one person, and she loves it.
Positivity radiates from every page in this read as a little girl goes about her life in the U.S., and a few pages later, in Asia. She's smiling and energetic to show how comfortable it is to slide into both cultures seamlessly...and yet, it also makes it clear how different both sides can be. While the difference between the two cultures comes across loud and clear, the way she embraces and finds family and friendship on both ends, also demonstrates how love, concern, and family is everywhere. This balance allows listeners to fully enjoy and feel the excitement she does as she lives in both worlds.
The illustrations are detailed, draw in, and bring each moment to life with energy. They also bring across the differences in the two lives with visual clarity while offering information on that front. While the text explains a few aspects of each world, it's the illustrations which really hold the most goodness on that end. The text is fitting to the age group and creates a nice read-aloud. It flows nicely and introduces each moment while drawing in. It's an enjoyable read without any sense of preachiness and simply lets a young girl enjoy all aspects of her vibrant life. And this leaves a smile on the face.
And here they are...
Rashmi Sirdeshpande is an award‑winning children’s author who loves taking big ideas and making them accessible for children. She writes a mixture of picture books, poetry, fiction, and nonfiction.
Ruchi Mhasane studied at the Cambridge School of Art, UK. She works mostly in pencil and watercolor and enjoys capturing expressive gestures and movements, especially those of little children.
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