Being Home

An Indigenous child narrator looks forward to adjusting “our tempo” in this expansive portrait of a family’s move away from metropolitan surrounds and to “our ancestors’ land/ and to our people.” As the move progresses, enrolled Cherokee Nation citizen Sorell (At the Mountain’s Base) uses spare, rhythmic language to capture the child’s glad readiness: “See you later house./ Gotta go, swing.// Time to head home/ and change our tempo.” Caldecott Medalist Goade, a member of the Tlingit and Haida tribes, begins by showing the family’s cool-toned, hard-edged city surroundings, where “cars rush,/ crowds collect.” As they travel, the child’s pink-inked sketches permeate the passing landscape until they arrive at the Cherokee Nation Reservation, depicted in soft-edged organic forms shown in pinks and greens. There, “everyone’s here to help” the two unpack, and there’s “room to run, ride, or roll along” as well as loved ones “close enough to gather, eat,/ laugh, dance, and share.” It’s a joyful image of a family embracing change that examines “the rhythm of being home.” Background characters are portrayed with various abilities, ages, body types, and skin tones. Ages 4–8. Author’s agent: Emily Mitchell, Wernick & Pratt. Illustrator’s agent: Kirsten Hall, Catbird Productions. (May)