See Where We Come From! A First Book of Family Heritage

See Where We Come From is a first picture book to introduce family heritage to young children by inviting the reader to a school-organized festival! It is an exciting and proud day for the five friends, Martin, Sally, Pedro, Nick and Yulee, who all have a unique heritage and so much to share. Through diverse activities at the Festival, the children open a welcoming space to exchange family stories, share traditional food, present musical and sporty hobbies, and learn about others’ heritage. In the end, everyone enjoys a blast getting to know their friends better and celebrating diversity.

What I love most about this picture book is that it creates a concrete setting for a somewhat abstract concept. Ancestors, culture, generation, heritage, tradition, and all the words listed at the end of the book are “big words” for young people. These words are difficult to fully comprehend, even for adults, because they contain such a rich fund of knowledge. I appreciate Scot Ritchie, the author and illustrator of this book, for setting up a stage, a familiar stage, for young readers. Children can easily relate to the school festival and imagine how specific sharing activities take place. Scot also deliberately designed the pages in an educational way. A small icon picture on every page cleverly divides the text into two parts-the stories on the upper half, and an explanation of a complex term or a question that prompts deeper thinking on the lower half.

See Where We Come From is both a fun story and a meaningful learning tool. I can see how this book can be read, discussed, and used as a learning tool in many different teaching and learning environments, such as daycare centers, classrooms, library programs, and teacher education seminars. The eagerness from young readers to share their own heritage might even be an inspiration for educators or others who work with young children to organize a similar festival event! It will be a great delight to see more of such culture celebrating festivals take place in schools and beyond.