What's home? Is it a location, bound by geography? A language? A connection to a specific group of people? A set of traditions that anchors you?
As a library reader for caregivers raising multilingual children, I come into contact with families from all over the world, many of whom have lived in several different countries and cultures outside of their own. Regardless of whether here is a final destination or just another stop along a greater adventure, the result is a complex and multifaceted experience of “home.” It encompasses a sense of belonging, familiarity, and comfort that transcends physical location. Home is not just a place, but a feeling that is deeply rooted in our connections with others.
In the children’s book, Peggy by Anna Walker, our brave protagonist gets blown out of her garden and her routine into an adventure in the big city. At first, it’s exciting. But once the newness fades she finds herself longing for her own backyard, recognisable by its glorious sunflowers. Problem is, she doesn’t know how to get back. So she follows the only clues she knows, a bouquet of commuting sunflowers, and manages her way back with a little help from her friends.
Like Peggy, we can find joy in new sights, smells, tastes, and sounds, while also longing for something we recognise. This internal tug-of-war between the thrill of adventure and the desire for familiarity can give us pause to reflect about our spaces of belonging:
Is home a place marked by geographical coordinates, or is it a feeling that resides within our hearts? Is it the people we surround ourselves with, or the memories we hold dear? Maybe it’s a combination of these things, woven together to create a unique and deeply personal definition specific to the eyes of each beholder.
So, what is home to you? This question may not have a definitive answer, but feel free to use the downloadable template, Peggy’s Sunflowers, as a starting point to explore this topic (in a colourful way) with your child(ren).
Recommendations for other wonderful picture books to engage with littles around home and finding our place of belonging:
The Comet by Joe Todd-Stanton
Zuhause: eine Geschichte über das Verlieren und Finden von Heimat by Biljana S. Crvenkovska and Vane Kosturanov
Islandborn by Junot Diaz with illustrations by Leo Espinosa
Where are you from? by Yamile Saied Méndez with illustrations by Jaime Kim
Whale in a Fishbowl by Troy Howell and Richard Jones
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