Memories of spicy cinnamon hearts, cheesy sayings on heart-shaped candies and piles of heart-shaped 'be mine' card litter the desks tops of children in many classrooms today. This makes me think about what I love... chocolate, the Earth, my home.I Know Here written by Laurel Croza and illustrated by Matt James.
Synopsis: The little girl in this story lives with her family in a trailer in northeastern Saskatchewan, where her father is building a dam. She knows everything about the place she lives -- her road, her school, the forest where she plays hide- and-seek and where the wolf howls at night, the hill where she goes tobogganing in winter . . . But the dam is nearly finished and when summer comes the family is moving to Toronto -- a place marked by a big red star on the map at school. "Have people in Toronto seen what I've seen?" the little girl asks. And with her teacher's help she finds a way to keep everything she loves about home. This simple, beautifully written story, complemented by Matt James's vibrant, imaginative illustrations, will resonate deeply with anyone who has had to leave their home, a place they love, for a new place.
Comment: Just last week at the OLA (Ontario Library Association) conference, I had the good fortune of hearing Laurel Croza and Matt James speak briefly about their book I Know Here. While Laurel asked members of the crowd to explain a place they loved, to the delight of those who spoke, Matt sketched these places with as much detail as they were willing to provide. These sketches resulted in broad smiles and a host of memories.
What I love about this book is the beautiful depiction (enhanced by the colourful oil paintings of Matt James) of the trailer park where she lives contrasted by the image conjured up by a trailer park setting. I love that her teacher is caring enough to suggest ways to take the place she loves with her and I love that the story ends with her move to Toronto and the feeling that it will all be okay.
Other books on love:
I Love our Earth written by Bill Martin Jr. and Michael Sampson
I Love Chocolate written and illustrated by Davide Cali
I Love the Rain written by Margaret Park Bridges.
