Where We Come from

In this unique collaboration, four authors lyrically explore where they each come from--literally and metaphorically--as well as what unites all of us as humans.

Richly layered illustrations connect past and present, making for an accessible and visually striking look at history, family, and identity.

We come from stardust / our bodies made of ancient elements. / We come from single cells / evolving over billions of years. / We come from place, language, and spirit. / And each of us comes from story.

"Presenting in terms as universal as stardust and as specific as Minneapolis, four authors (Coy, Shannon Gibney, Sun Yung Shin, and Diane Wilson) describe the common and varying elements of their backgrounds. Touching on evolution, the text begins by connecting all life on earth to single-celled organisms. A two-page spread then introduces four sets of feet, connected to larger images that demonstrate that the authors' stories relate respectively to Indigenous people, Korea, immigrants on a boat, and Africa. As the authors describe customs and beliefs of people from Ireland, Scotland, and Korea; consider the importance of plants and the land to Dakhota people; and remember the ancestors brought to America by force, they individually and collectively tell the story of how this country has developed and how many unique parts are reflected in people today. Four larger portraits at the end return to the image of footsteps, showing how the past contributes to the present. Children and adults will find much to study and contemplate in this unique and ambitious work."―Booklist