Where?

Description

'Where are you from?' they say. What they mean is, 'Why is your skin that colour?' 'Why does your hair look like that?' I am from the mountains, The seas and the sky. I am from children of millions of years, A timeline of humanity. I am from this planet And all others. A heartfelt picture book that challenges racism from an exciting new voice that is both a cry of pain and a demonstration of inner strength, which takes us on an intergalactic journey past collapsing stars and glowing nebulae to remind us not of our differences but of our shared humanity.

Jordan Collins was born in Chicago in the United States, moved to Australia when they were eight, and currently lives in Sydney. Growing up, Jordan wanted to be many things: doctor, vet, artist, marine biologist - but stuck with 'author' because of their love of reading. Jordan is African-American-Greek-Australian, which means they have dark skin and curly hair. Where? began as a slam poem that Jordan wrote after a lifetime of being asked questions like, 'where are you from?' They first performed the poem at the Poet's Picnic when they were fourteen. Where? has now been transformed into Jordan's debut picture book, illustrated by highly acclaimed artist Phil Lesnie. Phil Lesnie is a Sydney-based illustrator of children's books. They are also a children's bookseller. It remains unclear if this is a conflict of interests. They often work in watercolour, and sometimes on an iPad; occasionally, without thinking, they will tap two fingers on a wet painting to undo it. Their picture book Feathers was short-listed for the Prime Minister's Literary Awards, and their first three books were CBCA Notable Books in 2015, 2016 and 2018. But their first cat, Cassidy, is notable all of the time.

'This beautifully illustrated picture book might be for younger readers, but it's as fiercely political as it is personal ... Where is passionate without being bitter, and illustrates in an accessible way what it means for people to be constantly asked about heritage ... If this is what Collins wrote when they were 14, they are a voice to look out for.' Spectrum, Sydney Morning Herald 'Everyone [should] read this beautiful poetic prose and ... lose oneself not only within the words but within the magnificent illustrations that speak to us on every page. A triumph.' Good Reading 'The haunting words call for immediate recital ... accompanied by some amazing art by Phil Lesnie, making the complete package a definite page turner.' Weekend Australian