Jordan Collins (text) and Phil Lesnie (illustrator), Where?, Allen & Unwin, July 2022, 32 pp., RRP $24.99 (hbk), ISBN 9781760526382
Where? began life as a slam poem that Jordan wrote as a 14-year-old, tired of being asked ‘Where are you from? Why is your skin that colour?’ By evoking the planets, stars, mountains and seas, Jordan explains that we all share a common heritage. The book raises complex issues of racism that confront us every day and would certainly provide a beginning for broader discussion with older children.
The illustrations are excellent, particularly the sensitive endpapers that move from footprints in the sand to the cosmic universe and encapsulate the author’s heartfelt premise.
Suitable for ages 8-12
Reviewed by Elizabeth Douglas
