Postcards

In a series of declarative sentences wonderfully illustrated by Matt James, author Laurel Croza quickly sketches the experiences of a young, possibly First Nations, girl whose family moves from the remote bush area of northern Saskatchewan to central Toronto. James’s impressionistic illustrations perfectly match the disjointedness of the child’s experiences as she misses “There” but adapts (as children do) to “Here.” The locations could not be different, as there offers green wilderness, wildlife, and traditional folk and food ways. Here is a home on Birch Street, with no birches in sight, though there are groomed lawns and flowerbeds. And while there holds memories of home and family, here offers a new friend just the right age and all the wonders of a major city. This is perfectly imagined book: its illustrations intertwine with its brief text to offer a satisfyingly complete story. Any child who has moved will understand and be comforted by the story, and James’s play on various tropes (for example the wild moose in There and stuffed moose in Here) offers the kind of reliable continuity that uprooted children will love.

Laurel Croza From There to Here
Illustrated by Matt James
Toronto: Groundwood, 2014
Unp. ISBN: 9781554983650
(Picturebook; Ages 3+)