Published: October 12, 2021
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Pages: 40
ISBN: 9780062877727
Description
Welcome, come in! You are invited to travel to homes around the world in this beautifully illustrated picture book about hospitality and acceptance, which features the word “welcome” from more than fourteen languages. Fans of Here We Are and The Wonderful Things You Will Be will enjoy this timeless story about family, friendship, empathy, and welcoming others.
Welcome, friend. Welcome.
The Stories Behind A Hundred Thousand Welcomes
So Many Languages
There are approximately 7100 living languages and dialects spoken around the world. The number of languages changes over time as new information and research comes to light and as some … Read more
The World from an Armchair
The illustrator Lian Cho did impressive research for the illustrations in the book, digging deep for scenes of everyday life in the countries whose languages or customs are referenced in A … Read more
Welcoming the Neighbors
There are almost as many ways of making someone feel welcome as there are cultures in the world. Some ways are traditional, some are formal, many are informal. In the … Read more
Expressing Welcome
Greetings of welcome can be spoken, or they can be gestures. A smile, a hug, a kiss on one cheek, a kiss on both cheeks, shaking hands, bowing are all … Read more
Reviews
Donovan and Cho celebrate cultural diversity with this tribute to unity, which explores the different ways people around the world say “welcome.”
Cho’s watercolor and colored pencil artwork features bright paintings of people of varying abilities, ages, cultures, religions, and skin tones, greeting each other and sharing food. The warm, friendly scenes range from a blonde, light-skinned child beckoning from an inviting sukkah to a Shiba Inu and East Asian–cued family waving atop the balcony of a small house in urban Japan.
Publishers Weekly Read reviewNamed a Best Book of 2021
Center for the Study of Multicultural Children's Literature Read reviewMary Lee Donovan’s A Hundred Thousand Welcomes (Greenwillow), illustrated by Lian Cho and coming to shelves in October, is like honeysuckle to a bee for young language-lovers
It’s a big-hearted, compassionate book, Donovan noting in her closing note: “I am not a marcher. I am not a rally-er. I am not a fist shaker. I am not a knitter of hats or a waver of signs. My rage boils down, instead, to ink. This particular river of ink is my love song to our shared humanity and it is my protest against intolerance, injustice, and inhumanity.” For those who feel the same — or even for those who are fist shakers — the book closes with a selection of further reading (picture books!) as well as selected sources.
Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast Read reviewBeth Seufer Buss, Bookmarks, Winston-Salem, NC Read reviewA Hundred Thousand Welcomes is a beautiful look at how we welcome others into our lives and celebrate other people. The illustrations are brilliant, adding another layer to all the possibilities for conversations with children as you read this book.
(from Indie Bound's November/December 2021 Kids Indie Next List)
Céad mile fáilte to this heartfelt message of inclusivity and compassion.
With so much distrust, anger, and hate in the air, a genuine expression of welcome is just the balm we so desperately need.
Kirkus Reviews Read review
