I was first introduced to Jordan Collins’ work in her debut picture book Where?, which if you haven’t had a chance to read and share with children then I strongly encourage you to do so. In her latest story she again addresses belonging, identity and having a place in the world through the eyes of a young girl who ponders the meaning of home.
‘There’s no place like home, there’s no place like home, there’s no place like home,’ chants Dorothy as she clicks her red shoes together. Underneath a tree, another Dorothy in ruby red Doc Martens searches for answers to home. Hardly audible, she mumbles, “Where is my home? Where is my home? Where is my home?’ Is it a person? Is it a place? Is it a feeling? Is it a moment? Or is it something else…
Somewhere over the rainbow, identity, belonging and home can be found in this exquisitely illustrated and superbly written picture book that follows the titular character on a journey of self-discovery and acceptance.
Choosing Dorothy and her red footwear was not an accident and many will instantly see the connection with a young girl of the same name from The Wizard of Oz who embarked on her own search for home many, many years ago. This premise is now expertly brought into the twenty-first century and is throughly modernised. Wearing chequered dungarees and Doc Martens, trendy, biracial Dorothy questions who she is in life and where she belongs. There is no easy answer here, evidenced by Dorothy's various thoughts and experiences that make it a struggle to fit the pieces together.
For us all, the word home can mean different things. Is it the house that we grew up in, the people that we surround ourselves with, the smells, textures and tastes that invoke special emotions, or something else entirely that bring about that feeling of belonging and homeliness. By the end, Dorothy has learnt and embraced all of this and reminds us all to do the same and to be happy with ourselves. Home isn’t one particular thing and, like Dorothy, we can all find a place where we belong.
This is a story for everyone but it is essential for those that have ever felt like an outsider - perhaps they too are trying to find their ‘home’. Recommended for 6+. With huge thanks to Penguin for the copy I received in exchange for an honest review.
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