The 5-minute read that helps to talk about identity
An essential bedtime story for every multicultural family
Dear parents,
Do you know that feeling of complete mental exhaustion when your brain simply refuses to cooperate? That's exactly where I've been lately.
Each time I sat down to write something meaningful, I found myself staring at a blank page.
Rather than forcing out half-baked tips for managing your multilingual journey, I wanted to share something genuinely valuable – a book that has been a cherished favourite in our family.
It's a story that helped us foster a sense of belonging in our daughter (until she cleverly realised it signalled bedtime was imminent and temporarily "banned" it)!
I'm happy to report it's recently made a welcome comeback to our reading rotation.
The book I'm talking about is "Where Are You From?" by Yamile Saied Méndez.
This beautifully illustrated story offers a poetic response to that question many multicultural children face. When a little girl is asked where she's "really from," her grandfather helps her discover that her identity is rooted in the love of family, the stories of ancestors, and the beauty of belonging to multiple worlds.
It's become an essential part of our family library, providing gentle language to discuss identity and belonging across cultures and languages.
Do you have any family favorites that help your multilingual children feel at home wherever they are? I'd love to hear your recommendations in the comments!
Until next week,
Magda
P.S. Here is the book read by the author: