Official Review: When Did You Arrive? by Rachna Sharma
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- Brendan Donaghy
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Official Review: When Did You Arrive? by Rachna Sharma
According to the 2016 Canadian census, as many as one in five Canadians are foreign-born. Additionally, many of those born in Canada are the children or grandchildren of immigrants. Dedicated “to all those who call Canada their home,” Rachna Sharma’s When Did You Arrive? is an illustrated book designed to help Canadian teachers and parents address the issue of multiculturalism in a child-friendly way.
The story in this short book is a simple one. It centers on a conversation between Matthew and his parents about their Canadian roots. Matthew’s father is the grandson of an immigrant, while his mother is a first-generation immigrant from India. The conversation touches upon what it means to arrive in a new country having left family and friends behind in search of a new life. It also invites children to think of the reasons why people would choose to do this. It makes the point that nearly everyone in Canada has an immigration story somewhere in their family.
There is much to like about Rachna Sharma’s book. It works on a visual level; the illustrations are large and colorful and will grab the attention of young children. I also liked that the book is not instructive in a traditional way. Rather than providing answers, it invites children to think about the issues involved and come up with their own stories. There is a useful “Note to Teachers” page at the back of the book which suggests questions to help the children do this. It is easy to imagine this book providing the kick-start for an elementary class project on family origins and immigration in Canada.
Minor flaws in the book include the fact that some of the illustrations are repeated two or three times, sometimes on consecutive pages. I also think that the lack of page numbers could be a small irritation for teachers wanting to direct children to a particular part of the book.
I am awarding this book 4 out of 4 stars. It will certainly provide an interesting teaching aid for elementary school teachers in Canada. Parents wishing to open their children’s eyes to the diverse society around them may also find it useful. It is an exceptionally well-edited book in which I didn’t find a single error.
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When Did You Arrive?
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Great review.
- PeterRabitt20
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- Brendan Donaghy
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Thanks for commenting!
- Brendan Donaghy
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Thank you!GoodLuck ES wrote: ↑14 Apr 2021, 21:07 A story dedicated to informing the younger generation of their roots and how multicultural their society is, is beautiful. If a people do not know where they are coming from, they will definitely not know where they're going. Stories like that call for sober reflection. To continue or discontinue on the multiculturalism path will now be dependent on the reflections of the younger generation of how much it has or has not helped the society. It offers major help in their decision making going forward.
Great review.
- Brendan Donaghy
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Thanks very much for commenting!PeterRabitt20 wrote: ↑16 Apr 2021, 14:00 This is such a beautiful plot with a multicultural theme. It is interesting that the title says "when", instead of "where". I like it anyways. Great review!
- Brendan Donaghy
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