Exploring Our Community: See Where We Come From! : A First Book of Family Heritage (Hardcover)

In this perfect, kid-friendly introduction to the concept of family heritage, the five friends from Scot Ritchie’s popular series participate in a Heritage Festival at their school.

Today is a big day for the five friends. Their class is hosting a Heritage Festival to celebrate the customs and traditions of people from all over the world. Martin, Sally, Pedro, Nick and Yulee are best friends, and they each have their own heritage. Martin’s mom was born in Japan, and his dad’s family is from India. Sally is Haida, one of the Indigenous peoples in the Pacific Northwest. Pedro is from Brazil, Yulee is from Egypt and Nick’s ancestors were Scandinavian. The friends have so much to share with each other! They discover the many ways they’re alike and also what makes them unique. Which makes everyone feel like they belong!

Part of Scot Ritchie’s popular and award-winning Exploring Our Community series, this picture book is a perfect introduction to the concept of family heritage. It sensitively explores aspects of diverse cultures that include music, food, language, traditions, stories, crafts, clothing and games, teaching readers to value differences and to respect the customs and beliefs of others. It also encourages children to learn about their own heritage, and offers instructions for a heritage craft project. Boxes on the pages provide background information on the cultural items being shared. Comprehensive yet entertaining, with a glossary in the back, this is an excellent teaching tool for social studies units on heritage and identity, prompting children to consider who they are, and who came before them.