Being Home - by Traci Sorell (Hardcover)

About the Book

"On a day filled with anticipation, a young Cherokee girl bids farewell to her familiar city life and documents the changing landscape through drawings as her family moves to their ancestral land and embraces their new home."--Provided by publisher.

Book Synopsis

From Sibert Honor-winning author Traci Sorell and Caldecott Medal-winning artist Michaela Goade comes a heartwarming picture book about a Native American family and the joy of moving back to their ancestral land.

Today is a day of excitement--it's time to move! As a young Cherokee girl says goodbye to the swing, the house, and the city she's called home her whole life, she readies herself for the upcoming road trip. While her mother drives, the girl draws the changing landscape outside her window. She looks forward to the end of the journey, where she'll eat the feast her family has prepared, play in the creek with her cousins, and settle into the new rhythm of home.

With warm, expressive artwork and spare, lyrical prose, the story of a young girl's move toward rather than away from home unfolds.

Review Quotes

Praise for Being Home By Traci Sorell; illustrated by Michaela Goade:

An ALSC's 2025 Día Booklist for Birth to Pre-K
A Publishers Weekly Best Picture Book of 2024
A 2025 ALSC Notable Children's Book
A Kirkus Best Picture Book of 2024
A New York Public Library Best Book of 2024
American Booksellers Association May/June 2024 Kids' Indie Next List Pick
CSMCL Best Books of 2024
Common Sense Media's Best Books of 2024
A Bank Street Best Book of 2025

★ "An evocative, heartwarming testament to the power of home and community."
-- Kirkus Reviews, starred review

★" It's a joyful image of a family embracing change that examines "the rhythm of being home."
-- Publishers Weekly, starred review

★ "[With] lush, detailed illustrations...[the] girl's imagination is rendered in a vibrant pink hue that is present in one way or another on every page. The family's 'new' home is a place of community and warmth, a place where the 'rhythm of home' is palpable. Readers young and old will want to linger with these gorgeous pages, noting the rich textures and details."
-- Booklist, starred review

★ "The author beautifully expresses core themes of family and the importance of full self-realization on ancestral land; in doing so, she echoes the oh-so-important rhythms which animate her characters. Goade's mixed-media art is at once delicate and strong, with spirited, sparkling colors and a keen sense of motion that reinforces the text's rhythm and energy...an exceptional offering, emphasizing the inherent rhythms and motions of life."
-- Shelf Awareness, starred review

★ "Sorell's minimal but resonant text speaks from an authentically childlike voice...Goade's blend of media is beautiful, with the cool jewel tones of the city giving way to gentler, bright greens and browns as mother and daughter return to a place that embraces them fully...While this will especially resonate with Indigenous children considering their heritage, the thoughtful text and beautiful visuals will engage any kid in contemplating what it means to be at home."
-- BCCB, starred review

"Being Home embodies emotional depth, cultural significance, and artistic brilliance. [This is] an unforgettable achievement that captures what makes picture books extraordinary." -- Annisha Jeffries, Calling Caldecott, The Horn Book

"A grounded depiction of treasuring home and culture, skillfully presented by two artists of Indigenous backgrounds."
-- School Library Journal

"Goade's illustrations are warm, joyous, and vibrant. It's a beautiful celebration of Indigenous culture and what it means to be home."
-- Book Riot

About the Author

Best-selling author Traci Sorell writes inclusive, award-winning historical and contemporary fiction and nonfiction in a variety of formats for young people. She is a two-time Sibert Medal and Orbis Pictus honoree and an award-winning audiobook narrator and producer. Eight of her books have received awards from the American Indian Library Association, including At the Mountain's Base, Contenders: Two Native Baseball Players, One World Series and She Persisted: Wilma Mankiller. A former federal Indigenous law attorney and policy advocate, Traci is a Cherokee Nation citizen and first-generation college graduate. She lives within her tribe's reservation in northeastern Oklahoma.

Author Site: https: //www.tracisorell.com/ Social: @tracisorell

Michaela Goade is a 2021 Caldecott Medalist and the New York Times bestselling illustrator of We Are Water Protectors, also a 2020 Kirkus Prize finalist. Her other books include Encounter; Shanyaak'utlaax: Salmon Boy, winner of the 2018 American IndianYouth Literature Award for Best Picture Book; and Berry Song, which received a Caldecott Honor. Michaela's work focuses on Indigenous kidlit, and she is honored to work with Indigenous authors and tribal organizations in the creation of beautiful, much-needed books. She is also an enrolled member of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska.

Author Site: https: //www.michaelagoade.com/ Social: @michaelagoade