A young girl named Xiao Ling Li decides to make a scrapbook to share with her unborn sibling about the special day in February when she and her parents became Canadian citizens.

By revealing the experience through the eyes of a Grade 6 student, the author and illustrator fuse many important facts about the citizenship process with a touching fictional story. Xiao Ling Li’s visual account includes several coloured photos (provided by her aunt’s front-row camera), a black-and-white newspaper clipping, an assortment of international flags and bulletin-board posters, bilingual copies of the Oath of Citizenship and “O Canada,” and bits of the girl’s own artwork. The photos seem a trifle stilted, but they reflect the dignified nature of the ceremony accurately. The other visuals add variety and interest to Xiao Ling Li’s personal collection.

The narrative, although wordy for a genuine scrapbook, captures the essence of the ceremony and the earnest reflections of a new young Canadian. The reader never doubts the authenticity of Xiao Ling Li’s voice, from her careful retelling of the formalities of the ceremony to her exuberant enjoyment of the multicultural food at a welcoming party and her pride in her lucky red shoes.

From Far and Wide should be high on the acquisition list of Canadian schools and libraries. It is of equal interest to new Canadians and those, like Xiao Ling Li’s brother or sister, who are born into Canadian citizenship.