l to r: Heather Beaumont and Nátali de Mello.

When young Marlee’s parents share their excitement about going “back home” to visit Jamaica, Marlee insists Jamaica is not her home. For her, home is the place she shares with her parents and younger brother. Her father explains it is possible to have two homes, but Marlee is not convinced. As her parents reminisce about all the things they can do in Jamaica like listening to seashells by the shore or flying kites in the sunshine, she is worried she will not like it. It is only once Marlee arrives that she has a multi-sensory experience, feeling the bumpy road, gazing at stars in the night sky, talking to her family with their “sing-song” accents, tasting different foods, and drinking from green coconuts. Young Marlee finally realizes her father is right, she really can have two homes. And now, Jamaica is her “home away from home.”

Illustration: Nátali de Mello.

This gentle narrative in Heather Beaumont’s debut picture book is perfectly paired with Nátali de Mello’s illustrations that exude a warmth that will draw in young readers, specifically how happy Marlee is while in Jamaica with her family. Their softness may even spark curiosity in young readers who have yet to travel outside the country by depicting a distant place as welcoming.

When We Go Home offers a beautiful story of the in-betweenness that young readers living in diasporas may feel. Parents and educators may find this helpful when preparing for a trip “back home” or when discussing Canadian multiculturalism. What makes When We Go Home especially touching is that it reaffirms to young readers that they do not have to see themselves as outsiders either in Canada or in the country that is “back home.” And it lets them know, no matter what others say, they do not have to choose between the two.