A Hundred Thousand Welcomes

A Hundred Thousand Welcomes by Mary Lee Donovan & Lian Cho (Harper Collins) PB RRP $19.99 ISBN 978 0 063228658

Reviewed by Karen Hendriks

A Hundred Thousand Welcomes is a book about families, community, and kinship. The reader travels around the world and learns how people greet each other in different languages. The reader learns pronunciation and simple phrases that give insight into culture and traditions. The book’s goal is to instill kindness, hospitality, compassion, warmth.

Mary Lee Donovan shares that as humans there are many ways to give hospitality to others and to say Welcome.  This book began when the author researched the word ‘welcome’ in different languages. The Truth is that ‘we are all migrants on this earth, journeying together in hope.’ The voice is welcoming, and the simplicity of the words allows the message to take centre stage on each page. The takeaway message is that none of us are strangers. No stranger dwells here, I greet you as kin. The door is wide open – come in from the storm.

Children will find this book fun to read and it’s educational. Huanying. I greet you in sunshine by light of the moon. Succinct and lyrical language. The text conveys an understanding that every person and their culture are unique. I feel like this book has a personal connection to the author as its words shine like lanterns. We really are one but many and are all connected.

Lian Cho has created gorgeous illustrations that show community and family with the poetic lines of text softly woven through. The artwork is drawings and watercolours that are rich with detail and both beautiful and warm. The roundness of the faces and bodies speak with such joy about the heart and soul of each home and family. It seems that the author and illustrator have collaborated as the images and text match so well. On the bottom of each page the pronunciations are included.

A Hundred Thousand Welcomes is a book for children aged four years and older. It will find its way into homes, libraries, and schools. The book is 40 pages so it would also be great as a coffee table book.