Commentaire descriptif

In this sequel to I Know Here, a little girl has just moved across the country with her family. At first, everything back home seems better. Her father no longer comes home for lunch. Now, instead of living on a gravel road, they live on a paved street where people lock their doors and draw their drapes. But one day, someone knocks on her door and suddenly, living in the big city brings a smile to her face. Croza deftly captures the voice and emotions of a young girl who manages to find hope despite the upheaval and changes in her life. Told from the girl’s point of view, the spare, poetic text uses a simple “therehere” comparison of the two places. There, in rural Saskatchewan, “aurora borealis shimmered in the sky,” while here, in downtown Toronto, “the street lamps … stand at attention—glaring down the dark. Lively illustrations, in India ink on panel, are suggestive of movement in their depictions of the two contrasting lifestyles. Despite the narrator’s feeling of displacement and homesickness, readers are left with an optimistic impression, the illustrations always focusing on the positive aspects of each place. An uplifting take on change and upheaval, this story addresses the angst of facing any kind of move.