We Sang You Home

by Richard Van Camp, Julie Flett (Illustrator)

In this sweet and lyrical board book from the creators of the bestselling Little You, gentle rhyming text captures the wonder new parents feel as they welcome baby into the world. A celebration of the bond between parent and child, this is the perfect song to share with your little ones.

Internationally renowned storyteller and bestselling author Richard Van Camp teams up with award-winning illustrator Julie Flett for a second time to create a stunning board book for babies and toddlers.

Genres: Picture Books, Indigenous, Family, Childrens, Poetry, Native American, Fiction

24 pages, Board Book

First published October 18, 2016

About the author

A Dogrib (Tlicho) Dene from Fort Smith, NWT, Richard Van Camp is an internationally renowned storyteller and best-selling author. He is the author of the novel, The Lesser Blessed, a collection of short stories, Angel Wing Splash Pattern, and two children’s books with Cree artist, George Littlechild. His new baby book: Welcome Song for Baby: A Lullaby for Newborns is the official selection of the Books for BC Babies program and is being given to every newborn baby in British Columbia in 2008. His new novel, Blessing Wendy, will be released in the fall of 2009 through Orca Book Publishers. Richard was awarded Storyteller of the Year for both Canada and the US by the Wordcraft Circle of Native Writers and Storytellers. You can visit Richard at his website: www.richardvancamp.org.

Reviews

[La Coccinelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

As we give you roots
you give us wings

And through you
we are born again

Our everyday miracle
our everyday smile

Our forever home
is inside of you

No pressure, kids!

I don't know what the synopsis is talking about; as you can see, the text doesn't rhyme at all. This is basically just a collection of nice little sayings accompanied by Julie Flett's collage illustrations. The premise worked in Little You , which I read and reviewed last year. But this book left me cold.

The problem is that it's really a book for adults. Despite the fact that it's a board book, only parents are really going to appreciate the message. And I'm not sure if the illustrations here are going to be enough to keep kids engaged.

For a better book by the author, have a look at May We Have Enough to Share . For a better book by the illustrator, have a look at My Heart Fills with Happiness . Both of those books work better than this mediocre collaboration.

[Ana · Rating 3 out of 5]

An ode to a parent's love for their kids.

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a lovely board book with one of those themes that will resonate more for the parents reading it than for the child. But, that's okay. Babies and tots will feel the love in the words read aloud and the illustrations are captivating. Written and illustrated by Native American creators, it's a beautiful glimpse at a present-day Native American family with a message that will likely resonate with every new parent.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweet book for new parents to read to their new child. Written in both English and Plains Cree, this tells the child how much they are loved, and important.

Beautiful pictures. Beautiful sentiments.





Good that dual language picture books are being published, so this can be available to children of Cree parents as well.

#KaKîwehNikamôstamâtinân #NetGalley

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.

[ElphaReads · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely charming book that can be read to babies and toddlers about love parents have for children. It's also important to note that it gives voice to Indigenous cultures, which is very important since their voices are almost completely unheard in children's literature. The art is also quite nice. A good choice for the upcoming holiday season if you know of anyone with babies!

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice gift for new parents.

[Great Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

This little board book is a parent’s song to a child containing message every child should hear; you are wanted, you are loved, you are our miracle. Each page has sparse illustrations of Native American children and families but universally appealing to all. A great gift to new parents. Reviewer 11

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

In poetic text, parents welcome a child to the world. Gouache illustrations with digital collage features a cast of First Nations characters.

Highly recommended for new parents, especially as a gift, and for reading to baby.

[Literary Redhead · Rating 5 out of 5]

Popular storyteller Richard Van Camp and award-winning illustrator Julie Flett team up a second time in this lovely, lyrical book on the wonder parents feel with a new baby. Beautiful illustrations and poetic text make this a highly recommended read.

#KaKîwehNikamôstamâtinân #NetGalley

[Marissa Elera · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful ode to new baby and family.

[Ayesha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading We Sang You Home reminded me of the time when my little brother was born, because he is my “everyday miracle” and “everyday smile.” In this book, written in poetic language, a newborn baby is welcomed into the world. The parents wish and pray for a child, and when the baby is finally born, they express their love for him/her by giving kisses and singing songs. They give their child “roots” because they are the support system for their child, and the child gives them “wings” because he/she brings them new happiness and hope. The parents are “born again” through their child because having this child gives them a new chance in life or a fresh start. They are “born again” because they become new people after becoming parents, better people. Their child feels like a miracle to them and makes them smile everyday. Their child feels like home. They are deeply appreciative of their child and all the happiness and blessings their child has brought into their life. They are proud of who their child is and they are grateful to their child. They love their child very much! The major themes in the book were parental love and gratitude towards children. The theme of parental love is demonstrated throughout the whole poem, because the parents kiss the baby, and sing to the baby to express their love. They love their baby so much; their baby is all they need to be happy. They also explicitly say “we love you!” at the end of the book. The theme of gratitude is portrayed when the parents thank the baby for choosing them and joining them. The words thank you are repeated multiple times. I feel like people talk about showing gratitude towards parents often, but they rarely talk about the importance of also showing gratitude towards children. Showing gratitude towards children is one way that parents act as “roots” for their child. The main genre of this book is poetry. Children reading this book could learn how much they are loved. The book describes how much the parents love the baby and how much happiness the baby has brought them. Their baby is a miracle for them and they love to shower their baby in kisses and with songs. Their baby is their “home”; it is all they need. When parents read this book to their child, their child can learn how loved they are. Another concept children reading this book could learn is how much they are appreciated. The book explicitly says “thank you” in several lines, which is the parents saying thank you to their child. The parents show gratitude to their child just for existing and being in their life. When parents read this book to their child, they can learn how valued they are. This book was a WOW book for me because it described exactly how I feel about my younger brother. Even though this book is about how parents feel towards their baby, it was very relatable for me because my little brother feels like my baby. I loved the way the parents thanked the child for coming into their life and described their child as a miracle, because that is how I have always felt about my brother. I really believe that he saved my family!
One of the literary devices the author used in writing this book was symbolism. In the lines, “As we give you roots / you give us wings,” the author uses roots to symbolize how parents support their child and help them grow, and wings to symbolize the new abilities parents gain from having children. This literary device added to the quality of the writing in this book by giving it a deeper meaning and allowing for multiple different interpretations. Another literary device the author used in writing this book was repetition. The phrase “thank you” is repeated four times in a row. This literary device added to the quality of the writing in this book because it emphasized how much the parents appreciate their child. It also helped portray the theme of gratitude towards children. I would consider this book to be an anti-bias book because it allows all children and parents to relate; it is not specific to a certain type of family or certain culture. The language is not specific to any gender or group of people. In addition, it does not portray anything stereotypical.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have enjoyed what little I have read from Richard Van Camp before, and I always love Julie Flett's illustrations. I wasn't surprised to find such a cute and charming story.

The illustrations were easily my favourite thing about this book, but they weren't the only good thing. The story is the perfect kind to read to babies and toddlers, with that lovely parental love sort of message to it. There was such sweet and genuine affection that it was hard not to smile.

Recommended for anyone looking for a good board book or a good story to express love to a little one.

[AStar Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. This picture book was incredibly heart-warming and would be an amazing gift to any new family. The only area that brought it down a tiny bit for me, was how small some of the illustrations were and that the color was a little bland at times.

[Maeve · Rating 4 out of 5]

The happiness and joy parents feel when they have a child. Beautiful text and beautiful illustrations.

[Heather Freeman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Welp. This is just the most precious thing I've ever read. It's also really deep and joyous, and the art and simple language go hand-in-hand to make something really transcendent. Can't wait for this come out so I can recommend it to people looking for the perfect gift for new parents/welcoming a new baby.

[Tegan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Way more for the parent than the kid.

[Angie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is absolutely breathtaking! My children are currently 16 and 12, but I still feel the way shown in the book about them. They are miracles. We dreamed and wished for them. I love how this book is dual language, and although I cannot speak Cree, it looks so lovely. This is another "baby shower" or baby gift book that will be given to friends and loved ones. I think it will even make a good library or classroom addition, because of how much love is shown in it, and our students need that so desperately.

[Bunmi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adding this to my "auto-buy" for baby shower/new baby gifts! ❤️

[Tracey · Rating 3 out of 5]

diverse picture book (a board book for parents welcoming a new baby; families; parental love for their child)
* Prominently features diverse characters: beautiful illustrations depict medium-dark skinned families with straight black hair (could be identified as asian or First Nations or possibly Latinx). There are some spreads with just mom and baby, and other spreads with two parents--usually one with long hair that presents as female and one with short hair that could be interpreted as male or female, or somewhere else along the gender spectrum.
* this would not be my first choice for storytime, since the story is so quiet, but it could work for a baby storytime with pre-walkers. It's a more likely choice for a gift for two parents who are welcoming a new baby.

[Molly Schrank · Rating 5 out of 5]

Richard Van Camp, an indigenous Canadian author and member of the Dogrib Nation, delivers a soothing and lyrical welcome poem for babies, with lovely paper cut collage illustrations by the prolific Cree-Metis illustrator Julie Flett.

[Janet · Rating 3 out of 5]

This board book celebrates the joy the parents feel about having their child. Lovely illustrations by Julie Flett, from the Cree-Métis culture.

[Victoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

We Sang You Home is a book for early readers. It tells the story of parents hoping for the best for their newborn baby. It is such a happy, warm book to remind children that they are loved. I found this book Book Riot's 50 MUST-READ POETRY BOOKS FOR KIDS list.

I was able to find a recording of the story being read aloud on YouTube from Story Time with Bizzy Book Club. I love how the reader read this story with such a happy, nurturing tone. She even explained words students may be unfamiliar with, such as prayer.

We Sang You Home was published in 2016. This is a beautiful story that is accompanied by wonderful illustrations. It is perfect for preschool and kindergarten students. I think it is best for new parents to read with their children as well.

[Cheriee Weichel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Julie Flett's illustrations are as gorgeous as usual. Van Camp's text speaks to the special magic that a new baby brings. As much as I love this book, and I do, I'm not sure what age group this would be for. I can see parents reading it to their preschoolers, but I'm not sure this would have a place for K to grade 3 readers. As a possible choice for the chocolate lily award, I think it's too young.

[Penny · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a beautiful book! This would make a wonderful gift for someone expecting a baby or for new parents. Kudos Richard for such a wonderful story! Kudos to Julie Flett, the Illustrator, for such beautiful pictures!

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

This text makes me really think. I'm not sure if I like it or not which is really interesting! I read it multiple times and am still not sure about it well. There are extra levels within the text. This is a poem to welcome a baby.

[Stephanie Willing · Rating 5 out of 5]

Worst board book ever. I can't read it out loud without crying. Fortunately my baby doesn't notice that I'm half-sobbing while I tell him how grateful I am that "we sang you home, and you sang back." The art is lovely and this book is very true to a parent's heart.

[Rebecca Renea · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was weird to me... maybe I just don't get the "deep meaning" writing

[Alyssa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Eh, it was a little mystical for my taste, but the illustrations were simple, engaging, and reasonably understable for very young minds.

[Brittany · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not rhyming, which is why I'm surprised I enjoyed it so much. A little less sugar-sweet than usual take on being glad your baby is yours.

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful story and illustrations; Great for snuggling baby; Representation of a modern native family