This Is Not My Home

by Vivienne Chang, Eugenia Yoh

A humorous and heartfelt reverse immigration story that will resonate across cultures and show us how a place can become home.

This is not my backyard barbecue.
This is not our car, these are not my fireflies.
This is not my farmer ’ s market and...
This is not my home.
 
When Lily’s mom announces their family must move back to Taiwan to take care of her elderly Ah Ma, Lily is devastated to leave behind her whole life for a place that is most definitely not her home. But Lily soon realizes, through the help of her family and friends, what home means to them. And perhaps someday—maybe not today, but someday—it might become her home too.

Genres: Picture Books, Family, Childrens, Fiction, Aapi, Asian Literature, School

48 pages, Hardcover

Published January 24, 2023

About the author

Eugenia Yoh and Vivienne Chang met as students at Washington University in St. Louis and now live 2,555.87 miles apart from each other. Eugenia lives in Berkeley, California, and makes books for kids. Vivienne lives in New York City and makes digital products for grown-ups. In addition to What If We..., Vivienne and Eugenia are also the authors of This is Not My Home. They hope to continue telling stories that share universal ideas through humor. When they are not discussing their next book concept, they can be found in a forest sharing ideas on what it means to be in your twenties, which is a very confusing time, to say the least.

Reviews

[Jason · Rating 5 out of 5]

What can I say. This may just be the greatest children's book of all time. Fantastic writing, A+++ illustration, 5/5 layout. What more can you ask of a book? I will be reading this to my future children as well as my present self.

[Debrarian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pros:
Deceptively simple, with carefully chosen words and expressive pictures that tell a story of complex emotions and heart.
Placing the title in Lily's mouth on the cover underlines both her opinion and the strength of it!
Endpapers contribute to the story by showing both home places, contrasting day and night, suburb and city, but showing Lily (with a dog and her mom) inhabiting both.
The hardcover underneath adds an evocative survey of Lily's varied emotions and details of place.
Repeating the sequence of things that are not Lily's -- backyard barbecues, farmer's market, school, etc. -- set up a helpful comparison of daily life in each place, and also gave specificity to the transformation of her feelings.
The poignancy of her mom saying "But this is mine" [my home] gives the story a pivot, allows Lily the agency to make her own choice to try to adjust, and is effectively spotlit with the closeup figures and the unadorned background. That white background carries over for several pages, slowly filling in as Lily takes steps (literally) into the new life.
Using speech bubbles filled with Taiwanese graphically conveys the language challenges. (It also shows the liveliness and interactivity of her classmates -- a promising community, if she can figure out how to access it.)
Lily is dressed in yellow (with a red cape) in her first home; in grey during her time of sorrow; and with color again (red with yellow accents) as she comes back to life in her new home.

Quibble: It's unfortunate the illustrator chose to show Lily's resistance to travel through seating her next to a fat person on the plane and making her look grumpy at being crowded. Fat people have enough challenges flying without being implicated in Lily's discomfort. Why not simply show her unhappy in her seat, or refusing peanuts, or something?

[Aneesa]

Now we are spiraling.

7yo goes, "She's a fun mom."

[Mehsi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book from TBR and Beyond Tours + the publisher in exchange of an honest review~

I just had to ask for a review when I saw this tour pop up! The book sounded right up my alley and I loved that the story was told as a picture book. The cover looked stunning so I knew that the art inside would be a treat~

What if your mom has big news (I just loved how the mom broke the news, first made a bit of a game of it and then calmly sat down and had a chat), and that news is that you are moving to Taiwan? What would you do? In our MCs case she first goes panicky and tells her mom all the things that she will be missing and I just could feel my heart break. And we see how it is affecting Lily later on. She stays grumbly. She is not understanding. She keeps on saying it is not her home. And I could understand. While I also can understand her mom who just wanted to be there for her family. To take care of someone.

But I am sorry, at times I had to laugh at seeing a very unhappy Lily in situations, because of the illustrations and what Lily said. Saying things like these are not my fireflies (um, heck no) or visiting a temple and stating that the buddha statue is not Jill.

My heart broke though for most of things that followed. Seeing Lily in school, with strange people all around her and a language she doesn’t understand. So confused. Without any friends. Without food she recognises. I just wanted to give her a big big hug.

Thankfully, she has her mom, and I just loved that her mom took a moment to talk to Lily. Give her a hug. Tell her that for mom this is all hers. The language. The food. The people. And that she is just hoping for Lily to understand and maybe to make it something for them. Which just had me awwing, OK, it was just too sweet and I just loved that the mom did this. Not just go angry or tell Lily to stop being such a grump. No, she understands and talks. Love it.

And what happens next? I was just smiling and crying at the same time. It was just perfection and beautiful and I just loved seeing the small chances. The small bits. And that last page, I just broke down. That was just so wonderful and I am just so happy for them.

The art was just absolutely stunning and I need more of the illustrator’s work + maybe some prints to hang on my walls. Because DANG.

All in all, highly recommended. A gorgeous book about finding home, about family, about love, and about getting used to strange things.

Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/

[The Litt Librarian · Rating 5 out of 5]

I mean, the whole review is here... but check it out on my blog anyway at The Litt Librarian!

It's a sweet and humorous book that follows a little girl, Lily, and her rejection of moving back home to Taiwan to help take care of her ailing grandmother. I mean, it's not her home, and she makes it clear that she is unhappy about the adjustment. But sometimes change is good, and Lily must learn that her new home is not so different from her old home.

5 stars

[Phobean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brilliant art and book design. The story, while reminiscent of Talking Heads Once in a Lifetime, was rather melancholy beneath the protagonist Lily’s bold statements of dissent. I think the reader was supposed to come around on things, like Lily. I never quite did.

[Oliver · Rating 4 out of 5]

How can you help someone not miss their home, especially when they’ve moved to a new country with an entirely different culture? That’s the hefty question authors Eugenia Yoh and Vivienne Chang set out to answer in this story about a little girl who must leave her home in the USA and move to Taiwan, where her mother is from, to take care of her Ah Ma (grandma). Everything, from the language and food to the toilets and transportation, is very different, and the girl is understandably upset.

My kids were actually born in Taiwan, and luckily had no problems adjusting when we moved to the USA (However, this is probably largely due to their being so young), but I suspect that they might relate a lot to the girl in the book, were we to ever move back to Taiwan. The story is told with minimal text, but still conveys the girl’s emotions very well, and is also relatable even to those who haven’t moved to another country.

[cornelia · Rating 5 out of 5]

AMAZING !!! I loved to see this story in a children’s book. and the art, chefs kiss !

[Nicolas P · Rating 5 out of 5]

took my brother to the library so now we’re reading all his books

[Lauren Millard · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really love reading books like this with my kids. I am glad there are so many diverse books at our library to help open our eyes to the lives of others!

[Colleen B · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about going through big transitions in life. With love and time, you will be ok 💕

[Calvin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have you ever had to leave behind everything you knew and loved? Lily has, and she just can't seem to understand why. Moving to a new place is a difficult concept for her to grasp, and she feels lost and alone in her new surroundings. But with the help of her loving mom and the support of her new community, Lily slowly begins to adapt and find her place in this new world.

A touching story about the power of love.

[Patricia Q · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love the story. Love the illustrations.

[Paige · Rating 5 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I received this e-arc and finished copy from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: This Is Not My Home

Author: Vivienne Chang and Eugenie Yoh

Book Series: Standalone

Rating: 5/5

Diversity: Taiwanese MC and characters

Recommended For...: picture book readers, moving, Taiwan, making new friends

Publication Date: January 24, 2023

Genre: Picture Book

Age Relevance: 0+ (moving, making new friends)

Explanation of Above: The book focuses on our MC’s move from their home to Taiwan and how they feel about the move. The book also focuses a little on the MC making new friends after having to leave their friends behind.

Publisher: Little Brown Books for Young Readers

Pages: 48

Synopsis: When Lily’s mom announces their family must move back to Taiwan to take care of her elderly Ah Ma, Lily is devastated to leave behind her whole life for a place that is most definitely her home. But Lily soon realizes, through the help of her family and friends, what home means to them. And perhaps someday—maybe not today, but someday—it might become her home too.

Review: I thought this was such a cute little read! The book focused on our MC, named Lily, who moves from her home to Taiwan. The book explores her complicated feelings about the move and how nothing feels like home to her anymore. The book shows that while this might not be her home, it’s her mother’s home and together they can make it their home. This helps Lily start to feel more at home and eventually she gains the confidence to make a home there. I thought this book had such a moving message for young children who might also be in a similar situation like Lily and might be moving away from their home to a new home. The book also has amazing illustrations and the illustrations of Taiwan are gorgeous.

Verdict: An absolute must read for moving or soon-to-be moving young children.

[Erica · Rating 5 out of 5]

The retro-style illustrations and the playful, joyous, heartfelt relationship of the mother and child are endearing from the first page, and deeply satisfying by the end.

I love how the child is open with her feelings, while the parent is tolerant but not indulgent of uncooperative behavior, and "hears" the strong feelings under the whining and foot-dragging. It feels authentic to all parent/child relationships that the overarching relationship is strong and solid, even though some moments are unpleasant.

My guess is people of a wide variety of backgrounds will recognize themselves in these characters, even if they know nothing about Taiwan, and even if their family isn't immigrating/visiting/etc. - this is a snapshot of a universal tension between generations, portrayed with loving patience and silliness, too!

It was a pleasure on many levels for me to read, so I imagine it will work well for sharing in a family with a wide range of ages of children; from as young as two years to as old as nine.

It could also work for older readers than that, if the family has a similar situation of being estranged from the parents' or grandparents' home country, and trying to rebuild cultural connections through travel. Highly recommended!

[Nursebookie · Rating 5 out of 5]

𝐓𝐈𝐓𝐋𝐄: 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐈𝐒 𝐍𝐎𝐓 𝐌𝐘 𝐇𝐎𝐌𝐄⁣
𝐀𝐔𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐑: 𝐕𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐧𝐞 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠⁣
𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐔𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐄𝐃: 𝐄𝐮𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐚 𝐘𝐨𝐡⁣
𝐏𝐔𝐁 𝐃𝐀𝐓𝐄: 𝟎𝟏.𝟐𝟒.𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟑 ⁣

I absolutely adored this book! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
⁣
A humorous and heartfelt reverse immigration story that will resonate across cultures and show us how a place can become home.⁣
⁣
This is not my backyard barbecue.⁣
This is not our car, these are not my fireflies.⁣
This is not my farmer’s market and...⁣
This is not my home.⁣
 ⁣
When Lily’s mom announces their family must move back to Taiwan to take care of her elderly Ah Ma, Lily is devastated to leave behind her whole life for a place that is most definitely not her home. But Lily soon realizes, through the help of her family and friends, what home means to them. And perhaps someday—maybe not today, but someday—it might become her home too.⁣
⁣
𝐓𝐨𝐩 𝐟𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐧𝐨𝐰:⁣
⁣
👧🏻 The illustrations are gorgeous⁣
🏠 The best read aloud book ⁣
👧🏻 It’s message will resonate to any child going through change whether a new home, a new environment m, or anything else⁣
🏠 A poignant story that emphasizes importance of family and caring for a loved one⁣
👧🏻 Embraces what a home truly means⁣

[Sue H · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lily is devastated. Her mom has just announced that they will be leaving their life behind and moving to Taiwan to take care of her ailing grandmother.
Once she arrives to Taiwan, her feelings do not change -- nothing seems to be the same. Te reader, I must say, will likely hurt for Lily. It might seem like she's being unreasonable, but I imagine that moving thousands of miles away and leaving everything behind to be surrounded by different, food, culture, school and having no friends would be a challenge for many adults, moreso a child.
After a difficult day at school, Lily's mother has a chat with her, explaining that Taiwan is her home... and that it can be theirs. It is a really touching part of the book. In the next few spreads we watch as Lily makes friends and begins to embrace what is around her. Eventually stating "This is my Home".

There have been a lot of books about family members (particularly grandparents) moving to be with their children/granchildren, but fewer depicting this return. I think this book is a great one about life changes (such as moving), giving new things a chance, and learning to embrace what comes our way in life. Really enjoyed it.

[Bookishrealm · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great story about making transitions...

This Is Not My Home follows main character Lily and her family's move to Taiwan. It's a big transition for Lily who is not familiar with the language, customs, and culture of her mom's native country. I loved that this story focused on someone who is a part of a diaspora moving to Taiwan. It's not something that I see often in picture books (usually the main character is moving to America). Naturally, Lily isn't happy with the move and she declares that nothing about Taiwan is reminiscent of her home. Eventually, she does learn to adjust, but Yoh and Chang illustrate that these adjustments take time. It doesn't happen over night, but eventually a new place can begin to feel like home. I wasn't a huge fan of the illustrations at first, but for some reason they grew on me and I appreciated the final page where the illustrations seemed much more rich in color and energy indicating Lily's change in attitude. Overall, a great read and I'm looking forward to reading more from this duo.

[Brooke - TheBrookeList · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vivienne Chang has a fun style and this is an easy read that kids can get into and feel, without the need for a million words. Lily has a home she is used to, one she loves and enjoys. She moves to Taiwan to help take care of her Ah Ma, and her mother asks her to be understanding. She is not. She pouts throughout much of the book about the things that are not the same - all the reasons why Taiwan is not her home. Her mom seeks her empathy, and eventually gets it. It is a mature lesson on being happy with and for those around us.

I've ruined some travel over the years with all my cries of "This is not my home." This is a beautiful reminder to try to understand, to seek out the beauty in the differences, and to enjoy for each other the places where we are and the experiences we share.

Read as a nomination in the Fiction Picture Book book award category as a panelist for Children's and Young Adult Bloggers' Literary Awards (Cybils Awards).

[Sylvia Chen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I count myself so lucky that I stumbled upon this book in my local bookstore recently! THIS IS NOT MY HOME is such an incredible picture book. I love all the endearing frowns and expressions, humorous body language for the MC, and powerful wordless spreads—all of which must have taken a ton of time, thought, and collaboration for creators Eugenia Yoh and Vivienne Chang to figure out. They masterfully captured kid-like thinking and actions throughout, created clever and comparative circumstances, and incorporated effective dialogue and language integration, both spoken and shown. And I really appreciated how this book tackles so many relatable and important topics such as uprooting to another country, what makes a home, how family and friends show care and understanding, how big changes can turn out okay, and exploring identity. *****ALL THE STARS***** for THIS IS NOT MY HOME!

[Becky B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lily's mom announces that they are moving from the US to Taiwan to help take care of Ah Ma. Lily is not happy about this. Taiwan is not her home, and the adjustment is hard. But Lily's mom reminds Lilly that Taiwan is her home and to give it some time. Will this new country ever feel like home for more than just Mom?

As an expat, I've definitely witnessed kids and adults who have moved here to Thailand or moved back to the States after being overseas for years and felt just like Lily. So many who are or have relocated across country lines will find Lily's story resonates with them. Lily's emotions and attitude aren't always pretty, but they are very real. The creators bring a touch of humor to it in the illustration style too. And ultimately, Lily's story ends in hope and joy in where she's at, hopefully bringing hope to readers who need it.

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A young girl is surprised by her mother that they are moving to Taiwan. The little girl does not take well to this surprise at all, because Taiwan is not her home! She'll miss everything in America and even as she lands in Taiwan, everything being foreign to her even more drives the point that she doesn't want to be there at all. But as the weeks turn into months, her mother's home does become hers.

There are not many words in this book, but the illustrations tell the story so very well. I appreciated this book so very much because this was my story except mine was moving to Thailand as a child. The ending is perfect, because though it does take time, Taiwan did become her home as Thailand did become mine as well.

[Aparna Prabhu · Rating 5 out of 5]

'This is Not my Home' is a story of Lily and her mother who have to leave behind everything that they built in USA and start a new life in Taiwan to take care of her ailing grandmother. When Lily and her mother come to Taiwan, Lily couldn't adapt to the lifestyle and began to despise the environment.The plot primarily focuses on how the youngest finally comes to terms with this significant change.

The vibrant illustrations created in photoshop medium mirrored Lily's impulsive nature. The story is constructed using simple words and sentences that are easy to read. The book serves as a great introduction to how home gives one a feeling of joy, togetherness, comfort, and familiarity.

[Matthew · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is Not My House... I thought this was going to be about a girl who wakes up in a house that's not hers and that she was abducted or something, but it turns out that was not the plotline. It is about a girl whose mom informs her that they have to move to Taiwan, where the mother is from. Well, the girl is not happy. She fears that nothing will be like the place she's known and grew up with. That comes to be true, but with time and patience, her new surroundings become her new home. A very important lesson for children who have to move around a lot. That home is sometimes not just a place, but a positive state of mind. My rating - 3/5

[Meigan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A story of reverse immigration where Lily and her family relocate to Taiwan to take care of Lily’s aging Ah Ma. Everything is different in Taiwan, from the streets to the food to the sights and the smells and even the toilets! Lily isn’t used to everything being different and has to adapt and change. It’s a fun journey as readers watch Lily overcome challenges and learns to navigate her new home. My littles loved this one, and I loved the lessons imparted. 5 stars.


*Gifted copy received courtesy of TBR and Beyond Tours and the publisher.

[Lynn Davidson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lily is very upset when her mother announces that they are moving from their home in the US all the way to Taiwan to take care of her own mother. Lily loves her grandmother but she isn't happy about being in Taiwan and keeps saying, "This is not my home" every time she has to deal with something different. Eventually, Lily realizes how important it is to her mother to be back where she grew up, so she starts looking at things with a better attitude. That's when things start getting better.
This is a great story for children to see how hard it can be for others having to adjust to a new home, especially in a different country. Great illustrations.

[Dylan Teut · Rating 5 out of 5]

I could spout off a number of books about children and their families who must leave their country due to difficult/unbearable circumstances and come to a new place like the United States. However, this book features a family who decides to leave the United States and return to their native land to be with a relative. It's as powerful and as many other books and offers great insight into what makes a place a home.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having moved 5 different times (including 3 years in a foreign country) before I was 18 years old (and many times since then), I completely related to this story of a young girl moving to a foreign country and being asked to start over with a new language, culture, etc. I love the story’s honesty in the feelings and emotions she has during this time but the beautiful message about finding and creating new “homes”. Wonderful book!

[Calista · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good story. I'm not really crazy about the artwork. This cover is horrible.

Still, it's a good story. A girl has her wonderful life in the US. All the sudden, her parents are moving to Taiwan where everything is different and nothing feels like home. She has a really difficult time.

Nothing is hers. Still, after some time, she does figure it out and things move on and it becomes home eventually. It's a story of strength.

[Terresa Wellborn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Captivating cover art and humorous illustrations bring this story to life: Lily, a young school girl moves back to Taiwan, her mother's homeland, to take care of her grandma. My favorite pages was when the mother drags Lily through a town market, and when the text above a Buddha statue states, "...and this is not Jill."

Themes: culture, moving (new country: Taiwan/town/school)
Ages: K-2nd grade
Pub year: 2023