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I Know Here
The little girl in this story lives in a trailer near a forest where her father is building a dam. Everything in her world is familiar and precious to her. But the dam is nearly finished and the family is moving to the city, which the little girl knows only as a place marked by a big red star on the map at school. Have the city people seen what I have seen, she wonders? The teacher suggests that she draw something that she wants to remember to take away with her when she leaves, and the little girl decides to draw what she knows — her road and everything her world contains — so that she can keep it with her always.
40 pages, Hardcover
First published February 23, 2010
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 85 reviews
October 28, 2018
Unlike author Laurel Croza (who seemingly did spend much of her early childhood moving with her family from one dam building project to another), my family was thankfully NOT constantly on the move when my siblings and I were children. However and that all having been said, Croza's I Know Here still does and very much on a personal and emotional level speak powerful volumes to me (both evocatively and yes also rather painfully and with occasional problematic and sad memories). For when I was ten years old, in 1976, my family immigrated to Canada from Germany, and I most certainly very much felt that same sense of displacement, of not wanting such huge and permanent changes, of knowing Germany and not at all knowing any part of Canada (or how to speak English), basically having very much the same emotions that the young girl, that the young narrator experiences and presents in I Know Here (including the little girl feeling at best a bit annoyed and frustrated that the rest of the family is seemingly just happily excited about moving, about relocating and that therefore no one of her nearest and dearest are really all that willing or even all that able to understand and commiserate with regard to her trepidations and fears regarding their upcoming move from Saskatchewan to Toronto).
Three stars for I Know Here and on a textual level highly recommended (but sadly, I cannot really consider more than a three star ranking tops, as while I do on an emotional and personal level totally and utterly love love love Laurel Croza's narrative, her heartfelt and for me oh so much relatable words, I just do not all that much aesthetically enjoy Matt James' accompanying illustrations, finding his pictorial renderings much too darkly hued and especially the manner in which he has rendered his human figures, too annoyingly and frustratingly cartoony, if not even rather caricature-like).
Three stars for I Know Here and on a textual level highly recommended (but sadly, I cannot really consider more than a three star ranking tops, as while I do on an emotional and personal level totally and utterly love love love Laurel Croza's narrative, her heartfelt and for me oh so much relatable words, I just do not all that much aesthetically enjoy Matt James' accompanying illustrations, finding his pictorial renderings much too darkly hued and especially the manner in which he has rendered his human figures, too annoyingly and frustratingly cartoony, if not even rather caricature-like).
November 19, 2018
I really appreciated the heart behind this story. It was especially meaningful to me as I have recently moved from the state that was my life-long home and I certainly empathize with the idea of "I know here" vs. the great unknown.
Unfortunately, I found the illustration style not only unappealing but quite jarring and it marred my enjoyment of the book as a whole. This is just personal taste and I can see others giving a higher rating to this book if they enjoy the style of artwork.
Unfortunately, I found the illustration style not only unappealing but quite jarring and it marred my enjoyment of the book as a whole. This is just personal taste and I can see others giving a higher rating to this book if they enjoy the style of artwork.
July 7, 2019
Recommended in The Horn Book Magazine, which also chose it as the 2010 Boston Globe–Horn Book Award-winner, in the Picture-Book category, Canadian author Laurel Croza's debut title, I Know Here, the poignant story of a girl who has just learned that her family will be moving from rural Saskatchewan to urban Toronto, has specific geographic roots, but far more wide-spread significance and meaning. Many young readers will identify with the narrator's dismay - "This is where I live, she states, going on to describe her world, and the many magical experiences she has had in it - and with her firm statement: "I don't know Toronto. I know here."
It didn't surprise me to learn that this story is based upon the author's own childhood experiences, as Croza is very successful in evoking a young person's sense of connection to her home, the multitude of ways in which the reality of that home - the smell of fox fur, the sight of the trailers lined up by the road - are experienced. Matt James' accompanying illustrations, done in acrylic paint and India ink, are well suited to the narrative, with a magically surreal quality that lends itself to that feeling of enchantment, that very strong, almost mystical pull of home, that is found throughout. It is to both author and artist's credit that, having been so successful in evoking that home-magic, they also convince the reader that the narrator will survive the coming separation, and take that magic with her.
All in all, this was a strong debut, and more than enough to convince me to give any subsequent Croza titles a try.
It didn't surprise me to learn that this story is based upon the author's own childhood experiences, as Croza is very successful in evoking a young person's sense of connection to her home, the multitude of ways in which the reality of that home - the smell of fox fur, the sight of the trailers lined up by the road - are experienced. Matt James' accompanying illustrations, done in acrylic paint and India ink, are well suited to the narrative, with a magically surreal quality that lends itself to that feeling of enchantment, that very strong, almost mystical pull of home, that is found throughout. It is to both author and artist's credit that, having been so successful in evoking that home-magic, they also convince the reader that the narrator will survive the coming separation, and take that magic with her.
All in all, this was a strong debut, and more than enough to convince me to give any subsequent Croza titles a try.
June 9, 2010
The little girl in this story lives in a remote area of Saskatchewan where her father is helping to build a dam. She lives in a trailer among a group of trailers. There are woods to play in, a creek to catch frogs, and lots of animals. But now her family is moving to Toronto. Her teacher in their one-room school suggests that the children draw pictures to remind them of this place. So the girl decides that she will draw a picture of her beloved home and all that surrounds it so that she can carry it with them to her new home, safe in her pocket.
Croza’s words are understated and so allow us to really feel the emotion coming through them. She has captured the emotions with skill and grace, not overwhelming them, but allowing them to stand on their own. So many children have either moved or are about to move that this book will find a welcome audience and even better will offer children a way to deal with their emotions and what they miss or will miss.
James’ illustrations are wild at times with a giant, alien frog on one. They have intriguing perspectives and through the deep color also help reveal the emotions of the text. They are imaginative and fantastical, capturing a world of wonder for the reader in their paint.
Few picture books have ever moved me to tears. This is one of them. There was such a bittersweet tone at the end that I responded from the gut. Beautiful. Appropriate for ages 4-7.
Croza’s words are understated and so allow us to really feel the emotion coming through them. She has captured the emotions with skill and grace, not overwhelming them, but allowing them to stand on their own. So many children have either moved or are about to move that this book will find a welcome audience and even better will offer children a way to deal with their emotions and what they miss or will miss.
James’ illustrations are wild at times with a giant, alien frog on one. They have intriguing perspectives and through the deep color also help reveal the emotions of the text. They are imaginative and fantastical, capturing a world of wonder for the reader in their paint.
Few picture books have ever moved me to tears. This is one of them. There was such a bittersweet tone at the end that I responded from the gut. Beautiful. Appropriate for ages 4-7.
October 10, 2018
I liked this because it told a different story, a point of view I hadn't really read before. I liked the illustrations, but didn't really love them.
It isn't really a standout in anything other than the very different life it talks about- a child living in a camp of workers building a dam in Saskatchewan, Canada.
I don't know how much kids would like it, my daughter only found it mildly interesting and that was mostly because her dad is from Canada.
It isn't really a standout in anything other than the very different life it talks about- a child living in a camp of workers building a dam in Saskatchewan, Canada.
I don't know how much kids would like it, my daughter only found it mildly interesting and that was mostly because her dad is from Canada.
November 19, 2011
This beautifully painted story has won several awards, and I can see why adults like it. It's got a nostalgic feel, and the emotions are palpable. However, there's one moment in the book that doesn't ring true to me: the third grader asks if people have "seen what I've seen." This little girl is sad to be leaving her teeny town and moving to the big city, and I get her sadness. Unfortunately, I think the author used that particular phrase to move the story in a particular direction (and a fine one, at that), but it doesn't sound like something a child would say - especially a child in an elementary school of eight students. Wouldn't she say something more like "will I make any friends?" or "will people like me?" or "can I still fly in a plane?" It was a pretty glaring moment in the story for me, so it distracted me from liking it more, especially because the beginning was great. I really liked the details of what it's like to live in an extremely remote area.
December 27, 2015
4.5
Este libro lo encontré merodeando en la biblioteca de la universidad y es que por favor como no llama la atención que la portada y el libro contiene ilustraciones digitalizadas de originales pintados (no se si soy clara) pero se aprecia mucho en el formato donde se ven los trazos. Esta foto a continuación con las fotos de las tapas internas del libro. Se aprecia el mapa de Canadá. ¿De qué se trata la historia?
Una niña vive en Nipawin, una población rural en la que su padre construye un embalse. Pero su mundo va a cambiar cuando se le dice que cuando su padre haya terminado su trabajo, deberán mudarse a Toronto, donde está la estrella roja. Ella no quiere hacerlo, y este libro es cómo ella quiere recordar su vida en Saskatchewan.
Reseña completa: http://rapsodia-literaria.blogspot.co...
Este libro lo encontré merodeando en la biblioteca de la universidad y es que por favor como no llama la atención que la portada y el libro contiene ilustraciones digitalizadas de originales pintados (no se si soy clara) pero se aprecia mucho en el formato donde se ven los trazos. Esta foto a continuación con las fotos de las tapas internas del libro. Se aprecia el mapa de Canadá. ¿De qué se trata la historia?
Una niña vive en Nipawin, una población rural en la que su padre construye un embalse. Pero su mundo va a cambiar cuando se le dice que cuando su padre haya terminado su trabajo, deberán mudarse a Toronto, donde está la estrella roja. Ella no quiere hacerlo, y este libro es cómo ella quiere recordar su vida en Saskatchewan.
Reseña completa: http://rapsodia-literaria.blogspot.co...
February 23, 2016
I read hundreds of picture books a year, and post a handfull on this site, those that are either so good that I don't want you to miss sharing them with the child in your life, or those that have themes that are ageless and are truly for all ages.
I Know Here is both hopeful and heart breaking. A little girl whose father has worked on dam construction in remote northeastern Saskatchewan all the years she can remember prepares to move to Toronto with her family. On one page it shows her standing on a hilltop near her wilderness home, and across a chasm is a picture of what she imagines Toronto to look like. She says, "This is where I live. I don't know Toronto. I know here." She comes up with a creative way of taking memories with her, but my heart ached for what such a child, raised in nature and simplicity, would lose in such a transition. It is, simply, a very beautiful book.
I Know Here is both hopeful and heart breaking. A little girl whose father has worked on dam construction in remote northeastern Saskatchewan all the years she can remember prepares to move to Toronto with her family. On one page it shows her standing on a hilltop near her wilderness home, and across a chasm is a picture of what she imagines Toronto to look like. She says, "This is where I live. I don't know Toronto. I know here." She comes up with a creative way of taking memories with her, but my heart ached for what such a child, raised in nature and simplicity, would lose in such a transition. It is, simply, a very beautiful book.
October 2, 2010
(4 1/2) Although the setting of this book (living in a trailer and attending a one room-trailer school in Rural Saskatchewan) will be unfamiliar to most young readers the feelings the narrator faces when she finds out she will be moving to somewhere far away (Toronto) are familiar. The narrator doesn't know Toronto--she's afraid the kids there won't know the things she knows. She decides to try to draw everything she knows and will miss about "here" and I particularly loved the image of her folding the sights and sounds and feelings up into a giant piece of paper she can take with her when she moves. The illustrations are a bit rustic and child-like, and capture the mood and feeling of the book well. ~s
November 8, 2018
I last read this in 2013, so I didn't remember that it was set in Canada. It was a little different as far as moving house stories go. I did like the story and text, but like Gundula, I did not at all like the acrylic and India ink paintings. People and animals looked very distorted to me, especially the frog on the lily pad shooting out its tongue to catch a fly. And the people looked kind of ugly. The teacher's suggestion that the girl draw a picture to take with her to remember her present home was brilliant.
September 18, 2010
A strange, unintentionally(?) haunting picture book examining the life of a girl in northern Canada as she and her family prepare to move to the big city, namely Toronto. The illustrations are from unique perspectives, heavily drawn, and not especially to my liking. I felt like there was a background needed to understand the unusual, stark setting before fully comprehending what this young girl is leaving. Not a terribly successful title.
August 12, 2011
This will appeal to children and students who live in rural and/or rustic places or those who have recently moved from a place very different than their current home. It is the story of a girl remembering and saying goodbye to the wilds of northeastern Saskatchewan (western Canada) as her family prepares to move east to the big city of Toronto.
Winner of the 2010 Boston Globe-Horn Book Best Picture Book Award
Winner of the 2010 Boston Globe-Horn Book Best Picture Book Award
November 25, 2018
I would prefer a different art style for the pictures, but I don't object to them as strongly as I do to, say, Chris Raschka's. They fit, imo.
The theme has, of course, been told before in so many books... but in how many of those have we learned so much about rural Saskatchewan? For that reason, I really enjoyed and do recommend this book to families and educators.
The theme has, of course, been told before in so many books... but in how many of those have we learned so much about rural Saskatchewan? For that reason, I really enjoyed and do recommend this book to families and educators.
February 7, 2018
It can be hard to have to move. This story expressed the emotions well.
November 11, 2021
This book depicts a very important message from both a rural perspective and a poverty perspective. The family lives in a trailer and it is clear the family moves quite often. The child in the story makes sure the reader knows what life is like in a small rural community. My favorite part was the description of where students attend school. The village where the family lives is very small and the family intends to move to a bigger city. This message is similar to several books about rural communities. Many rural books depict the characters eager and excited to move to a bigger place. Although this book discusses the subject in a way that shows this is something the family must do to continue working, not necessarily because the family wants to leave.
In many rural communities the people living within the community are happy and comfortable with living their lives the way they see fit. Similar to other rural/poverty themed books, this book evokes a sad connotation when describing the city. The child likes the comfortable life they live and isn't quite sure what the city offers. The city is not viewed as evil or dangerous just different and new.
Being a teacher in a rural community was a wonderful experience for me, the students and families demonstrated extreme care for their community. However, my experience was not necessarily only positive. The downside to teaching in a small rural community was seeing the view that some have about accepting "outsiders." I suppose this is why it is important to include all voices in the telling of rural stories.
In many rural communities the people living within the community are happy and comfortable with living their lives the way they see fit. Similar to other rural/poverty themed books, this book evokes a sad connotation when describing the city. The child likes the comfortable life they live and isn't quite sure what the city offers. The city is not viewed as evil or dangerous just different and new.
Being a teacher in a rural community was a wonderful experience for me, the students and families demonstrated extreme care for their community. However, my experience was not necessarily only positive. The downside to teaching in a small rural community was seeing the view that some have about accepting "outsiders." I suppose this is why it is important to include all voices in the telling of rural stories.
April 2, 2019
I know Here, is a story told in first person by a small girl that will be moving to Toronto Canada at the end of Summer because her dad is finishing building a dam nearby. Her whole life has been spent in this same small town, where she lives in a trailer park and explores her backyard. She plays, and does many outdoor activities all the time to stay busy. But then she gets thinking about the move and wonders if life in Toronto will be similar; she's never been to a big city and doesn't know what to expect. Her sweet teacher encourages her to draw what she knows and likes about her home town so she doesn't forget.
In the images this young girl draws all the activities she likes to do and what her family does too; fly a plane, play with frogs, and even mentions she sees mouse. I really appreciated the artistic effort that went into this story. It is very thoughtful and all around beautiful work. Acrylic paint can be difficult to use but the illustrator goes with the flow in the artwork making every line and color choice seemingly beautiful. I would recommend this book to any young children that might be moving, or is curious about what else the world has to offer and explore.
In the images this young girl draws all the activities she likes to do and what her family does too; fly a plane, play with frogs, and even mentions she sees mouse. I really appreciated the artistic effort that went into this story. It is very thoughtful and all around beautiful work. Acrylic paint can be difficult to use but the illustrator goes with the flow in the artwork making every line and color choice seemingly beautiful. I would recommend this book to any young children that might be moving, or is curious about what else the world has to offer and explore.
May 10, 2019
When my family first read this book, my husband read it to my son and I just listened from the other room. My son seemed to enjoy it, and I was weepy by the end. But when I went to read it to him myself, the illustrations took me a bit by surprise. On an artistic level, I appreciate that they're almost childlike in nature, which ties in with the story. But as a parent reading the book to a young child, they're enough on the abstract side that I'm not sure how much he's getting from them (and they don't appeal to me at all). That said, I think it's an important read — it's a familiar story for many Canadian families, though not ours, and I want my child to know that there are other perspectives and other experiences besides his own.
January 4, 2023
The illustrations are impactful, but whether it is positive or negative I'm not sure. The "frog" will haunt me.
The story itself doesn't go the way I had anticipated, but in some ways it is better. I liked how it was a collection of memories and things that give places meaning. However, the book does not show any ways the children are being prepared or supported for this major change in their lives other than encouraging them to each create a picture to take with them.
Could be used in outdoor ed to reflect or discuss about what makes spaces/places special to each of us. Not so useful for supporting children through big changes.
The story itself doesn't go the way I had anticipated, but in some ways it is better. I liked how it was a collection of memories and things that give places meaning. However, the book does not show any ways the children are being prepared or supported for this major change in their lives other than encouraging them to each create a picture to take with them.
Could be used in outdoor ed to reflect or discuss about what makes spaces/places special to each of us. Not so useful for supporting children through big changes.
February 22, 2018
Touching, richly illustrated story about a girl who begins to categorize all the things she knows and loves about her home in Saskatchewan after she learns her family will soon be moving to Toronto now that the dam her father was helping to build has been completed. This one is rare in that it features a working class family in a rural setting, as well as in that it is only the third book I've seen that positively portrays a a character who lives in a trailer.
May 25, 2018
A little girl and her family live in northeastern Saskatchewan, Canada, where her father is working on the construction of a dam that will make electricity. Soon they'll be moving to Toronto, in Ontario, and she worries about leaving behind the things she knows. This is a good story for children whose families move to other places and start over.
January 31, 2019
If you are from a small town in SK or any small town and had to move to the big old city, a lot of this book you can relate to. Knowing everyone, how many students are in a class, how the town works like clockwork, seeing nature up close, and if you grew up with Sundays being the best night on TV (CBC The Wonderful World of Disney), then this book will melt your heart.
October 20, 2018
Lots of energy and imagination.
Read
April 8, 2020Beautiful children's book with a message about what "home" means.
November 3, 2020
I really enjoyed this book. Very Canadian and I especially loved the illustrations.
March 14, 2022
Did not enjoy the illustration style
October 10, 2023
2011 EJK Award Winner for Writing
November 13, 2024
4.8 stars
February 9, 2020
We read this over two sessions and Dayona really opened up while reading it. It prompted her to talk about what her life was like in Honduras before coming to the US.
February 7, 2012
Reviewed by Senta Ross
The dam her father is constructing nears completion. A little girl and her family, now living in a trailer in the wilderness of north-eastern Saskatchewan, are about to move to
Toronto. Just about everything that is familiar to her is about to change. “This is where I live. I don’t know Toronto. I know here,” she thinks. She then reflects on all the things she will leave behind when the relocation occurs to the big city: the road she walks on to get to school, the forest where she plays hide-and-seek, the smell of a fox’s damp fur, her tobbogganing hill, the howling sounds of a wolf at night, her school. The girl asks, “Have people in Toronto seen what I’ve seen?” With her teacher’s encouragement, she finds a way to take just about everything she loves about her home with her.
Author Laurel Croza has written a poignant story told from the perspective of a young girl whose whole way of life is about to change. One is moved by the sense of loss this girl feels as she contemplates a future bereft of the natural world she holds dear. This child may be young in years, but she is wise and so knows the strange dimensions of sorrow. This is beautiful and well crafted writing where simple words reach deeply into a reader’s soul.
Illustrator Matt James sees the protagonist’s world through her eyes. His energetic and vibrant acrylic artwork is childlike and connects beautifully with the text. As with the writing, the pictures evoke a tremendous sense of place.
Which reader would not be touched by the story’s conclusion as the girl decides to sketch her world to take to Toronto? “I will fold up the howl of the wolf and the smell of the fox in his cage and the stare of the old moose and the feel of my heart beating fast as I swooped over my road in a five-seater airplane. I will fold my drawing up small, put it safe in my pocket and I will take my road with me. To Toronto. In the summer. This is what I know. Here.”
The dam her father is constructing nears completion. A little girl and her family, now living in a trailer in the wilderness of north-eastern Saskatchewan, are about to move to
Toronto. Just about everything that is familiar to her is about to change. “This is where I live. I don’t know Toronto. I know here,” she thinks. She then reflects on all the things she will leave behind when the relocation occurs to the big city: the road she walks on to get to school, the forest where she plays hide-and-seek, the smell of a fox’s damp fur, her tobbogganing hill, the howling sounds of a wolf at night, her school. The girl asks, “Have people in Toronto seen what I’ve seen?” With her teacher’s encouragement, she finds a way to take just about everything she loves about her home with her.
Author Laurel Croza has written a poignant story told from the perspective of a young girl whose whole way of life is about to change. One is moved by the sense of loss this girl feels as she contemplates a future bereft of the natural world she holds dear. This child may be young in years, but she is wise and so knows the strange dimensions of sorrow. This is beautiful and well crafted writing where simple words reach deeply into a reader’s soul.
Illustrator Matt James sees the protagonist’s world through her eyes. His energetic and vibrant acrylic artwork is childlike and connects beautifully with the text. As with the writing, the pictures evoke a tremendous sense of place.
Which reader would not be touched by the story’s conclusion as the girl decides to sketch her world to take to Toronto? “I will fold up the howl of the wolf and the smell of the fox in his cage and the stare of the old moose and the feel of my heart beating fast as I swooped over my road in a five-seater airplane. I will fold my drawing up small, put it safe in my pocket and I will take my road with me. To Toronto. In the summer. This is what I know. Here.”
October 14, 2010
The little girl in this story lives in a trailer near a forest where her father is building a dam. Everything in her world is familiar & precious to her. But the dam is nearly finished & the family is moving to the city, which the little girl knows only as a place marked by a big red star on the map at school. Have the city people seen what I have seen, she wonders? The teacher suggests that she draw something that she wants to remember to take away with her when she leaves, & the little girl decides to draw what she knows — her road and everything her world contains — so that she can keep it with her always. (Goodreads Summary)
I Know Here by Laurel Croza and illustrated by Matt James is a simple but evocative story about a young Canadian girl faced with moving away from all she knows. The emotions are sinply and effectively presented. A sensitive teacher suggests a way to both take memories with you and to show others what her life in rural Saskatchewan was like as she moves to Toronto.
The illustrations are a highlight as done by Matt James in acrylic and India ink on panel. The imaginative, childlike paintings captivate, and describe and extend the text. They have a rustic feel and match the story well.
Growing up in a rural but less forested area, I connect with the feelings and images show here. The combination of story and illustrations is truly beautiful and captures an area inimately. For ages 4 to 7.
I Know Here by Laurel Croza and illustrated by Matt James is a simple but evocative story about a young Canadian girl faced with moving away from all she knows. The emotions are sinply and effectively presented. A sensitive teacher suggests a way to both take memories with you and to show others what her life in rural Saskatchewan was like as she moves to Toronto.
The illustrations are a highlight as done by Matt James in acrylic and India ink on panel. The imaginative, childlike paintings captivate, and describe and extend the text. They have a rustic feel and match the story well.
Growing up in a rural but less forested area, I connect with the feelings and images show here. The combination of story and illustrations is truly beautiful and captures an area inimately. For ages 4 to 7.
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