August 2, 2021
An inscribed cherrywood rocking chair becomes a symbol of refuge, comfort, and connection for generations of immigrants in this volume by two children’s book luminaries. The chair is created by Sam, a character based on Wells’s great-great-grandfather, who escapes an unyielding father in Bavaria, becoming a woodworker first in New York and then in Wisconsin. He carves the first three “Welcomes” on the chair: in German, as tribute to employers; in Hebrew, to commemorate his own son’s birth; and in English, because, as Sam’s daughter notes, “We are in America.” As the chair passes from family to family, more languages are added, and more stories unfold; the final welcome is inscribed by a present-day family sponsoring a young refugee of war. If Wells paints America’s historical acceptance of others with an overly broad brush, she makes her vision of the country clear. Pinkney’s elegantly textured watercolor, pencil, and pastel pictures occasionally pull back into historical sweeps, such as a covered wagon moving westward in swirling snow. But mostly he hones in on the intensely personal, capturing moments of emotional complexity and immediacy as new arrivals take the chair into their lives and America into their hearts. Back matter includes creators’ notes. Ages 4–8.
January 1, 2022
Two renowned picture-book creators trace the journey of a wooden rocking chair in this affecting immigration story based in part on Wells's family lore. Wells begins with Sam, her great-great-grandfather. Born in Bavaria, Sam has a gift for carpentry. Discouraged in this pursuit by his rabbi father, he leaves home for New York City, finding work as a bookkeeper for a German family. When that family's son is born, Sam builds a wooden rocking chair with the word willkommen inscribed on the back. To honor the birth of his own son born a few years later, Sam adds the phrase for welcome in Hebrew, later also adding it in English. Next, the chair is a wedding gift for an Irish seamstress, so the word failte, Irish for welcome, is added in brass letters. Then, it providentially lands in the possession of others (two Dominican nuns, a Haitian doctor, and a young Somali girl) who have fled their homelands and found America to be a safe refuge. Each new owner has the word for welcome added in their language, connectingthe families' experiences and creating a powerful narrative thread. The late Pinkney's jewel-hued watercolor, pencil, and pastel illustrations capture this atmosphere of acceptance and warmth, bringing readers even closer into the story. The immigrants' feelings are evident through their body language as they gather with loved ones around the chair, itself beautifully replicated in the art. An author's note further explains Wells's inspiration and provides more historical context; an illustrator's note describes Pinkney's artistic process and influences. Emmie Stuart
(Copyright 2022 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)
Starred review from August 1, 2021
One legendary author/illustrator turns to a family story to celebrate immigration to America; another illustrates it. In 1823, Wells' great-great-grandfather, a talented woodcarver, leaves Bavaria to escape his father's Orthodox Judaism and lands in New York City. While working as a bookkeeper, he fashions a rocking chair with Willkommen carved into its back. Resettling in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, with the chair, he begins a family, carving new words for welcome in both Hebrew and English. The chair then journeys with his daughter back to New York, where F��lte, Irish for welcome, is added when the chair is given to an Irish servant as a wedding gift. Years later, the family story having ended, Wells turns to political turmoil and natural disaster to continue the chair's history. Dominican nuns fleeing the Trujillo dictatorship carve Bienvenido; a Black physician brings home a baby from Haiti after its devastating earthquake and adds Akeyi. To round out the saga, a girl named Amira coming to America from a "distant land destroyed by war" is welcomed by new friends, that same chair, and a newly carved word for welcome in Arabic. Wells clearly states her strong feelings about immigration in her preface, in her author's note, and in this deeply felt generational story of a well-used and well-loved chair. Pinkney's signature artwork forms an inviting accompaniment with its soft lines and muted tones. (This book was reviewed digitally.) Whether stated in one language or many, a resounding welcome to immigrants. (illustrator's note, photograph) (Picture book. 5-10)
COPYRIGHT(2021) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Starred review from September 1, 2021
Grades 1-3 *Starred Review* With vibrant prose and lovely art, Wells and Pinkney offer an eloquent account of the American immigrant experience, centered on a rocking chair. Wells begins with her own great-great-grandfather, Sam, an aspiring woodworker who, rather than becoming a rabbi as his father wants, journeys from Bavaria to New York City in the early 1800s, seeking new opportunities. There, he finds work with a German family, and when their child is born, he makes them a rocking chair, inscribing it with "Willkommen"--German for welcome. Moving to Wisconsin, Sam marries, has children, and engraves welcome in Hebrew, then English on the chair. Eventually, Sam's daughter, Helen--and the chair--return east. From there, the story expands to those of other immigrants--from nuns in the Dominican Republic escaping religious persecution, to a Haitian child finding a new loving home after natural disaster--as Wells creatively imagines the chair becoming part of their lives too. And along the way, each family adds another word for welcome to the chair. While the narrative can be somewhat lengthy, the descriptive, lovely prose and beautifully expressive illustrations in muted tones bring the settings, events, and characters to life, particularly the chair, which becomes a poignant thread connecting the varied families. Overall, a heartfelt, hope-filled portrayal of the many cultures and backgrounds that contribute to America's cultural landscape. Wells' preface and endnotes provide background and context, including real-life story inspirations and strong support for American immigration.
COPYRIGHT(2021) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
January 1, 2022
Two renowned picture-book creators trace the journey of a wooden rocking chair in this affecting immigration story based in part on Wells's family lore. Wells begins with Sam, her great-great-grandfather. Born in Bavaria, Sam has a gift for carpentry. Discouraged in this pursuit by his rabbi father, he leaves home for New York City, finding work as a bookkeeper for a German family. When that family's son is born, Sam builds a wooden rocking chair with the word willkommen inscribed on the back. To honor the birth of his own son born a few years later, Sam adds the phrase for welcome in Hebrew, later also adding it in English. Next, the chair is a wedding gift for an Irish seamstress, so the word failte, Irish for welcome, is added in brass letters. Then, it providentially lands in the possession of others (two Dominican nuns, a Haitian doctor, and a young Somali girl) who have fled their homelands and found America to be a safe refuge. Each new owner has the word for welcome added in their language, connecting the families' experiences and creating a powerful narrative thread. The late Pinkney's jewel-hued watercolor, pencil, and pastel illustrations capture this atmosphere of acceptance and warmth, bringing readers even closer into the story. The immigrants' feelings are evident through their body language as they gather with loved ones around the chair, itself beautifully replicated in the art. An author's note further explains Wells's inspiration and provides more historical context; an illustrator's note describes Pinkney's artistic process and influences.
(Copyright 2022 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)