A Hundred Thousand Welcomes

by Mary Lee Donovan, Lian Cho (Illustrator)

Overview

Welcome, come in! You are invited to travel to homes around the world in this beautifully illustrated picture book about hospitality and acceptance, which features the word "welcome" from more than fourteen languages. Fans of Here We Are and The Wonderful Things You Will Be will enjoy this timeless story about family, friendship, empathy, and welcoming others.

Welcome, friend. Welcome.

There are almost as many ways of making someone feel welcome as there are people on our planet. To welcome another is to give that person and yourself a chance at a new connection, a new friendship, and maybe even new eyes through which to view the world.

Journey around the globe as A Hundred Thousand Welcomes introduces the word for “welcome” in fourteen languages to illuminate a universal message of hope and acceptance. Mary Lee Donovan’s spare text is brought to life by Lian Cho’s boisterous, richly detailed illustrations.

Includes a pronunciation guide, a note from the artist, a note from the author, and information about the languages featured in the book.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062877727
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	10/12/2021
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	280,466
Product dimensions:	10.20(w) x 11.10(h) x 0.40(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Mary Lee Donovan received her MA in children's literature at the Center for the Study of Children's Literature, Simmons College. In addition to being a writer, she is one of the founding directors of the Kindling Words retreat for children's book professionals and an editorial director at Candlewick Press. Mary Lee Donovan lives in Littleton, Massachusetts.

Lian Cho is the author and illustrator of many goofy books. She was born in Taiwan and spent a large part of her childhood in New Zealand. Lian now works out of her Brooklyn studio, where she spends her days covered in paints and drinking far too much tea. In her spare time, she likes to make funny comics and bake copious amounts of banana bread. 

Editorial Reviews

11/01/2021

“Tell me your stories, sing me your songs./ Life has more flavor since you came along.” Donovan and Cho celebrate cultural diversity with this tribute to unity, which explores the different ways people around the world say “welcome.” Including salutations in Lakota Sioux, Gaelic, Hindi, Indonesian, Urdu, and many others, the lyrical text emphasizes meeting friends, family, and strangers alike with kindness and generosity. Cho’s watercolor and colored pencil artwork features bright paintings of people of varying abilities, ages, cultures, religions, and skin tones, greeting each other and sharing food. The warm, friendly scenes range from a blonde, light-skinned child beckoning from an inviting sukkah to a Shiba Inu and East Asian–cued family waving atop the balcony of a small house in urban Japan. This openhearted picture book comes to a satisfying close with a blessing and a jubilant spread of the book’s many international families dining together at a page-filling banquet table. Author’s and illustrator’s notes, a note about pronunciation, selected sources, and further reading are also included. Ages 4–8. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly

With so much distrust, anger, and hate in the air, a genuine expression of welcome is just the balm we so desperately need. . . . The belief that each of us matters, regardless of religion, nationality, or race, comes through with sincerity. . . . Céad mile fáilte to this heartfelt message of inclusivity and compassion.” — Kirkus Reviews

“Donovan and Cho celebrate cultural diversity with this tribute to unity, which explores the different ways people around the world say ‘welcome.’ . . . The lyrical text emphasizes meeting friends, family, and strangers alike with kindness and generosity. . . . This openhearted picture book comes to a satisfying close with a blessing and a jubilant spread of the book’s many international families dining together at a page-filling banquet table.” — Publishers Weekly

“The simple act of welcoming friends and neighbors takes the spotlight in this heartening picture book. Donovan's feather-light rhyming couplets trail over and through each watercolor and colored-pencil illustration, her words . . . a gentle incantation. Cho's vibrant illustrations . . . alternate perspectives playfully . . . Inviting scenes are peppered with hand-lettered welcomes in different languages along with a pronunciation guide. . . . An informative, inviting read.” — Horn Book Magazine

From the Publisher

The simple act of welcoming friends and neighbors takes the spotlight in this heartening picture book. Donovan's feather-light rhyming couplets trail over and through each watercolor and colored-pencil illustration, her words . . . a gentle incantation. Cho's vibrant illustrations . . . alternate perspectives playfully . . . Inviting scenes are peppered with hand-lettered welcomes in different languages along with a pronunciation guide. . . . An informative, inviting read.

Horn Book Magazine

2021-07-14
With so much distrust, anger, and hate in the air, a genuine expression of welcome is just the balm we so desperately need.

Whether offered in English or Urdu, Japanese or Lakota Sioux, the sentiment opens doors to friendships unimagined. Shared among family, friends, or strangers around a table of food, no matter how humble, the sense of welcome can build more bridges than political edicts. From celebrating Sukkot to offering shelter from a storm, smiles and greetings level many barriers. “May the road rise to meet you, / and walls fall away.” Donovan’s gentle, multilingual poem, although bumpy at times (“Ahlan wa sahlan. // Bienvenida. // Huānyíng. / I greet you in sunshine / or by light of the moon”), whispers a call to the souls of those in want of comfort. The belief that each of us matters, regardless of religion, nationality, or race, comes through with sincerity. “Tell me your stories, / sing me your songs. / Life has more flavor / since you came along.” Cho’s warm watercolor portrayals of myriad faces from different cultures meld seamlessly with the text, depicting welcoming households all over the globe. The diversity of ages and family configurations adds to the affirmation of life and good cheer. The concluding guide to languages included, including pronunciation and number of speakers, enriches this multicultural experience. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Céad mile fáilte to this heartfelt message of inclusivity and compassion. (introduction, author's note, artist's note, sources, bibliography) (Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews