Dorothy by Jordan Collins. Illus. by Myo Yim

A sense of finding a place to belong pervades this quietly optimistic story of a young girls’ questioning of where home is. Clicking her Doc Marten’s together and asking three times ‘Where is my home?’ she searches for an answer just like Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz. The parallel will not be lost on younger people reading this book, as the film is readily available on streaming services, and this modern version will have an instant appeal.

The disarming story sees the young girl asking questions that relate to her idea of self and where she belongs. She scrolls through the physical, hot or cold, here or there, sea and sand, but she feels like she is one piece of a jigsaw puzzle that simply does not fit. But in all her voyages she has come to see that home is not one thing or one place; home is a warm embrace, or could be a person, a sunset, a constellation of stars. Sometimes it is not the place but the getting there, the space between the departure and arrival, sometimes it is just you, breathing deeply, feeling your ribcage, your beating heart. Dorothy comes to see that home is within her, home is her feeling at one with herself, accepting herself for what she is, accepting that home is where she feels safe and at peace. The need to keep searching is over as she learns to be herself, to accept who she is.

This is a subtle and charming story of self discovery, of acceptance, of realisation, as Dorothy stops questioning and searching, settling to a new sense of self, one she now is at home with.

The soft illustrations gently guide the reader along the path taken by Dorothy in her search for where she belongs. Myo uses a variety of techniques for her other worldly drawings, and I came across a short film made by her at https://www.lonegoatgallery.com/artists/myo-yim/biography

More about Myo Yim can be found at https://myoyim.com/

Jordan Collins hails from Chicago and, with Afro-American and Greek-Australian heritage, found it hard to know where they fitted in when moving to Australia. They came to an understanding that home and a sense of belonging is from within.

An interview with Jordan Collins can be found at https://www.penguin.com.au/qa/3865-jordan-collins-talks-inspiration-behind-new-book-dorothy

I loved the fleeting images of the rainbow, a nod to the old Dorothy, and the wonderful environments illustrated by Myo and was captivated by the dreamy ending, with Dorothy striding out, confident and at home with herself. A wonderful model for all readers.

Themes: Self acceptance, Home, Belonging, Mental health.

Fran Knight