Our Map by Angie Cui and Novia Heroanto

Our Map is a beautifully written story about a young Australian-born girl called JJ who is fascinated by maps. She loves the way maps show so much about other people’s countries including Bangladesh, where her father was born and China, where her mother comes from. JJ’s school friend Lee is a refugee who cannot find his country on the world map. He struggles with the concept of knowing about where he belongs, so JJ with support from their teacher, decides to create a new map where everybody has a place. The detailed and vibrant illustrations are particularly striking with the endpapers showcasing snapshots of many familiar landmarks and recognisable features of places around the world.

Our Map is a sensitive and thoughtful story that could be the prompt for a discussion about refugees and immigration as well as an introduction to mapping skills. Children in Australian schools come from diverse and varied backgrounds and respecting and understanding these differences are important aspects to belonging and connecting with others. 

A simple yet powerful factual narrative that would be a wonderful addition to all libraries and classrooms.

Teacher Notes: TeachersNotes_OurMap.pdf

Themes: Maps, Cultural Diversity, Home, Creativity, Immigration, Refugees, Belonging.

Kathryn Beilby