Before I Lived Here

This would be a perfect jumping-off point for a classroom project about local history, but the gorgeous digital and analog artwork elevates it beyond plain fact, making it an equally strong choice for storytime. . . .
Bulletin of the Center for Children s Books (starred review)

Ngai s precisely lined, radiant mixed-media illustrations pull readers into each moment. . . . Complex yet comprehensible and suffused with rich science and social science content, including an excellent glossary, this is an invaluable resource for educators and curious youngsters alike.. . .Jensen s tour through time is a tour de force.
Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

Retro-style artwork from Ngai (Wishes) employs glowing colors, crisp lines, and a mixture of textile-like patterns. Culminating scenes embrace a scratch art technique for a powerfully layered visual of the way the past remains etched on the present.
Publishers Weekly

A powerful springboard for classroom discussions on change, place, and history, this book will have readers reflecting on how land evolves and shapes the lives of its ­ever-changing inhabitants.
School Library Journal

It takes a powerful book to make readers take a closer look at something they take for granted, and Before I Lived Here does just that. . . .The spare text may prompt readers to zip through the pages, but the images require lingering, savoring, and examining for the stories they tell. An important book.
Booklist