Staying connected to one’s heritage can be challenging for third culture kids, especially when their place in the diaspora feels so far removed from its roots. For instance, in My Heart Speaks Kriolu by Stefanie Foster Brown, illustrated by Keisha Morris, the protagonist would love to feel more connected to her Cabo Verdean heritage. However, not only has she never set foot on the faraway island of her ancestors, but she also struggles to grasp the native language of Kriolu.

Still, she eagerly spends each Saturday afternoon with her grandfather, helping him run his errands and picking up snippets of the language as he chats with fellow Cabo Verdeans in their snowy Massachusetts town. And through the sights, smells, tastes, and sounds of this small community—and the love she shares with her Papa—the girl feels her heart speaking Kriolu.

I absolutely loved this book; I was not familiar with Kriolu or much Cabo Verdean culture beforehand, and it was amazing to learn about it. The book also offers a lot of universal themes of family and community, and is something that any reader who yearns to better understand their ancestral culture can empathize with.

Thanks so much to Denene Millner Books and SimonKIDS for sending us a copy of this one!