Sandra Niebuhr-Siebert is an eminent professor, linguist and children's author from Germany. Her career has included speech therapy and teaching at numerous universities, and she currently works at Clara Hoffbauer University, Germany. Sandra is the honorary head of the reading jury for the KIMI seal, for diversity in children's books. Mina Belongs Here is her first picture book, inspired by Sandra's extensive research into multilingualism in childcare and educational settings. She lives in Potsdam, Germany with her two daughters and pets. Lars Baus is an illustrator from Bavaria, Germany. He studied illustration and animation at the Munster Academy of Art. Lars has worked as a graphic designer and a freelance illustrator and is the illustrator of several children's books. He lives with his family in Munster.
Mina is worried about starting a new kindergarten in her new country. The classroom is full of laughter, friendly faces and fun things to do, but the only word Mina can understand is her name. As she listens to stories and songs, chatter and instructions, Mina's understanding steadily grows. She tries out sounds that roar in her throat and tickle her tongue until the new words feel like her own. Then one day, Mina realises that this language now belongs to her, and she belongs to this new world. And she's ready to welcome others in. Mina Belongs Here is a heartfelt and uplifting story of a migrant experience and discovering a sense of belonging through shared words. The expressive and lively illustrations begin in muted monochrome, slowly transforming to vibrant colour as Mina's understanding grows.