Mary Lee Donovan is a the author of multiple children’s books, as well as the Editorial Director of Candlewick Press in Somerville, Mass. and co-founder of Kindling Words, a retreat for children’s book professionals.

Welcome, come in! You are invited to travel to homes around the world in this beautifully illustrated picture book about hospitality and acceptance, which features the word “welcome” from more than fourteen languages. Fans of Here We Are and The Wonderful Things You Will Bewill enjoy this timeless story about family, friendship, empathy, and welcoming others.

Welcome, friend. Welcome.

There are almost as many ways of making someone feel welcome as there are people on our planet. To welcome another is to give that person and yourself a chance at a new connection, a new friendship, and maybe even new eyes through which to view the world.

Journey around the globe as A Hundred Thousand Welcomes introduces the word for “welcome” in fourteen languages to illuminate a universal message of hope and acceptance. Mary Lee Donovan’s spare text is brought to life by Lian Cho’s boisterous, richly detailed illustrations.

BookSparks is working in conjunction with HarperCollins Children’s Books.