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PRESCHOOL
Erskine, Kathryn

All of Us

32 pp. | Philomel | May, 2021 | Trade ISBN 978-0-593-20469-6 $17.99 | Ebook ISBN 978-0-593-20471-9 $10.99
(2) PS A girl sitting on a swing hanging from a tree is surprised by a boy who pops down out of the foliage, offering a blue balloon. They join up with another girl, and the three run down a hill, where they see two additional children across a body of water. A page-turn reveals all of them together, playing a hopscotch game where each square represents a different continent, launching an extended fantastical journey that traverses the world, evoking sights, sounds, and smells that span oceans and continents. Despite differences, "we all belong" and "we all live here" on the same planet. Boiger's digitally colored pencil illustrations display specific geographic and architectural marvels (such as the distinctive Greek islands), while others combine architectural styles (including an expansive double-page spread in which domes and minarets mix with pagodas and pyramids). The embrace of diversity is conveyed through the illustrations, which yoke far-flung places and disparate alphabets, prayer styles, and cultures in ways that make them seem harmonious and closer together. Erskine's spare prose lends a light touch in emphasizing the importance of building community: "Me...can be we. You...can come, too...It's all of us." This celebration of global interconnectedness and acceptance of racial, religious, and other differences is a much-needed affirmation of a community that welcomes all with open arms.
Reviewer: Julie Hakim Azzam | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2021

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