Starred review from November 14, 2022
At night, Fogliano (My Best Friend) observes in incantatory lines, the bustle of the world grows quiet enough to reveal the hearts of the world’s people, “beating in the darkness/ strong and steady and sure.” In this moment, nothing is asked of anyone; it is enough that “we are here/ and alive.../ the same, but exactly different.” The lead-up to that idea forms the bulk of this contemplative picture book, which initially immerses readers in the cares of a day. It begins on a golden morning (“Each day starts with the sun, and hopefully something to eat”), captured by Chien (The Longest Letsgoboy) in soft pastel and colored pencil shapes, then spins a variously diverse cast through “work/ or play/ or work AND play.” When a turn toward night brings readers to the story’s central passage (“and for a little while there/ we are all just hearts”), illustrations signal its importance with spreads whose swirling, floating forms evoke freedom and light. A coda acknowledging the power of daytime concerns to distract humans from their essential value sustains the sense of inner reflection, and a lulling voice and shining, jewel-toned spreads have the power to enchant. Ages 4–8. Agent (for Fogliano and Chien): Steven Malk, Writers House.
January 1, 2023
Gr 1-4-With each new day, life presents individuals with a variety of choices, opportunities, and challenges. Even though these daily experiences may look different for everyone, Fogliano, in this quiet ode to the power of connection, reminds readers of the thing that they have in common: a beating heart. Through a range of daily experiences, from eating meals and playing with friends, to experiencing loss and growing up, readers are reminded that they aren't alone. That even when their experiences are different from the person sitting next to them, that each heartbeat is "a reminder that we are here and alive together but apart the same, but exactly different." The poetry here has a natural, gentle rhythm, created by purposeful line breaks and page turns. Use of all lowercase letters and lengthy run-on sentences inform this rhythm as well and create an accessible, childlike feel. Emotive pastel and colored pencil illustrations not only carefully match the time of day and activity, but also the sentiments expressed on each page, whether grief, growth, or loneliness. With a lot to unpack for students, this beautiful reminder that they are not alone is best for one-on-one or smaller group settings. VERDICT Thoughtful poetry and expressive illustrations could make for a meaningful conversation; purchase where message-driven stories are used to amplify SEL lessons.-Louie Lauer
Copyright 2023 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
Starred review from November 15, 2022
A paean to humanity. A diverse group of people appear in these soft and swirling pastel and colored pencil illustrations as readers are urged to remember that "each beat" of our hearts is "a reminder / that we are here / and alive / together but apart / the same, but exactly different." Told in deceptively simple but deeply meaningful verse, the book is structured around a day, with characters getting up with the sun and going to sleep with the moon; in between are insightful musings about life and the things that unite us. Amid settings such as playgrounds and bodies of water, readers see people in crowds and alone--and sometimes lonely. Parent-child love is beautifully conveyed. One double-page spread depicts a tan-skinned child growing from infancy to childhood to adulthood as a darker-skinned parent observes; then, the child becomes the caregiver as the parent ages and grows weaker: "and some days we will curl up / and wish to be / any / other / place." On another spread, a parent lovingly embraces a child (both brown-skinned) after the little one has emerged from a somber crowd; the artwork eventually turns more colorful over several pages, bringing home the message that "nothing / needs to be heard / except for our beating hearts // strong and steady and sure." This compelling picture book packs an emotional punch and will help little ones foster positive attitudes about themselves and others. (This book was reviewed digitally.) Captivating words and pictures present the primacy of personal interactions. (Picture book. 5-8)
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January 1, 2023
"Each day starts with the sun." Fogliano (My Best Friend, rev. 3/20) and Chien (The Bear and the Moon, rev. 11/20) use the cycle of a day as a frame for their meditation on existence. Fogliano's prose is at once straightforward and poetic, talking about the routines that make up our days -- eating, dressing, playing, whiling away time. Chien's impressionistic pastel and colored-pencil illustrations have a soothing fluidity, but their vibrant colors and textures add a bracing note of contrast. A dream sequence in the middle of the book delves deeply ("and for a little while there / we are all just hearts / beating in the darkness / strong and steady and sure"), and the illustrations follow suit, losing form and taking on a more surreal cast for a few pages. While the text occasionally leans toward New Agey affirmations, Fogliano couches her words in everyday experiences children can understand and even acknowledges loss ("and some things / will die"). Chien's illustrations have an inviting childlike quality in their use of color and in the images and backgrounds, preventing the whole from feeling too highfalutin. Similar in scope and tone to Scanlon and Frazee's All the World (rev. 9/09), this book gives kids something to ponder.
(Copyright 2023 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)