We Belong

From its opening "Welcome!" this buoyant picture book promotes a hopeful vision of unity and camaraderie. Salas's easy rhymes partner with Vélez Aguilera's vibrant digital and colored pencil art, urging acceptance--of people with varying personalities (introvert and extrovert), skin tones ("We all wear our skin just like trees wear their bark"), and gender identities as well as people from various locations ("Did you drive along highways? Trek across sand?"). Action-oriented city scenes overall emphasize inclusion--showing people of varying abilities, body types, and religions watching fireworks, playing basketball, flying kites, dancing, drawing, and more--but occasionally veer into stereotype (the sole tall Black figure is portrayed as good at basketball). Nuggets of practical wisdom appear throughout ("Sometimes we'd like to make sadness extinct, / but teardrops and smiles are joined--they are linked"), supporting the book's open-armed embrace of planetary togetherness and diversity in the human experience. Ages 4-8. (Mar.)

"Using swingy, upbeat verse, this picture book celebrates diversity and inclusion of all kinds. Whether you are loud or quiet, tall or short, happy or sad; no matter your disability, skin color, or sexuality; every person on Earth belongs here. Follow your heart and choose who you are. Learn from others, as they all have a lot to teach us. Be the one to welcome a newcomer. The text covers a wide range of topics, some of which may be a bit abstract for the intended audience, such as pointing out that our differences don't matter when mountains and the sky are so much bigger, or that feelings help us to connect with one another. Cheery colored pencil and digital media illustrations show children of many races and abilities interacting in an urban setting. The pictures are alive with texture, vibrant color, and companionable activity. Teachers and guidance counselors may find this a useful prompt for conversation about not just accepting differences, but embracing them. Jan Aldrich Solow, Elementary School Librarian, Retired, Kingston, New York Recommended" —School Library Connection