All of Us

Erskine’s spare text, relayed in a collective first-person narration, describes how people from all walks of life can come together. “Hearts can unite./ Hands can set free,” one spread reads, portraying a sloop filled with children sailing into a body of water followed by a wake of hearts. “Words can be heard./ We can all be,” the next spread finishes, with the craft sailing through a watery archway of hearts, overlaid with “love” in various languages. Lighthearted pencil art by Boiger shows children of varying abilities, religions, sizes, and skin tones praying, making music, and playing together, while gentle washes render various cities and natural landscapes. While it’s less a cohesive story than a collection of optimistic expressions, this picture book offers an uplifting vision for a unified world. Ages 4–8.[em] (May) [/em]