No Matter What... We All Belong

Smiles and clear skies abound in this bright board book jubilee of belonging. As children with varying abilities and skin tones play together, upbeat rhymes from Davies communicate a straightforward message of unity: “No matter what the music,/ no matter what our name,/ no matter what our language.../ our smiles are all the same!” In Martín’s friendly, unlined art, inclusive scenes spotlight a game of dress-up in which a brown-skinned child, who wears a bindi and a hearing aid, dives into a costume chest, while a pale-skinned youth layers bunny ears over a hijab. Later, an individual using a prosthetic leg and another wearing a kippah observe fireworks bursting over a skyline that includes the silhouettes of what seem to be a cathedral, mosque, and pagoda, among others. Peek-a-boo die cuts provide visual depth and offer glimpses of a glittery concluding touch-and-feel rainbow—a tangible symbol of the inclusivity celebrated throughout. Ages 2–5. (Jan.)