All of Us

Berger’s (Good Night! Good Night!) story is really an anthem, with a text that may remind some readers of “Bridge Over Troubled Water.” “When your heart is heavy and your step unsure,” she writes, “Know that I am here, as steady as stone.” But this isn’t just one-to-one encouragement: Berger goes on to imagine a global community where “we are stronger together” and “love wins.” Each line gets its own posterlike treatment, with newsprint and a variety of ornate paper accents showcasing Berger’s considerable skill as a collagist. A few pictures don’t rise above the sentiment of the prose and utilize more generic motifs: one image shows multicultural, hand-holding characters literally encircling the earth. But many illustrations are striking and poignant, combining realistic, fantastical, and metaphorical elements. The image paired with “steady as a stone” shows a hand and sleeve cut from the pages of vintage business correspondence; nestled in the hand is an oval shape. Its dimensionality conveyed through blue-gray gradient surface, it exudes an almost magical calm. Ages 4–8. [em](May) [/em]