All the Beating Hearts

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. (Jan.)