We Are One: How the World Adds Up

Combining rhyming lines with context beneath, this counting picture book offers a summation of things that exist in the world. “One can be one thing/ all on its own—one star,/ one stream,/ one stick,/ one stone,” Hood begins. Text along the bottom of the page reads, “The idea that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts is often credited to Aristotle, an ancient Greek philosopher.” The book proceeds to detail all manner of things in numbers from one to 10—three-lined haiku, five-act plays, six-sided snowflakes. Textural digital illustrations by Yan follow a peach-skinned figure in a yellow outfit through the pages, which feature an anthropomorphic cast of animals. The scope is somewhat overwhelming, lacking in unified subject matter, but trivia-minded children will surely find tidbits to enjoy. Back matter includes sources and resources and “some other things that come in groups.” Ages 3–7. [em](Sept.) [/em]