We Are One

“You and me/ and all around us.../ All that we see,/ touch,/ hear...// we are one.”Azúa Kramer offers up word pairs—seashell and wave, spark and idea—that provide creative metaphors of partnership in this idyllic picture of oneness through camaraderie. “If you’re harmony, I’m a chorus./ Together we sing,” reads one spread as individuals cross a bustling city street. “If you’re a star, I’m a moon.// Together we dream,” reads another, accompanied by a scene of campfire marshmallow-roasting. Employing smudgy, layered coloring, digital renderings from Figueroa and Mata portray figures of varying skin tones interacting: playing together, helping a child find a lost dog, and converging for a laughter-filled night at a carnival, where sky lanterns are decorated and sent aloft (“Near and far,/ friend and newcomer... we are one”). Ages up to 7. (May)