All Are Welcome

May 14, 2018
Penfold (Eat, Sleep, Poop) and Kaufman (I Love Monkey) celebrate a school community as a great common ground where families of all kinds connect and share in their children’s educational journey: “No matter how you start your day./ What you wear when you play./ Or if you come from far away./ All are welcome here.” Every child is different—readers get a brief glimpse of children’s lives away from the classroom—but everyone shares a love for story time, recess, creating green slime and volcanoes, and making friends. Though one of Penfold’s rhymes (“We’re part of a community/ Our strength is our diversity./ A shelter from adversity”) sounds more like a protest cheer than a poem, she is a passionate advocate for e pluribus unum throughout the story; the book’s refrain of “All are welcome here” feels both deeply reassuring and almost radical in our polarized time. Kaufman smoothly choreographs her large cast throughout numerous scenes—including a school night potluck, as showcased in a spacious double gatefold—and it’s fun to follow one friendship in particular as it blossoms between two girls. The inside of the book jacket doubles as a poster featuring the entire cast. Ages 4–8. Author’s agent: Susan Ginsburg, Writers House. Illustrator’s agent: Alexandra Penfold, Upstart Crow Literary.

August 1, 2023

PreS-Gr 1-It's the first day of school, and despite the inevitable nerves, everyone is ready to reunite and begin a positive new year. As the sun rises, children all over town are getting dressed, eating breakfast, and finding their way to a new classroom. They settle in with a new teacher, prepared to learn, share, and grow, while welcoming everyone to their supportive educational environment. This early reader is well-suited to its target age group: the narrative appears in rhyming couplets and short phrases that are sometimes presented all together on one page or separated out among several. Thus, the text offers ample white space to encourage fledgling readers to advance with confidence from one page to the next. Within the rhyming sentences are familiar words with occasional challenging vocabulary peppered throughout. Though the pacing of each line is not symmetrical from one page to the next, the narrative flows smoothly for newer readers. Children will enjoy the cheerful and inclusive illustrations that accompany the text, especially as characters with a wide range of skin tones, cultural backgrounds, and abilities are depicted. All are welcome in this classroom, and the visual component is a testament to that fact. VERDICT Approachable and inclusive, this early reader provides just enough of a challenge for young children who are preparing to enter a positive new school year.-Mary Lanni

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