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.

October 1, 2023

PreS-Gr 1-Children volunteer in their urban neighborhood to create a community garden, make donations of books and food, and empathize with others' needs. The repetitive rhyming text directs readers to "lend a hand" by working together to do good deeds, a sentiment emphasized in the refrain: "Get together. Lend a hand. Can we do it? Yes, we can!" The illustrations depict kids of various colors, shapes, abilities, and cultural backgrounds, all with rosy cheeks and cheerful smiles, engaged in simple acts of helping and kindness. VERDICT Humming with sweetness and color, this is a lovely encouragement to new readers to make one's life matter in small but important ways.-Rachel Owens

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