WE ARE MANY

A pile of people is about to topple.

It all starts with one ball. Children in the park chase it and end up in a giggly heap. Adults hear their laughter and run to join in the fun. What appears to be an absurd counting book at first (“A pair of tourists jumped from a hot-air / balloon, and the pile grew by two. / A string quartet hopped on, / and the pile grew by four”) takes a deeper, sociological turn as the pile becomes unwieldy, and those stuck in the middle or at the bottom feel frustrated. The pile becomes as large as a mountain (confirmed by the mountain climber who climbs up to the top). Everyone cheers: They created a mountain—together! But then the mountain begins to fall, and two piles are formed. Should they form one big pile or stay as two? As some people leave one pile for another, one pile ends up bigger. Some people prefer the smaller pile; it is safer. The kids chastise the adults for ruining their fun; they want to go back to simply chasing the ball. Their renewed game results in a new pile, which in turn, creates many more. The rushed ending seems off for the heavy lifting required to fully understand this complex commentary on group dynamics, but it is definitely food for thought. Busy cartoon artwork depicts a diverse crowd of children and adults. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A bizarre yet intriguing look at human behavior.