ALL THE BEATING HEARTS

A paean to humanity.

A diverse group of people appear in these soft and swirling pastel and colored pencil illustrations as readers are urged to remember that “each beat” of our hearts is “a reminder / that we are here / and alive / together but apart / the same, but exactly different.” Told in deceptively simple but deeply meaningful verse, the book is structured around a day, with characters getting up with the sun and going to sleep with the moon; in between are insightful musings about life and the things that unite us. Amid settings such as playgrounds and bodies of water, readers see people in crowds and alone—and sometimes lonely. Parent-child love is beautifully conveyed. One double-page spread depicts a tan-skinned child growing from infancy to childhood to adulthood as a darker-skinned parent observes; then, the child becomes the caregiver as the parent ages and grows weaker: “and some days we will curl up / and wish to be / any / other / place.” On another spread, a parent lovingly embraces a child (both brown-skinned) after the little one has emerged from a somber crowd; the artwork eventually turns more colorful over several pages, bringing home the message that “nothing / needs to be heard / except for our beating hearts // strong and steady and sure.” This compelling picture book packs an emotional punch and will help little ones foster positive attitudes about themselves and others. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Captivating words and pictures present the primacy of personal interactions.