Starred Review for Kirkus Reviews (Wed Nov 30 00:00:00 CST 2022)

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. (Picture book. 5-8)

Horn Book (Fri Jan 13 00:00:00 CST 2023)

Each day starts with the sun.

Kirkus Reviews (Fri Oct 04 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

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. (Picture book. 5-8)

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

At night, Fogliano (My Best Friend) observes in incantatory lines, the bustle of the world grows quiet enough to reveal the hearts of the world’s people, “beating in the darkness/ strong and steady and sure.” In this moment, nothing is asked of anyone; it is enough that “we are here/ and alive.../ the same, but exactly different.” The lead-up to that idea forms the bulk of this contemplative picture book, which initially immerses readers in the cares of a day. It begins on a golden morning (“Each day starts with the sun, and hopefully something to eat”), captured by Chien (The Longest Letsgoboy) in soft pastel and colored pencil shapes, then spins a variously diverse cast through “work/ or play/ or work AND play.” When a turn toward night brings readers to the story’s central passage (“and for a little while there/ we are all just hearts”), illustrations signal its importance with spreads whose swirling, floating forms evoke freedom and light. A coda acknowledging the power of daytime concerns to distract humans from their essential value sustains the sense of inner reflection, and a lulling voice and shining, jewel-toned spreads have the power to enchant. Ages 4–8. Agent (for Fogliano and Chien): Steven Malk, Writers House. (Jan.)