It’s been a couple of months since We Belong came out, and I’ve been remiss about sharing a few nice things.
A Kirkus review: “The overarching message that all are equal and belong on this beautiful planet Earth is enhanced by the final observation that when we learn from each other, we grow. Aguilera’s vibrant colored pencil and digital media illustrations depict a variety of racially diverse children making music, flying kites, playing together, and more in various parts of their city, the residents of which include women and girls wearing hijabs, a Jewish man sporting a yarmulke, people using wheelchairs, people with disabilities, and a girl with cancer (not discussed in the text but cued in the artwork). An upbeat, empowering celebration of human diversity. (Picture book. 4-8)” (Complete review here.)
A Publishers Weekly review: “Nuggets of practical wisdom appear throughout (“Sometimes we’d like to make sadness extinct,/ but teardrops and smiles are joined—they are linked”), supporting the book’s open-armed embrace of planetary togetherness and diversity in the human experience. Ages 4–8.” (Complete review here.)
A Lerner interview: An interview with me about the genesis of this book and my own experiences of belonging—or not. “Carol rejected the manuscript, but said, ‘I love, love, love…’” (Complete interview here.)
A Blissfully Bookish interview: An interview about the writing process, plus a favorite writing piece of advice (and something I have to learn over and over). Plus my answer to: “And a bonus question just for kicks! If you could have dinner with any author, dead or alive, who would it be?” (Complete interview here.)
For more resources around this book (including a video intro to it), visit my book page. Thanks!
[My Classroom Connections posts share a way to connect one of my books or poems to a classroom topic–often something timely that you might be covering in the next month or so. Please share this post if you have educator friends who might be interested–thanks!]