We're Better Together: A Book About Community

by Eileen Spinelli, Ekaterina Trukhan (Illustrator)

Overview

Through vibrant illustrations and age-appropriate language, this 26-page storybook helps children learn that they, no matter how young, can make a difference in the world. We're Better Together instills in kids the value of compassion, teamwork and community, encouraging them to feel confident in their abilities and their voices.

Showing that we're better together when we play, when we make music and when everyone pitches in, this beautifully illustrated kindness book celebrates people coming together to solve problems, support communities and honor differences. It's perfect for young children ages 2-5 who are learning about empathy and cooperation, and for sparking meaningful conversations at home or in the classroom.

With durable cardstock pages and approachable, kid-friendly language, this book gives fun examples of teamwork with a read-aloud experience that kids will love. Designed with families and educators in mind, this book is crafted by childhood experts to promote strong social and emotional skills and build positive associations with reading.

National Parenting Seal of Approval
Winner, Mom's Choice Award, Gold

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781644723289
Publisher:	Highlights
Publication date:	02/09/2021
Series:	Highlights Books of Kindness
Pages:	26
Sales rank:	266,198
Product dimensions:	9.00(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	2 - 5 Years

About the Author

Eileen Spinelli is a poet and picture book author who has written more than 40 books for children, including Somebody Loves You, Mr. Hatch; The Best Story; and Someday. She enjoys walking with friends on a snowy morning and believes that all days brighten when shared. Eileen lives in Wayne, Pennsylvania.

Ekaterina Trukhan is a Russian illustrator. She graduated from Camberwell College of Arts and has since illustrated children's books. She draws inspiration from everyday life, mid-century illustration, and the books she had when she was a child. Visit her at ekaterinatrukhan.com and goodillustration.com.

Editorial Reviews

A tribute to human kindness, empathy, and mutual support. Useful and jolly.” -Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher

2021-03-02
A tribute to human kindness, empathy, and mutual support.

In double-page spreads on unusually large board-book pages, different scenarios present preschoolers with a variety of ways to demonstrate acting in concert. A White family, including a very large dog, works together to clean up a large kitchen spill. A group of diverse kids helps a White friend who uses a wheelchair find a lost blanket. Two children, one White and one with dark hair and medium-brown skin, help a brown-skinned, hijab-wearing grown-up retrieve toys dropped by a stroller-riding tyke. The art is graphically clean and clear, with simple cartoon faces and geometric swaths of solid colors against white backgrounds; clear attention has been paid to diversity of racial presentation, gender presentation, and ability. A child with cochlear implants with straight black hair and medium-brown skin can be seen in two of the spreads, and a White child with light-brown hair wears glasses—even, strangely enough, in bed. The project ends with the youngsters in bed dreaming of all the good accomplished during the day. The following page includes quotes from 5- and 6 year-olds and the author describing things they have done to make the world a better place. The didactic nature of the text gets laid on a bit thick with the repetition of the “We’re better together…” refrain in every scene, but the lively art adds much-needed cheer.

Useful and jolly. (Board book. 2-4)

Kirkus Reviews