Everybody! You, me & us

Gr 1--3--Gravel ("Arlo and Pips" graphic novel series) celebrates simultaneously our individuality and commonality. Using alienlike creatures of all shapes and sizes in the illustrations, the text highlights the experiences and emotions everyone shares. "Everybody has fears," is the caption at the foot of the bed. A monster on top stares down with worry at the monster under the bed. "Everybody struggles sometimes" is on a spread featuring a character building with blocks a structure that is on the verge of collapse. In the end readers are reminded, "We are each unique, but we have so much in common." This title would make an excellent discussion prompt at the beginning of the school day, or any time throughout the year when the group needs to be reminded that no one person is more special than anyone else. VERDICT Useful for establishing group norms and celebrating the individuals that make up a community, this title features delightful illustrations that bring the text to life and will be particularly handy in school settings. Recommended.--John Scott

Gravel plumbs the many behaviors and states of mind that humans hold in common. Employing several of her signatures--humor brimming with child appeal; puffy, hand-lettered--style type; and potato-shaped youngsters in a variety of colors--Gravel avows that while each human is unique, "we are more similar than we think." The short, deceptively simple declaratives often manage to convey both poignancy and profundity. "EVERYBODY makes mistakes… // and everybody can learn from them." "EVERYBODY wants friends… // and everybody can be a friend." In the first instance, a biking child has crashed; the facing page shows them donning a helmet. In the second, a child stands apart as three peers play ball. The next image shows the threesome stopping to welcome the newcomer. Aware of young children's delight in poop and fart jokes, Gravel includes both here. For "EVERYBODY goes to the bathroom," she depicts a cat in a litter box and a kid on a toilet reading a copy of Gravel's Not Me (2020). The text "EVERYBODY gets embarrassed" is accompanied by an image of a mortified kid passing a visible cloud of gas with a speech bubble labeled "Vruumpt!" The need for self-care, the inevitability of everyday struggles, and the importance of our hopes, dreams, and ideas--this slender volume tackles it all. (This book was reviewed digitally.) Emphasizing familiar, relatable scenarios, this funny, empathetic read is a kid magnet. (Picture book. 3-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.