Small places close to home A children's declaration of rights

Gr 1--5--Inspired by the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, this lyrical text tells children that they too are included in the human family. Sentences are broken up into brief lines that suggest a poetic reading: "I deserve to live in freedom/ in a just and peaceful place/ and be treated equally and fairly/ no matter what I look like/ how I speak/ dress, or wear my hair/ who I love/ or where I live." Especially effective are the "And it's up to me" phrases that emphasize every person's responsibility to ensure that others' rights are respected, too. The concept-heavy text, with information about how the original declaration came to be written by a seasoned author, will work well as a teaching tool in older elementary classrooms; a link to the United Nations website at the end will encourage further exploration. Plus, pictures of families picking apples, eating , walking through parks, and shopping for food together will pull younger elementary readers in. Debut illustrator Gardiner uses a muted palette with a flat gouache look and a variety of interesting perspectives well-suited to the material; the artwork is contemporary and gently folk-reminiscent. The wide variety of skin and hair colors, styles of dress, foods, and houses feel truly international. VERDICT A strong purchase for classroom use that will work well as a read-aloud or the basis for an elementary civics lesson.--Hillary Perelyubskiy

Taking its title from Eleanor Roosevelt's 1958 remarks delivered at the United Nations about the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights she had helped champion ("Where, after all, do universal rights begin? In small places, close to home"), this book informs young children of their own rights and responsibilities as humans. Hopkinson's text (also inspired by that Declaration) uses active first-person language: "I am free to choose what I think and believe. And it's up to me to listen and respect how others think and believe too." Each assertion is direct and powerful, with sections starting with "Me" and then expanding to "My School and Community" and on to "My Country and World." Gardiner's gouache and pencil illustrations, assembled digitally, have a soft color palette with pops of yellow and tomato red and demonstrate human rights playing out across a variety of communities. Front and back matter pay tribute to Roosevelt's work, including resources for learning more about her and the United Nations. This elegantly and accessibly presented book empowers the youngest humans and their accompanying grownups to recognize their rights and safeguard them by extending them equally to others. Julie RoachSeptember/October 2023 p.96 (c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Starting with a loving image of a biracial family, this intimate book connects the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to the life of the individual child. The document, with its drafting committee chaired by Eleanor Roosevelt, then U.S. delegate to the United Nations, was formally signed in December 1948. The author and illustrator have worked together to make young readers aware of the declaration and to ensure that they understand their important role--as inhabitants of their own "small places, close to home," in Roosevelt's words--as members of local communities, countries, and the world vital to the realization of the Declaration's purpose. Organized into short sections, from "Me" to "My School and Community" to "My Country and World," the book introduces children to human rights such as education and equality and then urges them to take responsibility: "It's up to me to stand up for the rights of others who need protection." The muted, understated illustrations, in pencil and gouache assembled digitally, portray diverse people; a world map depicts people from all around the globe. Most useful when read in group settings, this quietly powerful book will promote discussions about important topics. (This book was reviewed digitally.) Weighty ideals translated into an accessible format for young readers. (information about the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Eleanor Roosevelt, further resources) (Informational picture book. 6-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.