We'll Make Things Better Together

March 1, 2023
"Everything is better / Better when we work together." In this heartfelt celebration of working together, racially diverse young children frolic and unite in an urban setting. The warm illustrations convey the importance of teamwork as little ones help out around the house (washing dishes, setting the table, tying a little sibling's shoelaces) and outdoors (picking up litter in a park, tending to the community garden, bringing bread and soup to a sickly next-door neighbor). The children also come together to stage plays and put on concerts. Straightforward, accessible text describes the children's actions, punctuated by an italicized, slightly shifting refrain ("Everything grows better / Better when we work together," "Everything sounds better / Better when we work together"). The children are joined by supportive parents (including a biracial couple) and friendly pets. This quiet but appealing selection will be a good choice for establishing a solid early learning environment; the emphasis on social skills and positive attributes such as sharing, responsibility, support, tidiness, and collaboration is strong and clear. (This book was reviewed digitally.) An upbeat demonstration that working together can make the world a more loving, supportive, and welcome place. (Picture book. 3-6)

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April 17, 2023
“Everything is better/ Better when we work together” suggestts this message-forward pep talk in verse, which observes collaborative efforts at home and within a racially diverse community. Softly tinted opening vignettes show children portrayed with various skin tones helpfully dispensing toothpaste and finding socks for each other, and different families’ breakfasts each prove a family effort (“Mom pours juice—/ It’s so delicious... // We laugh and sing,/ then clean the dishes”). Next, a group of children arrives at a park and dons gloves to clear litter, then takes a meal to and performs a play for a sick neighbor. A session tending a neighborhood garden and a free-style backyard concert round out this cheerfully rendered day of work and play. Alongside Phumiruk’s crisp digitally finished spreads, Gundersheimer’s lines scan and rhyme satisfyingly. It’s an optimistic starting place for discussions about cooperation and mutual aid. Ages 3–7.

June 1, 2023

PreS-Gr 2-Readers watch as multiple families go through their day, helping siblings, neighbors, and their community through work and play. The story and lesson are easy to understand and catchy, with a rhyme scheme and chorus: "We make things better, better when we work together." The text, written by children's music artist Mister G, is clear and tells the many different, simple ways children can help in their community, using vocabulary that they can understand. Phumiruk's illustrations show these actions, in scenes that translate credibly to readers' own neighborhoods and surroundings. The art brings specific details to the words, illuminating them and lifting the text right off the page. VERDICT A book about everyday teamwork and love that is sure to inspire readers to work together in their own communities.-Margaret Kennelly

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