Here We Are

Starred review from October 30, 2017
"These are the things I think you need to know," writes Jeffers (A Child of Books), dedicating this contemplative and heartfelt book to his young son. Each spread highlights aspects of this planet or life on it: the solar system, people and animals, the way time can seem to move slowly or quickly. "Use your time well," he advises. "It will be gone before you know it." Throughout, Jeffers channels the voice of an adult who knows things but perhaps still struggles to find the right words to explain them: "Generally how it works is that when the sun is out, it is daytime, and we do stuff." After discussing land, sea, and sky, he admits that the sky "can get pretty complicated" (dotted lines separate the "air we breathe" from the "stratosthingy" and "outer space," among other labeled celestial and meteorological entities). Moments of human intimacy jostle with scenes that inspire cosmic awe, and the broad diversity of Jeffers's candy-colored humans—musicians, hijabis, nuns, explorers, potentates—underscores the twin messages that "You're never alone on Earth" and that we're all in this together. Ages 3-7. Agent: Paul Moreton, Bell Lomax Moreton Agency. (Nov.)

The pub date of this book has been updated.

November 1, 2017

Baby-Toddler-Jeffers uses his clever, effervescent cartoon style to welcome a new baby to planet Earth, "the big globe, floating in space, on which we live." He makes an effort to impart "the things I think you need to know" on his infant son by giving him an overview of the landscape via diagrams and fun drawings and what he might expect to encounter as he grows and becomes more mobile ("we'll talk some more about [the sea] once you've learned to swim.") His words are by turns philosophical, humorous, and practical. "People come in many shapes, sizes and colors. We may all look different, act different and sound different...but don't be fooled, we are all people." He stresses the need to be patient, to use one's words, and to be kind. He encourages the child to ask questions and leave notes behind for those who follow. Most importantly, the child should remember to look after this lonely planet as it's "all we've got." The playful narrative and lovely warm palette of the artwork are inviting and the sage advice, while a bit beyond even the most precocious of babies, will appeal to hip new parents embarking on their own uncharted territory. VERDICT A sweet and tender distillation of what every Earthling needs to know and might well spend a lifetime striving to achieve. A must-purchase for new parent shelves and anywhere the author's work is popular.-Luann Toth, School Library Journal

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Addressing his infant son about what it means to live on Earth, the author/illustrator offers a mix of planetary facts, quotations, bits of advice, and illustrations.The dedication page to 2-month-old Harlan includes, from the author, "These are the things / I think you need to know," as well as a quote from J.M. Barrie about the importance of kindness. Jeffers' fans will not be disappointed by the scant, lilting text and the boldly colored, stylized depictions of people, animals, and scenery. Themes include the physical planet, caring for the body, diversity of people and animals, time well spent, and caring for the planet--with kindness as an overarching element. The tone is unsentimental and conversational and laced with Jeffers' trademark wryness: "We know a bit about the sea, but we'll talk some more about that once you've learned to swim." The facts disclosed are rudimentary, as is the vocabulary--but this entertains rather than bores, because readers are intermittently reminded that the book's audience is a baby. The double-page spread illustrating the "shapes, sizes and colors" of people is amazingly inclusive of ethnicities, abilities, and lifestyles (though the depiction of what seems to be an Arctic Native in furs speaks to the difficulty of balancing inclusion against stereotype in such an effort). Scattered throughout are funny, never snarky asides--as when a parrot corrects the assertion that animals don't talk and when part of the universe is labeled the "stratosthingy."Big ideas ably packed into little, bright packages. (Picture book. 3-7)

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July 1, 2018
Inspired by the birth of his son, Jeffers offers those new to the planet information and advice, which, boiled down, is: be kind to Earth, animals, and other humans. The book's potential for preachiness is skillfully avoided by its down-to-earth chattiness, its own admission that "you will figure lots of things out for yourself," and the lighthearted illustrations featuring amusing labels and asides.

(Copyright 2018 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)