The Circles All Around Us

K-Gr 2–Rather than a book about shapes, this title refers to the concentric circles of love that grow from one’s self to include family, then extended family, then friends, community helpers, more friends, and the world at large. “So let us create bigger circles / all around us for the rest of our days. / Let our caring ripple out / in a million little ways.” There may be some confusion over why sometimes circles are shown intersecting rather than rippling out, but the overall message is one of inclusion and performing acts of kindness. A delicate line and soft colors depict a diverse cast of winsome characters and the dainty details of how they spread goodwill. The hand-lettered text is visually of a piece with the line in the art. This is most appropriate for one-on-one sharing, and some practice will be required in order to read the verse without stumbling.