Only One Neighborhood
Like the best celebrations of unity, this picture book is about the exciting diversity that enriches everyone, and the collagraph illustrations, in warm colors, establish the details and the connections. Viewers are conducted on a tour of a cozy neighborhood, just as if they were strolling down the sidewalk. On the left side of the first double-page spread, there's some simple text ("There may be only one bakery, / But there are many kinds of bread") and a thumbnail picture of the store itself; on the opposite page is a picture depicting the wonderful particulars inside the store—rolls, breads, cakes. As other stores are visited—the pet shop, the hardware store, and more—their pictures are added to the left-hand page, which gradually fills up with buildings. The book closes with an illustration of Earth: "In one world, there are many countries, / But there is only one wish: Peace." Add this to "Core Collection: Peace, Not War," in the November 1, 2006, issue. Rochman, Hazel