More or Less
by Alison Hughes; illus. by Oge Mora
Preschool    Little, Brown    40 pp.
6/25    9780316592604    $18.99

How much stuff is too much, and what can be done with the excess? A child faced with a cluttered bedroom and overflowing closet starts small: by giving away items to each of their siblings and to the family dog and cat. Next, the youngster packs up a red wagon and hauls it to the senior center (“donations needed!”), attracting friends along the way who have things to give and spending time with appreciative, active seniors. They band together, young and old, to beautify their space and organize a community-wide collection drive. With just a handful of words (mostly more or less), six or fewer on a spread, Hughes tells a complete and satisfying story, perfectly complemented by Mora’s (I’m From, rev. 9/23) reliably warmhearted and enriching cut-paper illustrations. There’s much to notice—and more and more with every reread—as the visual excess gives way to scenes of cooperative effort and shared mission. In the end, the protagonist’s most special giveaway—a pink stuffed bunny who’s been there from the start—doesn’t read as sacrifice so much as embodiment of a common interest and of the narrative’s culminating philosophy: less is more.

From the July/August 2025 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.