Together, United [All Because You Matter]
by Tami Charles; illus. by Bryan Collier
Primary    Orchard/Scholastic    40 pp.
9/25    9781338752052    $18.99
e-book ed.  9781546148562    $18.99

In this third installment of the affirming series (All Because You Matter, rev. 11/20; We Are Here, rev. 3/23), Charles’s evocative verse underscores a message of unity for the good of all. Collier’s layered watercolor and collage illustrations expand on the text, showing a diverse group of children on a field trip to a planetarium, where they learn about their celestial beginnings: “You and me— / born of stars, / stories, / and dreams / big enough / to shake up / and WAKE up / the whole universe!” Uplifting portrayals showcase the children’s special talents: a poet who writes “words with love / to remind you, / You matter”; an influential “conductor of peace”; someone who gets into “good trouble”; an artist “showing everything / that is possible / through work, / unity, / amor”; an engineer with a mind that is “intergalactic / out-of-this world fantastic!” Working together, they can “defy gravity.” Collier’s stunning illustrations capture the excitement of the children as they grow to realize the potential of their voices and the greater strength of their unity: “Together, united / we must always be.” Author and illustrator notes are appended along with a glossary.

From the September/October 2025 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.