YOURS, MINE, OURS

The late grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, co-author Hegedus, and illustrator Landazábal team up again following You, Me, We (2023).

Drawing inspiration from Mahatma Gandhi’s commitment to both community and service and educator Maria Montessori’s teachings, this picture book follows a diverse group of children who come together to clean up and beautify a public park and help some of the people who frequent it. Each page unpacks a different idea with probing questions: “What does it mean to serve? Is it holding the door open? Letting someone else take your turn?” “Is serving an action? Or is it an emotion?” “And what do you call it when you give and receive at the same time?” Landazábal’s cheery watercolor pencil and gouache images extend the text with concrete examples: A youngster applies a bandage to a friend’s injured finger, several children bring supplies to an unhoused person, and as a group, the kids plant a tree. It’s a fairly simple treatment of the topic but appropriate for the target audience, with prompts that would be ideal for the classroom, where teachers can help lead discussions on ways to give back within a community at both the personal and collective level. In an author’s note, Hegedus discusses her collaboration with co-author Gandhi, who died during the book’s production.

A strong starting place for youngsters eager to make a difference.