A simple, clear message in a very visual vehicle: wherever you are, little one, all others in the world share much that is the same. Children are encouraged to feel sameness rather than the instinctive difference that distance and race and religion often engender.)
The original English version, published in 1997, gained many positive reviews as Ms. Fox has done with many of her books. The Spanish translation is a sound one, as would be expected from Ms. Ada. While few would quibble about the message, in either language; while all would agree that the illustrations with double-page spreads and gold, hand-carved frames are fabulous; some might question the power of the message line. Horn Book (March 1998) calls the text "vapid," and I felt that the "vague, feel-good terms" (Horn Book) were not up to Fox's usual brilliance. Her message is passionate, but the result is less than moving. But as School Library Journal (October 1997) phrases it, "Within the covers of the book, the artist has created an art gallery that represents in color, shape, and texture, the full range of human experience."
Key words: ethnicity, multi-culturalism, empathy, brotherhood
