Wherever You Go (An All Are Welcome Book)

by Alexandra Penfold, Suzanne Kaufman (Illustrator)

Overview

From the creators of the bestselling All Are Welcome comes a modern and inclusive picture book that celebrates the many milestones of a child's life ranging from a school play to graduation with an emphasis on kindness and community.

Where will you go?
Who will you be?
I savor the moments
that you’re here with me.

Follow a set of kids and their families through the big and small moments with colorful illustrations and beautiful, rhyming text—a book that parents and teachers will love reading over and over to their kids—both young and old.

With a gorgeous fold-out spread, this is a great gift for any occasion, but a stand-out for graduation with its loving and inspiring message: Wherever you go, whatever you do. I want you know I’m so proud of you.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780593430019
Publisher:	Random House Children's Books
Publication date:	03/12/2024
Series:	All Are Welcome
Pages:	48
Product dimensions:	10.38(w) x 10.31(h) x 0.38(d)
Lexile:	AD450L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Alexandra Penfold is a literary agent and the author of All Are Welcome, Big Feelings, All Are Neighbors, The Littlest Viking, and Eat, Sleep, Poop. When she isn't writing and drinking strong iced coffee, she can be found perfecting her lattice crust. She lives in Brooklyn with her family.

Suzanne Kaufman is an author, illustrator, animator, and lover of school potlucks. Her books include All Are Welcome, Big Feelings, All Are Neighbors, A Friend for Ghost, Naughty Claudine's Christmas, and Samanthasaurus Rex. When not tramping through the wilds of the Pacific Northwest, you will find her teaching animation or working in her studio. She lives in Seattle with her family.

Editorial Reviews

"Sentimental parents and fans of the earlier book will be charmed.” —Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher

2024-01-05
Penfold and Kaufman return to the community introduced in All Are Welcome (2018), this time celebrating a child’s birth and growth.

The focus is on community from the very start—neighbors gather to see the latest arrival, a child with a sprout of dark hair, soon to be seen sporting glasses and a gap-toothed grin. As the pages turn, the child’s parent recounts wishes for the little one, wonders what the future holds, and describes how the child is “my best adventure,” “my wildest dream.” While the focus is on this particular pair, the child’s two closest friends and their parents are frequently seen; the friends are clearly as close as family. The slim story and rhyming verses are more similar to the creators’ Big Feelings (2021) than their stellar All Are Welcome. The narrative feels geared more toward nostalgic parents than their children, with the adults ultimately watching their kids graduate kindergarten. “I’m proud of you / when you try your best. / And when you know / it’s time to rest.” The accompanying illustrations, rendered in ink, crayon, collage, and acrylic paint, show a lively soccer match, the main child helping a friend who’s fallen into a puddle. Another image shows a parent driving the sleeping trio home. The main parent and child are brown-skinned; the community is diverse.

Sentimental parents and fans of the earlier book will be charmed. (Picture book. 3-8)

Kirkus Reviews