Six year-old Marnie narrates this approachable and conversational introduction to the concept of inclusion in Miller’s big-hearted picture book. Covering differences such as ability, race, skin tone, and more in broad strokes, Marnie’s precociously wise narration draws readers in with questions addressed directly to readers (“What’s the scariest thing you’ve ever done?”) interspersed throughout the text, especially in the latter half of the book when she shares facts about herself and asks questions of the audience to engage them as well. Featuring vibrant, hyper-realistic digital illustrations, We’re the Same, We’re Different, and We All Belong is an interactive introduction to broad social emotional learning topics.

No artist is credited with the book’s illustrations, mostly of Marnie and other smiling young people of diverse backgrounds, presented in warmly lit settings with a glossy, digital sheen. At times inconsistent in style and characterization, these images sometimes look faintly familiar, especially a glimpse of a fairy and an abominable beast, though they do bring life and connection to the story and lesson.

Marnie is a memorable narrator—“I like playing with my dolls even if I’ve cut their hair off and fed them so much food they smell like egg sandwiches and tuna!”— though her age on occasion seems out of sync with the text, which builds to inspirational life lessons like “Mistakes help me learn!” Regardless, young readers are likely to appreciate opportunities to answer questions and reflect on their own lives and the ways in which they’re different or the same as their friends, classmates, neighbors, and more. While the discussion of differences is broad, We’re the Same, We’re Different, and We All Belong offers a conversational introduction to the basics of inclusion and in fact is likely best suited as a conversation starter with children.

Takeaway: Inviting introduction to inclusion as told by a six year-old narrator.

Comparable Titles: Cyana Riley’s Not So Different, Aisha Saeed’s The Together Tree.

Production grades
Cover: B
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: A-
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A