Title: Our Class Is A Country

Author: Andria W. Rosenbaum

Illustrator: Dream Chen

Publisher/Year: Albert Whitman & Company/2023

Favorite Line from the Book: Our class is a country with no room for hate.

---

I believe wholeheartedly that the following expression, which I’m sure many of you have heard before, is true: The opposite of love isn’t hate. It’s fear. People are afraid of many things, including, but not limited to, things that are different or things we don’t understand. Sadly, fear is expressed in hateful ways.

I’m truly baffled that, in 2023, people still treat others with contempt, cruelty, and hostility instead of trying to learn more about each other or understand one another. My hope is that the majority of people in this country and around the world know that we don’t always have to agree with or be like others in order to treat them with kindness, respect, and love. Young children know this instinctively. They’re curious about other kids and interested in making friends. They don’t care about differences.

Today’s review features a lovely, rhyming picture book by Andria W. Rosenbaum that epitomizes the idea of treating others with love and kindness. Often, school-themed picture books are about a new student or the child’s first day of school, but I like that Our Class Is A Country turns that idea around. It’s the teacher who’s new, and the diverse group of enthusiastic classmates bands together to welcome her by sharing various activities and taking her through their day. They sing, eat, play, garden, work, and create happily together.

Andria’s text flows so effortlessly and is a pleasure to read. Illustrator Dream Chen’s art is colorful and fun and features a charming cast of diverse children, as you can see by the cover above. The pictures are a nice accompaniment to the words, and kids will be delighted by both. Here’s an excerpt from Our Class Is A Country:

We’re spices! We’re colors! We’re soup in a bowl.

Our class is a country with flavor and soul.

This book is a great choice for storytimes or read-alouds in schools, libraries, or at home. As a bonus, back matter offers different ways to say hello in languages other than English, reflecting eight of the kids depicted in the story. Just like the kids within welcome their new teacher with thoughtfulness and love, Our Class Is A Country encourages every reader to do the same for all those with whom we cross paths. And if everyone treated everyone else with kindness, love, and respect, instead of fear and hate, how amazing would that be?!