★ 03/15/2021
Cree-Métis artist Flett (Birdsong) starts with quiet, elegant portraits of animals at play attended by brief, motion-filled lines of text. Velvety dark brown rabbits jump across the page (“Animals hide/ and hop”); a fox investigates a turtle as kits peer timidly from the page’s edge (“and sniff/ and sneak”); an owlet peeks out from the page as others cluster together, their new wings delicately etched (“and peek/and peep”). Then a group of small children of various skin tones appears, leaping, jumping, and lying on their backs in tall grass as butterflies flit above. “We play too! kimêtawânaw mîna” they say. An author’s note defines the Cree phrase as “living in relationship and in care to one another” and discusses the kinship between animals and people, whether “running and hopping through the grass or... pondering creatures in the creek.” In spare compositions, Flett aptly underlines this idea by showing animals and humans embracing play in similar ways (snakes slide, children sled down a hill in the snow), until at last, “slowly, side by side,” everyone sleeps. Also includes a glossary and pronunciation guide. Ages up to 7. Agent: Steven Malk, Writers House. (May)
★ 08/01/2021
PreS-Gr 2—This delightful picture book features woodland animals, found in North America, mirroring playtime for children: "Animals hide and hop and sneak and sniff and peep. We play, too! kimêtawânaw mîna." The children are happy, playing and tiring themselves out, then resting by the end of the book. It is a great bedtime story. The words in English are simple and could easily be memorized and then recognized by early readers. The illustrations are warm and inviting; the animal families are depicted in soft, smudged painterly colors. At the end of the book is a glossary of Cree words for the animals in singular, plural, and diminutive forms, along with words for child and baby. The pronunciation for these words can be found on a website. The author's note provides a summary of the book, explaining the kinship between humans and animals in Cree culture and the interconnectedness to "the land, plants, the earth, wind, water and sky." VERDICT Add to any library collection and pair it with Julie Flett's Birdsong.—Danielle Burbank, Farmington, NM
★ 2021-03-02
Everyone loves to play! Award-winning author/illustrator Flett shares the joyful antics of young animals as they romp in much the same way as human children.
The rhythmic text offers both rich vocabulary and a page-turning chant. Woodland animals “hide and hop / and sniff and sneak” while Indigenous children, depicted in differing shades of brown, run, skip, jump, and hunt for butterflies. “We play too! kimêtawânaw mîna,” they proclaim in the refrain. Aquatic animals “swim and squirt / and bubble and bend” while children swim under the water and float on its surface, in inner tubes. On the prairie, snakes “slip and slide” through the grass while buffalo “rumble and roll.” And bears “wiggle and wobble” as both they and children play (in separate double-page spreads) in the snow. At last, “side by side, animals fall asleep,” and after a day full of fun, “we do too. nîstanân mîna.” The animals are not named within the primary text, leaving it to readers to identify the hopping bunnies, the spouting beluga whale calves, and the yawning wolf pups. Flett’s characteristically minimalist compositions are deceptively simple. Readers who slow down to look will be charmed by the cricket that hops in tandem with a rabbit and the fox that stares in bemusement at a turtle. This celebration of nature is sprinkled with words from the Cree language, and a closing glossary provides both Cree and English names of the animals depicted; a note provides guidance on Cree pronunciation for readers not familiar with the language.
Simple text and bold, graphic illustrations celebrate our interconnection with the creatures who share our world. (author's note) (Picture book. 3-7)
A Best Children's Book of 2021—New York Times, Washington Post, New York Public Library, Kirkus Reviews, Globe and Mail, Horn Book, and Boston Globe
A 2022 USBBY OUTSTANDING INTERNATIONAL BOOK
A 2022 Best Book for Babies
"Stunning artwork shows animals and children at play in a picture book that can be enjoyed by babies and will remain engaging as children grow."
A Cooperative Children’s Book Center Choice for 2022—Picture Books for Younger Children
“Rhythmic alliterative word-pairs describing animals’ play are followed by the children’s univocal refrain celebrating our interconnectedness: ‘We play too!’”
—New York Times
“Everyone loves to play! Award-winning author/illustrator Flett shares the joyful antics of young animals as they romp in much the same way as human children… This celebration of nature is sprinkled with words from the Cree language… [and] celebrate[s] our interconnection with the creatures who share our world.”
—Kirkus Reviews, STARRED review
“Cree-Métis artist Flett starts with quiet, elegant portraits of animals….In spare compositions, [she] aptly underlines [the kinship between animals and people] by showing animals and humans embracing play in similar ways.”
—Publishers Weekly, STARRED review
“Lively and beautiful illustrated.”
—Horn Book, STARRED review
“Cree words are coupled with their English translations in this sweeping picture book that celebrates animals and nature. Kids will see themselves in the different scenes of play.”
—New York Public Library
“Delightful….a great bedtime story…..Add to any library collection and pair it with Julie Flett’s Birdsong.”
—School Library Journal, STARRED review
“A beautifully illustrated book that introduces a series of young animals at play, then relates their activities to those of children … affirming our oneness with nature.”
—Booklist
“The bold and simple illustrations and short but dynamic text make this a fantastic book for very young readers.”
—BookRiot
“Stunning illustrations, fun alliteration, a fantastic vocabulary, and shout-it-out repetition make this a favorite… The images are soft, warm, and full of exuberant movement.”
—Christian Science Monitor
“We adore this title as an addition to our kindergarten books that celebrate the magic of play. Written in both English and Cree, we love using this title to celebrate native languages and connections to nature, too.”
—We Are Teachers
“This jubilant picture book uses gamboling animals and kids to illustrate the Cree concept of wâhkôhtowin, or the kinship among living things.”
—Shelf Awareness
“This simple, lilting story is perfect for showing babies, toddlers, and early readers the joyful interconnections between animals and humans.”
—Seattle Public Library
“Take up this title’s invitation to head outdoors, romping and reveling in the communal playground of our natural world.”
—Classroom Bookshelf
“A delightful book that explores the frolicking nature of animals and people, alike. With a soft color palette, the illustrations complement the rhythm of the book. Author Julie Flett interlinks Cree and English introducing readers to a North American Indigenous population.”
—Tech&Learning
“We All Play is a beautiful example that celebrates nature and animals ...This story is just the most recent classic that Flett has created.”
—The Tiny Activist
“Perfect for the very young children at whom it’s aimed, and bold, uncluttered images to draw their eye. It’s spectacular in its seeming simplicity.”
—Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast
“Exquisitely illustrated (as all of Julie Flett's work is), connective, gentle, playful. A refreshing, calm breath that connects kids to themselves, each other, and the natural world, all through play.”
—This Picture Book Life
“Kids will love the beautiful illustrations of the different animals portrayed on simple white backgrounds, and the pictures of the children may inspire them to get up and move like the animals.”
—A Kids Book a Day
“Any time Flett (Cree-Métis) puts out a new book, take note! This picture book is a good read-aloud for toddlers up to primary grade children.”
—Association of Library Services for Children
“Wonderful…a beautiful ode to the animals and humans we share our world with, We All Play belongs on every bookshelf.”
—Here Wee Read
