You Are Not Alone

As a pale-skinned child anxiously prepares for slumber, a mantra-like refrain, “You are not alone,” supplies comfort in this emotionally grounding picture book. Law’s second-person prose conveys an empathic knowingness about nighttime fears (the way bedtime can feel “like it’s about to be/ you and no one else/ until morning”) before invoking soothing bedtime experiences as companions (“not alone,/ glows the night-light”). As the narrative widens beyond domestic moments, the nearby natural world too offers reassurance (“not alone,/ chirps the cricket”), soon echoed by “the porchlights of the homes,” vehicles rumbling in the distance, and stars above. Employing a texturized mix of materials, Li skillfully supports the story’s cozy qualities with homey details and scenes that make the whole world seem friendly. Ages 3–7. (Aug.)