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All Around Us
Circles are all around us. We just have to look for them. Sometimes they exist in the most unusual places.
Grandpa says circles are all around us. He points to the rainbow that rises high in the sky after a thundercloud has come. “Can you see? That’s only half of the circle. That rest of it is down below, in the earth.” He and his granddaughter meditate on gardens and seeds, on circles seen and unseen, inside and outside us, on where our bodies come from and where they return to. They share and create family traditions in this stunning exploration of the cycles of life and nature.
Grandpa says circles are all around us. He points to the rainbow that rises high in the sky after a thundercloud has come. “Can you see? That’s only half of the circle. That rest of it is down below, in the earth.” He and his granddaughter meditate on gardens and seeds, on circles seen and unseen, inside and outside us, on where our bodies come from and where they return to. They share and create family traditions in this stunning exploration of the cycles of life and nature.
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First published January 1, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 208 reviews
November 7, 2019
Yes indeed, I have both enjoyed and with a nod to folklore and tradition massively appreciated All Around Us, I have truly and absolutely found Xelena Gonzalez' presented narrative both simple and at the same time also delightfully poetic and richly evocative. And I certainly do see and even one hundred percent agree with the author's philosophy that life is not ever a straight line but that everything is circular and as such always revolving, regenerating and reoccurring, with in particular the traditions of burying the ashes of one's ancestors, ones elders, somewhere special and sacred as well as the concept of equally burying a baby's placenta, of thus and basically giving back to the earth that nourishes and sustains us, absolutely and totally delighting and enchanting me, as this has always been a personal belief and one very dear to my heart (and I certainly also do love love love how glowingly and passionately in All Around Us Xelena Gonzalez describes these traditions and how everything shines and encircles us, with no pun at all intended).
Combined with Adriana M. Garcia's often (if not even mostly) swirlingly round ands circular accompanying artwork (delightfully expressive pictures that while I do find some of them a trifle too aesthetically dark for my own and personal visual tastes, they always do indeed glow and sparkle with the mirrored and wondrous esoteric cumulative circularity of Xelena Gonzalez' printed words), I have indeed found and do consider All Around Us an unexpectedly wonderful gem of a personal reading reading experience and as such most definitely a both textual and visual delight (and truthfully, the only reason that I am not quite ready to grant five stars to All Around Us is the simple fact that with my ageing eyes, some of the superimposed onto the illustrations narrative can be rather difficult to read with ease without my reading glasses).
Combined with Adriana M. Garcia's often (if not even mostly) swirlingly round ands circular accompanying artwork (delightfully expressive pictures that while I do find some of them a trifle too aesthetically dark for my own and personal visual tastes, they always do indeed glow and sparkle with the mirrored and wondrous esoteric cumulative circularity of Xelena Gonzalez' printed words), I have indeed found and do consider All Around Us an unexpectedly wonderful gem of a personal reading reading experience and as such most definitely a both textual and visual delight (and truthfully, the only reason that I am not quite ready to grant five stars to All Around Us is the simple fact that with my ageing eyes, some of the superimposed onto the illustrations narrative can be rather difficult to read with ease without my reading glasses).
December 16, 2019
Quietly thoughtful book about not just circles, but cycles, and a reminder that many cultures do not see the world exclusively in terms of linear time. American Indian Youth Literature Award for Best Picture Book (Honor Book) (2018), Tomás Rivera Mexican American Children’s Book Award (2018), Pura Belpré Award Nominee for Illustrator (2018)
April 23, 2018
I read a lot of picture books. So I am always happy to find one that is utterly original and worthwhile. This is one of those. In simple, age-appropriate language, it explores concepts of birth and death and taking from the earth and returning to the earth and the circular nature of life. It challenges the linear view present in so many children’s books with timelines. And bonus points from my birth-loving self for the mention of burying the placenta after a baby is born. Just beautiful.
August 17, 2017
Culturally relevant, important and beautiful. Once you've read it, let's talk about it!
November 21, 2018
Beautiful. Probably more engaging to those with stronger eyes who can see all the details. The text and theme are important and interesting, too. Universal, and also particular to the mestizos, as explained in the author's note.
April 11, 2018
In this meditative story, a grandparent and grandchild see the circles in life and family and nature against a backdrop of beautiful, noteworthy illustrations.
January 30, 2020
“All Around Us” is a beautifully composed picture book written by Xelena Gonzalez and illustrated by Adriana Garcia. The picture book All Around Us was written in 2017 and received an honorable mention from The American Indian Youth Literature Award. I accessed this book electronically through the Chicago Public Library online database.
The picture book follows a young girl and grandfather of Native American Descent. Over the course of the book, the grandfather tells the little girl how there are circles all around us every day if you look closely. The grandfather show the little girl how there are literal circles we can see such as the sun, clocks, and bike wheels. He also shows the girls there are circles we cannot see such as the circle of life or the other half of a rainbow.
The text and illustrative features effectively fit with the story being told. Circles can be seen throughout the pages of the story interwoven into the ground, sky, and other locations. Additionally, on many of the pages, the text of the story is displayed in a circular way which ties nicely in with the message of the story as a whole.
“All Around Us” also ties in themes dealing with Native American culture and history that is rarely reflected in picture books today. In the text near the end of the story, the author writes, “everything that fed me while I grew in my mother’s belly is buried at the roots”. While I was not sure of the context in the moment, the author explains in the afterward that it is custom practice in some Native American cultures to bury the placenta in the earth after a child is born. Additionally, the author ties in the custom of burying ashes of passed relatives when discussing the circle of life. Overall, the text effectively exposes the often ignored Native American Culture to the reader in an intriguing and visually pleasing way.
The picture book follows a young girl and grandfather of Native American Descent. Over the course of the book, the grandfather tells the little girl how there are circles all around us every day if you look closely. The grandfather show the little girl how there are literal circles we can see such as the sun, clocks, and bike wheels. He also shows the girls there are circles we cannot see such as the circle of life or the other half of a rainbow.
The text and illustrative features effectively fit with the story being told. Circles can be seen throughout the pages of the story interwoven into the ground, sky, and other locations. Additionally, on many of the pages, the text of the story is displayed in a circular way which ties nicely in with the message of the story as a whole.
“All Around Us” also ties in themes dealing with Native American culture and history that is rarely reflected in picture books today. In the text near the end of the story, the author writes, “everything that fed me while I grew in my mother’s belly is buried at the roots”. While I was not sure of the context in the moment, the author explains in the afterward that it is custom practice in some Native American cultures to bury the placenta in the earth after a child is born. Additionally, the author ties in the custom of burying ashes of passed relatives when discussing the circle of life. Overall, the text effectively exposes the often ignored Native American Culture to the reader in an intriguing and visually pleasing way.
November 16, 2018
A young girl learns about the circular nature of all life in this lovely picture-book from first time author/illustrator team Xelena González and Adriana M. Garcia. Through her time with her grandfather, who talks about the circles all around them - the rainbow in the sky, their use of the earth for gardening, the cycles of life and death in their own family, the cultivation of the apple tree planted when she was born - the girl gains a better understanding of the world around her, and of her place in it...
Pairing a simple, but thought-provoking text with striking, mixed-media illustrations, All Around Us has garnered a number of accolades. It won González, who is a member of the Tap Pilam Coahuiltecan Nation, an honor in the American Indian Youth Literature Awards' picture book category, while Garcia was nominated for a Pura Belpré Award for the artwork. There are references here to specific cultural practices - burying a baby's placenta, for instance - but the book works as a springboard for discussion of how the reader(s) perceive the circular and cyclical nature of life around them. This is a lovely little book, one that I would recommend to anyone looking for children's stories that explore how we perceive life, and the world around us
Pairing a simple, but thought-provoking text with striking, mixed-media illustrations, All Around Us has garnered a number of accolades. It won González, who is a member of the Tap Pilam Coahuiltecan Nation, an honor in the American Indian Youth Literature Awards' picture book category, while Garcia was nominated for a Pura Belpré Award for the artwork. There are references here to specific cultural practices - burying a baby's placenta, for instance - but the book works as a springboard for discussion of how the reader(s) perceive the circular and cyclical nature of life around them. This is a lovely little book, one that I would recommend to anyone looking for children's stories that explore how we perceive life, and the world around us
June 7, 2018
Fascinating art techniques for conveying a world where circles are seen, but also where we are a part of many circles and cycles that we cannot fully see. Good for grandparent relationships and heritage.
October 10, 2017
As someone who has typically regarded life and the world around me in linear fashion, including graphic devices such as timelines, I was excited to find my perspective challenged by this book by a debut author and illustrator team. The narrator's grandfather takes her on a journey during which he points out all the circles around them, including those that are visible and those that aren't seen. Even rainbows, trees, and humans are part of this circle or cycle of life, as the narrator comes to understand. A note from the author provides additional insight into the story and some mestizo (Native American and Spanish) cultural practices. The story is simple yet stunning and memorable, highlighted by artwork, "using a graphics tablet with a stylus pen and working in a painting software program," according to the illustrator's note, that is brimming with bright colors, each page a visual treasure, and each one different from the one that comes before it. I will never look at timelines or the world around me in the same way. This is powerful, particularly relevant material right now as the book honors different ways of regarding life and the world around us.
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June 15, 2018I found a text-to-text connection in this book. The connection is a bit "out there" but I believe it is well worth it. In All Around Us the illustrations draw the world as many circles. The world within this book is dependent on being circular. In the comic book The Multiversity: Pax Americana a politician had an epiphany that the entire world relies on a pattern. If you know that pattern you can manipulate it and help usher in world peace. That pattern was an infinity symbol, or a figure "8" depending on how you look at it. If the reader pays attention to the structure of the comic book you will learn that there is "8" symbolism every where. Every page has 8 panels. The characters often make looping figures 8s on the page. The reader is led to believe that maybe this politician is right, maybe his world is governed by the figure 8. All Around Us makes its claim in a similar way. It is very agreeable to most people to say that in many ways, life in this universe is cyclical. In this book this cyclical nature is clearly illustrated to convince the reader of that.
June 14, 2019
For this book I decided to make a text-to-self connection. Text-to-self connections are highly personal connections that a reader makes between a piece of reading and the reader's own personal experiences or life. In this book, there is a part where the main character is talking about how her grandfather saves the seed and roots from plants to burry again. I found a personal connection with that because my father, although never professionally taught how to garden, has always had a garden full of different vegetables in our backyard, that scream his love and nurture. My father saves the seeds and roots of his vegetables to often bury again or share with others to help them create their own gardens. The reason I chose to make a text-to-self connection is because gardening and the concept of carrying your ancestors with you regardless of having met them or not, is important in my culture, and I related a lot to having that relationship with a grandparent.
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June 12, 2018Text to Self
This story was about a little girl and her grandfather. The grandfather is teaching his granddaughter about the circle of life and how everything is a circle. This grandfather reminded me a bit of my own grandpa. Before my grandpa had passed, he was always so full of insight and useful life lessons. The grandpa in this story was explaining to the little girl that life is a circle, but we can only see half of it, the other half is “down below, in the earth”. The little girl then realizes that she is a part of the circle, the part that we can see. My grandpa always made sure that I knew how important I was to this earth. He would tell me that I was the sunshine to his day and the rainbow after the storms in life. I related well with this story and it brought back a lot of happy memories for me of my grandpa and the time we would spend together.
This story was about a little girl and her grandfather. The grandfather is teaching his granddaughter about the circle of life and how everything is a circle. This grandfather reminded me a bit of my own grandpa. Before my grandpa had passed, he was always so full of insight and useful life lessons. The grandpa in this story was explaining to the little girl that life is a circle, but we can only see half of it, the other half is “down below, in the earth”. The little girl then realizes that she is a part of the circle, the part that we can see. My grandpa always made sure that I knew how important I was to this earth. He would tell me that I was the sunshine to his day and the rainbow after the storms in life. I related well with this story and it brought back a lot of happy memories for me of my grandpa and the time we would spend together.
October 2, 2018
All Around Us is by Xelena González and illustrated by Adriana M. Garcia. It is about a girl and her grandfather exploring the world and discussing how circles are relevant to their experiences whether a person can see them there or not. Her grandfather teaches her to have a deeper meaning of the shape, giving her examples of small situations then to the bigger picture. The book won the Belpré Illustrator Honor Book. I would recommend this book for the children because I believe it would give them a bigger look in life or just noticing small things to the big things. They might be able to appreciate the shape more as well. This would be a great book to introduce if the class was learning shapes. As teachers, we can probably ask to point out in item in the room with the shape and ask the children to draw it.
June 14, 2019
The connection I made to this book was a text-to-self. A text-to-self connection is when the readers make a connection to the book whether it is to themselves or if they share something that may have happened in the book. The connection that I made was that similar to in the book the main character and her grandpa as from what I read seem to have a strong connection. I also have a strong connection with my grandparents and I garden, walk, and share stories with them. Through the book, her grandpa talks to her about the world and what it has to offer. I always find my grandpa to be the wisest person I know as he has lived so long and has many stories to share. Like the main character I find myself in ‘aw’ of how much my grandpa has to offer and the new things, I learn from him each and every day.
November 1, 2019
I liked this story in which the Grandfather explained to his granddaughter about various circles/cycles in life, and encouraged her to look for them. The choice of font was interesting. I did find a typo in the second sentence of the first page: "We just have yo look for them." With the font type used, I can see why it was overlooked, as the "t" and "y" in the font are quite similar. The digital art looks hand painted. It is very colorful, and the circles are certainly a main theme on every page. I also found the art quite busy and somewhat confusing at times. Some of the colors chosen for the faces were interesting (blues and greens mixed with other colors), and reminded me of "paint by number" kits. But overall, I did like the artwork.
October 17, 2018
I don't usually do themes for toddler storytime, but the letter of the day was F, and I just so happened to have two great books about families. All Around Us follows a child and a grandfather as the child learns about the circles that surround their lives. I asked the kids what types of circle things they could see in the pictures, and we drew circles in the air with our fingers. We talked about how rainbows were half circles. The kids were a wiggly bunch today, and this book was not really capturing their attention for too long; however, it was not a long book, just slow paced compared to some of our other choices. I would probably use this book for a preschool storytime instead.
May 2, 2018
A pretty book about family traditions. Not particularly wordy, so easy to share with young/impatient children.
It wasn't a huge standout for me, which was a bit of a disappointment as I was excited for this one. It's still very decent and offers some variety in culture which is important.
I'm not sure what it was missing, but, it wasn't quite everything I'd hoped it would be. I need to stop reading reviews before reading the books, I feel that those get me overhyped. I probably would have really liked this book had I gone into it with no expectations.
It wasn't a huge standout for me, which was a bit of a disappointment as I was excited for this one. It's still very decent and offers some variety in culture which is important.
I'm not sure what it was missing, but, it wasn't quite everything I'd hoped it would be. I need to stop reading reviews before reading the books, I feel that those get me overhyped. I probably would have really liked this book had I gone into it with no expectations.
November 20, 2017
I love this book -- from the striking illustrations, to the theme of the cycle of life and death, to the lovely relationship between grandaughter and grandfather. Beautiful in pacing, in quiet but thoughtful scope, and a good, healthy introduction to the idea of birth and loss. Just lovely.
February 20, 2018
A beautiful, affirming celebration of family, community, and interconnection.
March 1, 2018
Beautiful illustrations and precious story.
March 27, 2018
Utterly mesmerizing, beautifully told and even more beautifully illustrated!!
August 21, 2019
Probably the best art I've seen in a picture book
January 13, 2020
Meaningful circles: This beautiful book is all about circles. Seeking the shape of circles is the low level of the book. The high level of the book is recognizing the circles or cycles in nature and life and the world. The protagonist is learning from the wisdom and experience of her grandfather. Precious! It is very exciting that this is the first picture book for the author and illustrator who are friends.
March 6, 2020
- Text to Text: This book is similar to A Different Pond in the sense of they are using different ways of getting food by using the world around them. By fishing and by planting seeds to make things grow.
- Text to Self: currently my classroom is going through a tough time with a loss of one of our friends. This was a great connection and visual for myself to hear as well. That our lives are circles and they all start and end, and usually we get buried in the ground. In the book, he grandpa plants a tree when she was born, then when they pass, their ashes are buried by the tree that was planted for them.
- Text to World: the circle of live with humans and gardening is a very evident thing these days. People are learning the importance of gardening and how to grow their own food. We are leaning as a country how to better take care of our earth, grow, and reuse the materials we already have, rather than wasting them.
- Text to Self: currently my classroom is going through a tough time with a loss of one of our friends. This was a great connection and visual for myself to hear as well. That our lives are circles and they all start and end, and usually we get buried in the ground. In the book, he grandpa plants a tree when she was born, then when they pass, their ashes are buried by the tree that was planted for them.
- Text to World: the circle of live with humans and gardening is a very evident thing these days. People are learning the importance of gardening and how to grow their own food. We are leaning as a country how to better take care of our earth, grow, and reuse the materials we already have, rather than wasting them.
October 21, 2020
A breathtakingly beautiful book following a girl and her grandfather as they wander around the neighborhood, and eventually garden together. During their time together, they talk about the circles, including the circle of life. All Around Us is a wonderful rumination on our connection to the earth, each other, and our ancestors.
January 4, 2020
A delightful short story that brought peace to my ears and heart.
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April 29, 2025A grandfather shows his granddaughter how the entire world is made of circles.
This was a cool concept; I think that the Bible confirms this idea that circles/cycles are the base of the universe.
This book could be used in a unit about shapes, or even (in a Christian school) as a theological lead-in.
This was a cool concept; I think that the Bible confirms this idea that circles/cycles are the base of the universe.
This book could be used in a unit about shapes, or even (in a Christian school) as a theological lead-in.
October 20, 2018
https://raisethemrighteous.com/?s=all...
All Around Us, written by Xelena Gonzalez and illustrated by Adriana M. Garcia, is a meditation. Garcia’s images are digitally generated and seem to straddle the line between spiritual and material, curving into a circle under the weight of Gonzalez’s poetic prose. This is fitting since the text explores time as neither linear nor marked by the progression of an individual, but instead cyclical and communal.
The cover image depicts the tawny-skinned face of a young girl, dark hair pulled back, eyes closed. Blue-green markings, like an aura, or graffiti, enhance her eyes, nose, and throat. The book’s title and its creators’ names gently arc above her head. But, this is not the story of a girl, it is the story of relationship, or more specifically, multiple relationships.
The art is whimsical and earthy, impressionistic and realistic; a strange combination I want to surround myself with – mostly it is peaceful and wise.
It begins: “Grandpa says circles are all around us. We just have to look for them.” The girl’s grandfather shows her the world as he sees it, and she looks. He is teaching her to perceive connections and apprehend, even if only vaguely, the unseen conditions that enable the seeable – the ancestors that precede you as well as the progeny that reach beyond you.
Lessons of connection continue in the family garden, where grandfather and granddaughter grow “crunchy lettuce, sweet carrots and spicy chiles.” They eat what they grow and return what they do not back to the earth, another cycle without clear beginning or end.
It’s a beautifully intimate story about so much more than two people. After they have searched and found many circles, grandfather and granddaughter sit under a tree in their yard. The grandfather is translucent, the curve of the tree tracing the curve of his back, the branches, part of him. The granddaughter, looking up at her grandfather with a smile, has pale white buds emanating from her head. This is a book that would not be the same with a different illustrator, images and text tease each other cleverly.
Sitting under the tree, where they bury their ancestors, the grandfather appears sad. They both hold their hands to the earth, part of something beyond themselves.
They leave the tree in the back yard and walk to a young apple tree that the grandfather planted for his granddaughter when she was born. She is the future, she is “new life.”
The text closes with a close-up of the girl, like the cover. This time her eyes are open. She is able to see what her grandfather has shown her.
This is a gorgeous book. I opened by saying it is a meditation and I’ll close on that sentiment. The message of connection, regardless of time, space, or matter, is beautiful. In an end note, the author, Xelena Gonzalex, of Native American and Spanish descent, writes that the text is specific to her culture, but also recognizes “more people are seeing themselves as part of a greater circle.” This is certainly the case, depending on where you look, if you are looking in the right places.
The book is a beautiful prompt to personal reflection about perception, connection, and time. It is also a wonderful conversation starter with young children about how to perceive their relationships to the world and other people. Author and illustrator create a beautifully choreographed text that tells a story with no beginning or end, but so much meaning.
All Around Us, written by Xelena Gonzalez and illustrated by Adriana M. Garcia, is a meditation. Garcia’s images are digitally generated and seem to straddle the line between spiritual and material, curving into a circle under the weight of Gonzalez’s poetic prose. This is fitting since the text explores time as neither linear nor marked by the progression of an individual, but instead cyclical and communal.
The cover image depicts the tawny-skinned face of a young girl, dark hair pulled back, eyes closed. Blue-green markings, like an aura, or graffiti, enhance her eyes, nose, and throat. The book’s title and its creators’ names gently arc above her head. But, this is not the story of a girl, it is the story of relationship, or more specifically, multiple relationships.
The art is whimsical and earthy, impressionistic and realistic; a strange combination I want to surround myself with – mostly it is peaceful and wise.
It begins: “Grandpa says circles are all around us. We just have to look for them.” The girl’s grandfather shows her the world as he sees it, and she looks. He is teaching her to perceive connections and apprehend, even if only vaguely, the unseen conditions that enable the seeable – the ancestors that precede you as well as the progeny that reach beyond you.
Lessons of connection continue in the family garden, where grandfather and granddaughter grow “crunchy lettuce, sweet carrots and spicy chiles.” They eat what they grow and return what they do not back to the earth, another cycle without clear beginning or end.
It’s a beautifully intimate story about so much more than two people. After they have searched and found many circles, grandfather and granddaughter sit under a tree in their yard. The grandfather is translucent, the curve of the tree tracing the curve of his back, the branches, part of him. The granddaughter, looking up at her grandfather with a smile, has pale white buds emanating from her head. This is a book that would not be the same with a different illustrator, images and text tease each other cleverly.
Sitting under the tree, where they bury their ancestors, the grandfather appears sad. They both hold their hands to the earth, part of something beyond themselves.
They leave the tree in the back yard and walk to a young apple tree that the grandfather planted for his granddaughter when she was born. She is the future, she is “new life.”
The text closes with a close-up of the girl, like the cover. This time her eyes are open. She is able to see what her grandfather has shown her.
This is a gorgeous book. I opened by saying it is a meditation and I’ll close on that sentiment. The message of connection, regardless of time, space, or matter, is beautiful. In an end note, the author, Xelena Gonzalex, of Native American and Spanish descent, writes that the text is specific to her culture, but also recognizes “more people are seeing themselves as part of a greater circle.” This is certainly the case, depending on where you look, if you are looking in the right places.
The book is a beautiful prompt to personal reflection about perception, connection, and time. It is also a wonderful conversation starter with young children about how to perceive their relationships to the world and other people. Author and illustrator create a beautifully choreographed text that tells a story with no beginning or end, but so much meaning.
October 23, 2019
All Around Us is a great way to show children what it means to understand and appreciate not knowing the full story of everything, and instead learning from others. The concept of circles as an idea of cyclical nature and a continual stream of events beginning and ending is a beautiful thing for readers young and old to understand. Xelena Gonzalez does a fantastic job of illustrating this and creating an atmosphere of educational content in the form of something many may not have fully understood before.
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