We the People Is All the People
Review posted July 1, 2026.
Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2026. 36 pages.
Review written June 4, 2026, from a library book.
Starred Review
The concept of this picture book is simple and beautiful. The first page after the title page lists the Preamble to the United States Constitution, of course beginning with "We the People." The rest of the book shows the wonderful multi-faceted diversity of the people of the United States.
Here's how it begins:
"We the people" is all the people.
People
next door,
down the street,
and across the country,
in cities,
towns,
and farms.People
living in houses,
apartments,
and in shelters,who worship in churches,
mosques,
and temples.People
who were here,
who arrived later,
who still come today.
And so it continues. Of course the pictures add great resonance - showing us a wide variety of people who fit each description.
A later section includes:
People
who look different ways,
love different ways,
and communicate different ways.People
on assembly lines,
bread lines,
and protest lines.
And the last couple spreads:
Her. Him. Them.
You. Me. Us."We the people" is ALL the people.
There's an author's note at the back where he does acknowledge that the Constitution was originally written not for all the people, but for landowning white men. But I like his conclusion:
Some injustices have been corrected, such as emancipating the enslaved and giving women the vote, while others we are still working on.
Although things are better today, and there are more people included in "we the people" than when the preamble was written, for every step forward there is often a step backward, and there are still so many people left out. We still have much more work to do to include all the "we" in "we the people" as we strive to create a more perfect union.
This simple and beautiful picture book helps me believe that we can raise up the next generation to help make it so. Reading this book is a perfect way to celebrate America's 250th birthday.