What Makes Us Human
by Victor D. O. Santos; illus. by Anna Forlati
Primary    Eerdmans    48 pp.
3/24    9780802856258    $18.99
e-book ed.  9781467467865    $18.99

In this thought-provoking book (published in partnership with UNESCO), Santos presents an engaging version of the guessing game “What Am I?” Readers can infer from the book’s title that the answer is the thing that makes us human, and the first-person text drops hints as to its identity (“I can show you love. But also hurt you”) on every double-page spread, letting readers know that it is both old and new; that it is everywhere; that we can see, hear, and feel it; and that it defines a culture. What is this ubiquitous thing? It is language. This book’s call for active engagement aptly celebrates the many ways of looking at a concept. Forlati’s digital illustrations represent both literal and figurative interpretations of the text and beg to be re-examined by the reader. For example, the speaker—language—states: “When you were a baby, you hardly knew me. Over time you have gotten to know me better and better. But when you are old, you may start to forget me.” The accompanying illustration depicts five stages of a child’s growth—during which time the child is knitting a sweater that grows larger, revealing a distinct pattern, one that fades as the sweater unravels and the child ages. Back matter discussing the growth, and loss, of languages and a note from UNESCO explaining the goals of the International Decade of Indigenous Languages (2022–2032) complete this fine book.

Pubissue-From the March/April 2024 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.