Everything Is Connected is a useful introduction to interdependence for children aged 4-8. The book, written by Jason Gruhl and illustrated by Ignasi Font, takes us on a whimsical tour through all the connections between every single thing in the universe—from people to blobfish to chairs and atoms.

In his author’s note in the book, Gruhl, a psychotherapist and founder of The Joshua School, a school for children with autism spectrum disorders and developmental disabilities in Colorado, says the book was inspired by questions he encountered while working in education, such as, “Why should we care about a child in Pakistan, the Coral Reefs in Australia, or a cow in China?”

Gruhl intentionally chose not to explore how things are connected, instead allowing space for readers to explore deeper questions outside of reading time. The book serves as a helpful starting point for sparking contemplation and conversation about interdependence and compassion, and would be a worthy addition to bookshelves at home and in the classroom.

We have read this book several times to our students and they enjoy the images and find new details every time we read it. Sometimes we skip over one page about how we are connected to the bad things in the world, that page is a bit intense for some of the children and requires discussion, so be prepared. Other than that it is really a lovely book. –Noa Jones, Middle Way Education

This is a magical story about the powerful idea that we are connected to absolutely everything in the universe.

Everything is connected.
And since you are part of everything,
you are connected to everything:

to pharaohs, Ben Franklin, T. Rex, ancient Greece, to love and to poverty, hunger and peace!

‘This is a magical story about the powerful idea that we are connected to absolutely everything in the universe.

Everything is connected.
And since you are part of everything,
you are connected to everything:
to pharaohs, Ben Franklin, T. Rex, ancient Greece, to love and to poverty, hunger and peace!’

Everything is Connected by Jason Gruhl & Ignasi Font is a cute book with quirky art that shows kids how we are all connected, to one another and everything else in the universe. It's written in amusing rhyme, making use of things kids find funny. The lessons in this little book are big. It leaves open to the possibility of a beneficial dialogue between child and caregivers. Exactly how everything is connected is never mentioned, leaving it open to interpretation.

***Many thanks to Netgalley & Shambhala Publications for providing an ecopy in exchange for a fair and honest review. ( )