Review By: Erica Young
Published: 2023
Genres: Fiction, Children’s Literature, Picture Book, Mental Health
Audience: Preschool – 3rd grade, Pre-K – 2nd Grade
Goodreads Link: Beneath
Content Warnings: death
Publisher’s Summary
Finn is in a horrible mood and doesn’t want to talk about it. After some persuading, though, they agree to go for a hike with Grandpa. Throughout their forest walk, they see many different things: big, strong trees with networks of roots growing underneath, still water with schools of fish swimming below, and an expectant bird with eggs nestled under her. It’s when the pair pass fellow hikers that Finn realizes that people, just like the elements of nature, are more than they appear. Grandpa explains that sometimes beneath a person who seems like they won’t understand what you’re feeling, is someone feeling the exact same way. This sweet and tender picture book celebrates our similarities, differences, and that there’s always more under the surface of what we can see.
Review
This is a beautiful and tender story that so lovingly points out how there is more to what we see on the surface. Through a gentle hike with Grandpa, Finn sees connections everywhere: under the ground, under the stillness of the water, and what is on the inside of people, not just the outside. Grandpa wisely explains that ‘Beneath actions are explanations, beneath what is different is what’s the same.’ This theme of the internal versus the external self is powerfully conveyed through stunning illustrations and spare, poignant text.
The book is an excellent tool for Social-Emotional Learning (SEL), facilitating classroom conversations about empathy and understanding that others may be struggling or feeling similarly even if they don’t show it. For an ELA curricular connection, teachers can use the text to explore the central theme of perspective, discussing how Finn’s initial “horrible mood” influences how they perceive the world until Grandpa provides a new, deeper lens. This book is a great addition to any classroom!
