LET'S DO EVERYTHING AND NOTHING

A mother and her young daughter, cued as Taiwanese American, explore the world together.

The two climb a snowy mountain, swim with manta rays in the ocean, stargaze, “follow trails on summer nights,” lie in a field to watch cloud parades of “majestic beasts,” and more. Readers will decide whether these remarkable adventures are real or metaphors for the imaginative worlds mother and daughter explore while spending the day together indoors. The duo’s excursions end with the peaceful rituals of bathtime and teatime, as they “watch the shadows stretch” then doze on the rug. With just a single picturesque sentence per double-page spread, Kuo creates a sweeping yet intimate narrative about the experiences of contentment and togetherness that make even small moments seem extraordinary and that anchor us through life’s highs and lows. This connectedness, the book suggests, helps us “reach the very top, the very bottom, the very end” of life’s journeys as we “do everything and nothing” together. The tranquil digital illustrations use a three-tone or four-tone palette with striking color contrasts and sometimes recall Japanese Ukiyo-e landscape art (Kuo is Taiwanese American.) Visual details like a bag of shrimp chips, Chinese calligraphy, and a Zhongguo knot add cultural authenticity. This offering would make a wonderful gift book for expectant parents and may inspire young readers with new ideas for outdoor activities. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A quiet book with a loud message about the everyday things that create constancy in a world of ephemeral pleasures.