ONE HEART Review—Positivity Through Song

Editor's Note: Read our interview with ONE HEART author and composer Tara Drouin 

A mix-and-match picture book, song, and YouTube video. 

Smiling children hold hands, splash through puddles, and play in the grass. A guitar strums cheerfully, and sings that even though “We might not all look the same… Inside everybody’s got one heart.”

Tara Drouin’s One Heart began as a song. Then, collaborating with illustrator Nancy Noskewicz, she turned the lyrics into the text for a picture book, which can be read on its own or along with the song. A YouTube video combines the two, playing the audio over a slideshow of the books pages.

ONE HEART Spreads a Positive Message in Multiple Formats

One Heart’s message of inclusivity is an extremely basic one, and won’t be a new idea for most children. That said, the idea that we should love everyone despite differing looks and preferences can hardly be reinforced too many times. If the song gets stuck in your child’s head—and judging by this reviewer’s experience, the song will get stuck in their head—the constant repetition may feel more worthwhile than if it were The Wheels on The Bus.

In this writer’s view, if you have to pick between the book and the song, pick the song. Without knowing the tune, some phrases that make sense as lyrics read a bit clunkily on the page. For those learning to read, however, having the book in front of them so they can follow along with their finger while listening could be a great way to practice new words. If you’re a parent looking for an upbeat song with a positive message to keep your kids entertained in the car, One Heart is worth a try.

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Author - Tara Drouin
Illustrator - Nancy Noskewicz

For more information, read our interview with Tara Drouin.

To purchase a hard copy, visit the Amazon page for ONE HEART.

You can listen to ONE HEART on Spotify, or watch a video that includes the illustrations on YouTube.

Images courtesy of ONE HEART