Our Pool by Lucy Ruth Cummins (review)

It’s the perfect day to go to the city pool, and our kid narrator and their mother join other parent-child duos heading for a swim. When they arrive, the narrator is covered with a heaping amount of sunblock, and then they cannonball right into the water with the rest of the poolgoers. As they swim, they make various observations about the people around them (“I spy bigger bodies, smaller bodies, taller bodies, and the smallest-of-all-bodies”; “I see lots of different types of skin, even sunburned skin—OUCH”) and enjoy being part of the flow, as “we do flips and we do handstands” and “take turns swimming through each other’s legs.” This picture book never shows viewers which of the parent-child pairings the narrator belongs to—rather, four or more sets of people of varying races and body types act out the described activities, allowing viewers to insert themselves if they so desire. The gouache art has a childlike draftsmanship, sticking to minimal facial features, squiggly lines, and a marker-like texture, and the vibrant hues convey the chlorine-scented excitement of a cool pool visit on a hot summer day. With an emphasis on inclusivity and communal joy, this is a gentle reminder to kids (and adults) to love the bodies they live in.