Heart Strings

K-Gr 2–In this gentle story of connection and community, Boynton-Hughes depicts the entire world sharing an unbreakable bond, portrayed as colorful strings linking every person together. Featuring the repeated phrase, “My heart is tied to yours,” soft, rhyming text directly addresses readers as “you” and explains that while “we” have not yet met, or may live incredibly far apart, hearts are joined, and emotions are shared. Serene illustrations portray neighbors meeting for the first time, a classroom filled with laughter, a friend comforting another in grief, scenes that take place across oceans, cities, mountains, and gardens. All the while, everyone’s hearts remain connected by the colorful strings. While this book does not delve into the conflicts and differences felt by many, its focus on unity and relationships delivers a positive and unified vision of the world to which readers may aspire. Pair with Stacy McAnulty’s A Small Kindness, or perhaps Corrinne Averiss’s Love for similar themes.