Teammates Curtis and Cornell have once again produced a winningly simple yet profound picture book that uses a play on the word “race” to ask, through a variety of child-posed questions, about the significant competition we all face as humans. What’s the race all about? When did it start? How does one compete and train? What about winning or losing? The second half of Curtis’s rhyming ode to humanity concludes with a series of responses pointing out everyone’s responsibility to “just try your best” and help one another “make the world better for the whole human race.” Cornell’s signature full-color cartoon illustrations with hand-lettered text comically portray a variety of contests the young hero imagines with angst and concern as he continues to wonder. Sound philosophy ingeniously expressed in an amusing and insightful way that both youngsters can understand and we older folk should heed. (Picture book. 5-10)
