In While We’re Here, the prolific duo of Anne Wynter (Everybody in the Red Brick Building, Nell Plants a Tree) and Micha Archer (Wonder Walkers, Daniel Finds a Poem) combine talents to create a lively celebration of the joys of slowing down, seizing the moment and breathing in the beauty of your surroundings—a much needed, often unheeded message in today’s busy world.
A mother and daughter rush out of their apartment on a beautiful day, dashing to the subway to reach a birthday party in a park. “Hurry, hurry,” the mother chides. “We have somewhere to be!” There’s no time to spare as they rush to their destination, only to find that the party was yesterday—and all that’s left is a red balloon and a birthday banner still strung in the trees. After a moment of dismay, the pair decide to enjoy the park now that they suddenly have no schedule. They roll down the hill, explore a stone arch bridge, watch ducklings and lie on boulders in the stream, rejoicing in the fact that “we have nowhere to be.”
It’s a glorious change of pace, made all the more wondrous by Archer’s detailed collage illustrations, which invite readers to linger and enjoy every nook and corner. There are fun details, like the girl’s shoe, which is lost (and quickly found) during the rush to the subway. Archer’s collages are exquisitely vibrant and detailed, as in the newsprint seen on the subway column or the cupcake print on a passenger’s skirt. The park scenes are stunning, with wonderfully detailed variegations in the grass, trees and rocks. Archer’s use of red as an accent color in details like the balloon and the mother and daughter’s jackets and footwear is masterful.
With spare text and lush illustrations, While We’re Here makes its carpe diem message joyously clear on every beautiful page and speaks to readers of all ages.