Review Detail

“Yours, Mine, Ours: A Celebration of Service and Community” by Arun Gandhi and Bethany Hegedus, illustrated by Andrés Landazábal, allows readers to be a part of the community within the pages of the book, posing the question that starts the book off: “What does it mean to serve?”

There are so many ways in which that question can be answered. Whether by being kind to others, doing random acts of kindness, or righting a wrong, everyone is capable of serving, whether individually or as a group. The book shows the power of working together to make change and asks questions as the pages go on, including “Is there good in serving?” along with a twist on it when asked, “Does serving bring the good?”

Taking care of others and ourselves is an important aspect of serving. It is also vital to realize that serving is not only about giving, but also about receiving, such as in welcoming a compliment, allowing someone else to help us when we need it, etc. The book ends on a simple note: “who we are and what we have is meant to be shared.”

This beautifully illustrated book teaches a very poignant lesson that we must work on ourselves in order to do our best for not only ourselves, but for others to maintain a community of like-minded citizens. The last page of the book provides a note to readers that talks about Dr. Arun Gandhi, grandson of peacemaker Mahatma Gandhi, and how service can be a part of all we do and who we are, if only we let it.