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More or Less

Contributors

By Alison Hughes

Illustrated by Oge Mora

Formats and Prices

On Sale
Jun 10, 2025
Page Count
40 pages
ISBN-13
9780316592604

Price

$18.99

Price

$24.99 CAD

Format

Hardcover

Format:

Hardcover $18.99 $24.99 CAD

Celebrate the power of living more sustainably, simply, and generously in this inspiring visual adventure from Alison Hughes and Caldecott honoree Oge Mora!

What if less could be more?

A child’s bedroom, and the rest of his house, has become cluttered with stuff. But when one small act of giving something away sparks joy, he keeps going—and before you know it, his little sister, friends, and family get involved in donating items to people in need and bringing the whole community together for a swap party. Here is a heartening story that illustrates for the youngest readers how less can be MORE: more space for living, loving, and knowing that we already have PLENTY.

Brought to life in intricate collage by award-winning artist Oge Mora, More or Less takes the meaning of “reduce, reuse, recycle” into the realm of community-building and the cultivation of kindness and meaning.

  • "A gentle yet powerful book that introduces the young to sustainability and community-building, while offering a message that resonates well beyond its intended audience."
    School Library Journal
  • Praise for Saturday:

    Publishers Weekly Most Anticipated Children's Books of Fall 2019
    A Fall 2019 Kids' Indie Next List
    A NYPL Best Books of 2019
    A School LibraryJournal Best Picture Books of 2019
    ParentsMagazine 30 Best Kids' Books of 2019
    An Amazon Best Children's Book of 2-19 Ages 3-5
    Kirkus Reviews Best Children's books of 2019
    A 2019 Horn Book Fanfare


    "Once again, Mora paces her tale perfectly, and her collage art delights and enchants." B>The New York Times Book Review

    * "How wonderful: a book with both racial diversity and class diversity that feels authentic. Special and splendid." B>Kirkus Reviews, starred review

    * "The family handles the stress of dashed expectations in a way that acknowledges disappointment while conveying the buoyancy of resilience and the joy of their bond. And a delightful coda may inspire readers to share the inventive way they salvage their day." —Publishers Weekly, starred review

    * "The simple yet heartfelt story tugs at the emotions, but it's the paper collage artwork that really packs a punch. Created with acrylic paints, china markers, patterned paper, and print clippings, the bright illustrations are inventively conceived and full of motion-just the right vehicle for bringing this Black mother-daughter duo to vibrant life." B>Booklist, starred review

    Praise for Thank You, Omu!:

    A 2019 Caldecott Honor Book
    Winner of the Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Illustrator Award
    An ALA Children's Notables List Selection 2019
    CCBC Choices 2019
    A New York Times Notable Children's Book of 2018
    A Bank Street College Best Children's Book of 2018
    A Publishers' Weekly Best Book of 2018
    A Boston Globe Best Children's Book of 2018
    A School Library Journal Best Book of 2018
    A New York Times Book Review Editors' Choice Staff Pick
    A Chicago Public Library Best Book of 2018
    2019 E.B. White Read-Aloud Award Finalist
    Jumpstart Read for the Record Selection 2019


    * "A memorable tale of community and the unexpected rewards of sharing." B>School Library Journal, starred review

    * "A lovely story of giving and community founded in Nigerian culture. Delectable." B>Kirkus Reviews, starred review

    * "Mora [is] a major new talent.... Rhythmic, refrainlike...this sweet story of inclusivity, gratitude, and delicious fellowship is also a feast for the eyes."
    Publishers Weekly, starred review

Alison Hughes

About the Author

Alison Hughes has published sixteen books for children, some of which have been translated into Dutch, Korean, Turkish and French. In the US, her books have been a Junior Library Guild selection, and listed as best books of the year with both the Bank Street College of Education and Resource Links. She has also had an Honorable Mention and a Young Adult Notable Book citation with the Sigurd F. Olson Nature Writing Award (SONWA).
In Canada, she won the national Writers’ Union Writing for Children Award and has been a finalist for Canada’s Governor-General’s Literary Awards, the Alberta Literary Awards, and nine times for provincial children’s choice awards, including Ontario’s Silver Birch. Her short fiction has been short- and long-listed for the Writers’ Union Short Fiction Competition and the CBC Literary Awards. She currently works as a casual Writing Advisor/Editor for the University of Alberta’s Academic Success Centre, gives workshops and presentations at schools, libraries, young author conferences and festivals across the country, and volunteers with child welfare and literacy organizations. She lives in Edmonton, Alberta.

Learn more about this author

Oge Mora

About the Illustrator

Oge Mora es la creadora de ¡Gracias, Omu!, recibió una Mención de Honor del Premio Caldecott, fue ganadora del Premio Coretta Scott King-John Steptoe para Nuevos Talentos y también recibió el Premio al Libro Ezra Jack Keats. Su segundo libro, Saturday, ganó el Premio al Libro Infantil Boston Globe-Horn Book en 2020. También ha ilustrado varios libros infantiles, entre ellos I’m From de Gary R. Gray Jr., Everybody in the Red Brick Building de Anne Wynter y The Oldest Student de Rita Lorraine Hubbard. Oge vive en Providence, Rhode Island, y te invita a visitar su página web: ogemora.com.

Oge Mora graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design with a BFA in illustration. When not painting in her studio, Oge is in the kitchen cooking her late grandmother’s recipes. Her first picture book, Thank You, Omu!, was a Caldecott Honor, a New York Times Notable Book and Editors’ Choice, and a Junior Library Guild selection. She lives in Providence, Rhode Island, and invites you to visit her website at http://www.ogemora.com.

Learn more about this illustrator