Hands Say Love - Hardcover

George Shannon is a storyteller and a children's librarian. He is the author of A Very Witchy Spelling Bee, Lizard's Song, Tomorrow's Alphabet, Who Put the Cookies in the Cookie Jar?, and more than thirty other titles. He lives in Washington.
Taeeun Yoo is the illustrator of several acclaimed children's books including So Many Days, a Kids' Indie Next List pick; Only a Witch Can Fly, a New York Times Book Review Best Illustrated Children's Book and an Ezra Jack Keats Book Award Winner; and The Umbrella Queen, a Time Magazine Top 10 Children's Book of the Year. She lives in New York City.

PreS-Gr 1—Rhyming couplets follow the activities of a loving family in this gentle book for toddlers. Beginning with the dawn of a new day, parents sweetly wake a child, a sibling helps pour a cup of milk, a parent's hands carefully guide baby's steps, a child entertains with a puppet, and many hands complete daily tasks. "Make a gift./Help you lift/Fold a hat./Pet the cat.." A party is prepared and celebrated with friends—"Play a song./Clap along." And the final steps to the day are completed—"Hands that hold a book to share./Hands that brush and braid your hair." A mix of block printing, pencil, and digital work, the lovely illustrations have a hand-drawn look, as each scene provides easily recognizable images for the youngest readers, ending with the most important words of the day, "Hands that do all they can do/are also saying, 'I love you.'" VERDICT For a family read or simple identification of the day's activities, this charming book sends a loving message and will be a hit in most libraries.—Mary Elam, Learning Media Services, Plano ISD, TX