Skip to main content

Review: Between My Hands


Written by Mitali Perkins
Illustrated by Naveen Selvanathan
New York: Farrar, Straus, Giroux Books for Young Readers, 2024. Picture Book.

Family and community are two of life's greatest treasures. This delightful book highlights the beauty of both of these things. Sweet, young Maya misses her grandfather who is far away in another country. Even though he's not around, his words of wisdom are constantly in Maya's mind. He would often ask her, "What's between your hands when you namaste the world?"

While Maya is missing her grandfather, she is going about her daily life and trying to come up with the answer to her grandfather's question. During the course of her day, a wide variety of people in Maya's community need help from her. She is quite willing to go and help the people around her. During her interactions with these people, she often asks them what is between their hands when they namaste.

She gets lots of different answers from the people in her family and community. Maya is constantly thinking about how she has small hands, but she still wants to offer the world her gifts. I loved the illustrations in this book. I think it would be great for starting conversations with children about the good they can offer their communities. And I truly enjoyed seeing the many connections Maya made with so many people!

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

De la hora del cuento: La letra "F"

Cuentos Gustavo: el fantasmita timido Por Flavia Z. Drago Somerville, Massachusetts : Candlewick Press, 2020. Libro ilustrado. "Conoce a Gustavo. Ɖl es un fantasma y como a cualquier ser paranormal le encanta hacer lo que le es normal: atravesar paredes, hacer volar objetos y brillar en la oscuridad. TambiĆ©n le encanta tocar el violĆ­n. Pero Gustavo tiene un problema. Ɖl es muy, muy tĆ­mido, y aunque su deseo mĆ”s grande es tener amigos, nunca se ha atrevido a hablarle a ninguno de los monstruos en su pueblito. Con el DĆ­a de Muertos cerca, ¿se atreverĆ” Gustavo a dejar que lo vean?" --Editor Cuentitos ¡Yo sola! Por Sumana Seeboruth y Maribel Castells Concord : Barefoot Books, 2023. PequeƱo libro ilustrado. "Yo sola. ¡No, no, no! Puedo hacerlo. ¡Vete, vete, vete! Esta niƱa no quiere que la ayuden ... hasta que su hermana mayor necesita ayuda. ¡El trabajo en equipo es divertido!" --Editor Otros libros sobre la letra "F" El bosque en familia Maisy juega fĆŗtbol Lo...

Review: Alina in Her Roots

Alina in Her Roots Written by Shenaaz Nanji Illustrations by Beena Mistry Toronto, ON : Second Story Press, 2026. Intermediate. 91 pages. Alina is traveling by herself from her home in Canada to Nairobi, Kenya. But it's more than just a vacation to visit her favorite cousin Safi—Alina is on a secret mission to find her roots. Her family history started in India with her great-great-great-grandparents. Her parents were born in Kenya, then moved to Canada where she was born. She's heard stories about Kenya but wants to know where she fits in and to find what she is missing. Nairobi is a welcoming, vibrant, exciting place where so much feels so different. Alina writes journal entries to her Nani about her experiences, finding ways to make her own stories through matatu rides, trips to the market, a safari, and meals shared with new loved ones. This is a really well-written, cheerful and reassuring realistic fiction about the adventure of exploring different places and cultures. 

From Story Time: The Letter "F"

Preschool Time Family of Friends Written by Varsha Bajaj Illustrated by Ishaa Lobo New York: Nancy Paulsen Books, 2025. Picture Book. Isha can't wait for her birthday party. Nani, her fun-loving grandmother, is coming all the way from India to be there! So when Nani has to postpone her trip, Isha is crushed. She no longer feels like celebrating. Fortunately, she has a whole neighborhood of friends to cheer her up, and they all work together to make her day truly special. This moving intergenerational story shows the impact that chosen family can have and is a wonderful reminder to appreciate all the important people in our lives. --Publisher Preschool Time Found By Salina Yoon New York: Walker Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Bloomsbury, 2014. Picture Book. Upon finding a toy rabbit in the forest, Bear tries his very best to return it to its home but by the time its owner appears, Bear has become attached to Bunny. --Editor Toddler Time On All Fours By Gaƫtan DorƩmus Brooklyn...