PLACE HAND HERE

Hands are for touching, connecting, and loving—even from far away.

A brown-skinned child with dark hair lives in a big apartment building in a busy city. There’s a big bright yellow painted handprint set against a heart on one otherwise plain wall of the building. Racially diverse neighbors stop by; pressing their hands against the print, they reconnect with faraway or deceased loved ones as the wall transforms into a poignant remembered scene. Ms. Iris, who presents Asian, recalls cooking with her family back in her home country. Young Savannah, cued Latine, remembers assembling a puzzle with her late abuela, while Amani and Eli are reminded of their father, a migrant worker who went south recently. Yamasaki’s spare, expressive text pairs beautifully with lush, vivid scenes full of tiny, discoverable details. Images of people flying off in paper airplanes or walking across a rainbow bridge represent ways to connect with those who aren’t present. The protagonist, it turns out, has a story, too, one that inspired the creation of this magical handprint in the hopes a loved one will come home soon. In an author’s note, Yamasaki describes how her experiences making art with incarcerated women living in Mexico and the United States inspired this story; she includes a list of organizations that help families affected by incarceration. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Tender, affirming, and relevant for all families and communities.