9781467752145
$19.99
Interactive books for the win, this year. As I mentioned before, whenever I read a new picture book, whether fiction or nonfiction, its suitability for story time is always at the front of my mind. I have been very pleased with the number of books published recently that fit into that mold!
This one could fit in nicely with a story time about careers or community helpers. Rhyming text and pictures give easy to follow clues as to each person's job - farmer, potter, news reporter, etc. The answering line comes after you turn the page, which lends well to predicting and audience participation. Busy illustrations include a variety of skin colors and avoid gender stereotypes. At the end, children are asked what THEIR hands might do, and the illustration is of children in a classroom dressed as the adults in the preceding pages.
Unfortunately, there is one line that will probably prevent me from using this in a story time myself. In the spread covering police officers, the words star out positive ("These hands help us keep the peace"), but end with, "Hold yours up, it's the police!" Um...do we really want children to associate police with someone about to arrest them?? Especially in the aftermath of losing a local police officer, and with all the conflicts in the news, I don't think I will be presenting this one out loud.
Of course, reader's prerogative - you could change the line to something like, "let's give a hand to...the police!" What other substitutions can you come up with?
