This triumphant picture book recasts a charged phrase as part of a black girl's everyday life - hands up for a hug, hands up in class, hands up for a high five - before culminating in a moment of resistance at a protest march.
This triumphant picture book recasts a charged phrase as part of a black girl's everyday life--hands up for a hug, hands up in class, hands up for a high five--before culminating in a moment of resistance at a protest march.
A young black girl lifts her baby hands up to greet the sun, reaches her hands up for a book on a high shelf, and raises her hands up in praise at a church service. She stretches her hands up high like a plane's wings and whizzes down a hill so fast on her bike with her hands way up. As she grows, she lives through everyday moments of joy, love, and sadness. And when she gets a little older, she joins together with her family and her community in a protest march, where they lift their hands up together in resistance and strength.
Praise for Hands Up!"This book turns the phrase [hands up] on its head to give little ones confidence and pride, culminating in activism."
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USA Today"In dynamic multi-media art, family, friends, and community fill one African-American girl's life with love. . . .
Hands Up! can singularly or simultaneous serve as a kid-friendly preview of growing up, as catalyst for a conversation about the dangers of being black in America, and/or as determined reclamation of a loaded phrase."
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San Francisco Chronicle“The epitome of #blackgirljoy . . . Empowering.”
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Mashable * “McDaniel’s debut picture book offers a jubilant paean to a universal, everyday occurrence . . . Spare, deeply expressive mixed-media pictures by Evans feature vivid colors and inventive textures, and they underscore the power of helping hands. . . . An uplifting celebration of advocating for oneself, aiding those in need, and connecting with one’s community.”
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Publishers Weekly, starred review
* “This successfully delivers a message of everyday celebration in one simple gesture. As an introduction for children to social activism, this book will serve well. A terrific read-aloud for one-on-one and small group sharing.”
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School Library Journal, starred review
* "Sobering and celebratory both, writer and artist triumphantly assure all audiences, especially young black readers, 'You matter.'"
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Shelf Awareness, starred review
“A warm and necessary message of empowerment for black children, helping them see that raising their hands is a celebration of their humanity.”
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Kirkus “A book that highlights the joys of black and brown childhood while it positions very young children as leaders and agents of change.”
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The Horn Book
