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Two Hands to Love You

by Diane Adams & Paige Keiser, illustrator

Chronicle Books      2014

978-0-8118-7797-8

Age 4 to 8     36 pages

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“With two loving hands, an adoring mother cradles her baby after bath time and a devoted father introduces his toddler to the wonders of he world. Sister, brother, grandma, and grandpa all can’t wait to share what they love best about the world with their newest family member. And when it is time to step ot into the world, this caring family is right there alongside. In simple, heartfelt language, this soothing picture book for the very young will tug at the heartstrings and remind us all of the caring hands that helped us along our way.”

Opening

“When the world is a strange place, unfamiliar and new,

my two hands will hold you, will carry you through.”

The Story

In a nutshell, the story is about a couple who begin a family and the paths they take with their children as they grow and become a family of five—plus two involved grandparents. The first baby is gently cared for, everything new for everyone, not just the baby. As he grows, mom plays outside with her toddler, pulling him in a wagon after an afternoon bath in the sun.

Dad takes over, playing airplane with his son, then cradles the new baby and pledges his love. The first-born cares for the second-born, a girl as curious as her brother. Then the third arrives and the three kids guide and love each other.

Grandparents read to their grandson and blow bubbles for this newest child. The joys of childhood and a mother who races to her crying child. This all is part of this family of five, who love each other.

Review

My loyal readers know what I will write in this space and it will not be that I hated this book. The story is composed of fragments of time, caught like photographs. A mother holds her first-born close, never wanting to let go, but she does. With dad, the toddler continues to grow and this happy family of three thrives. Then enters child number two, a girl. It is daddy’s turn to hold the baby close, his little girl. The images that accompany each frame of time softly plays the scene out for us.

Using watercolors and ink, the artist catches these tender moments, making them precious and tenderer, if that is even possible. Her images could tell this story without the text, which is what a good illustrated picture book should do—words for adults and kids, images for little ones, not yet a reader. I tended to pick up this book and turn its pages carefully, feeling the fragility of family, and the joys of one so close.

Children have real childhoods, playing with each other, guiding each other. Along the way, various hands help the children to grow: mom, dad, grandma and grandpa, and many more not shown.The sweetness is palatable. Two Hands to Love You may well have you thinking about your own little ones, whether they are still little or grown and on their own, maybe starting families. Alternatively, of your own childhood and what that meant to you.

I love the rhyming text. The words fit together perfectly, meaning I did not immediately recognize the rhyme, just the smooth flow of words that belonged together in that precise order. I think this story can help others remember what a family needs to be—a shelter in the storm and a place to learn and grow without ridicule and maybe a little rhyme.

I love the inherent gentleness the illustrations give us. I love the extended family all involved in raising a child. I guess I simply love Two Hands to Love You, which is an ideal baby shower gift. This is also an, “Oh, my, gosh, you’re pregnant” gift. New parents will cherish Two Hands to Love You. It would be the couple’s first, How to Raise Baby book.

For children Two Hands to Love You reinforces that parents will always be there for them, no matter the distance. That home is a shelter from the storm. A place to recharge before heading back into the world. Children want to know their parents will also be there for them. That message rings loudly through the tender pages of Two Hands to Love You.

TWO HANDS TO LOVE YOU. Text copyright © 2014 by Diane Adams. Illustrations copyright © 2014 by Paige Keiser. Reproduce by permission of the publisher, Chronicle Books, San Francisco, CA.

To learn more about Two Hands to Love You, click HERE.

Make Two Hands to Love You yours by going to Amazon—B&N—Chronicle Books—or your local bookstore.

Meet the author, Diane Adams at her website:   http://www.dianeadams.net/

Meet the illustrator, Paige Keiser at her website:   http://www.paigekeiser.com/

Find other incredible books at the Chronicle Books website:   http://www.chroniclebooks.com/

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Also by Paige Keiser

The Little Green Pea

One Night In Bethlehem

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Today is National Library Workers Day

Be extras nice to those who staff your library!

3 great titles for you all this week!


First up, we have the book all parents of toddlers are desperately in need of. I Can Do It Myself, written by Diane Adams and illustrated by Nancy Hayashi is a sweet little story about Emily, a very big girl that doesn't like it when her mommy tries to help her. Emily can peanut butter her own bread, fold her own clothes, and tie her own shoes and does NOT want her mom's help at all.

When it comes to bedtime, Emily can do all of the things necessary to get ready for bed, but when shadows creep on the walls in the dark, sometimes it's nice to let mommy give some comfort and read a story. After all, doing things all by herself isn't always fun!

A very sweet story with wonderful illustrations, I Can Do It Myself would make a nice one-on-one story with mommy (or daddy) and their little one...especially for those at toddler age.

I Can Do It Myself
Diane Adams
32 pages
Picture Book
Peachtree Publishers
9781561454716
March 2009

Big Cat Pepper, written by Elizabeth Partridge and illustrated by Lauren Castillo, is a great example of a book to explain the death of a pet to a young child.

Big Cat Pepper has always been a big part of the family, but lately he hasn't been acting right. He doesn't want to eat and seems to sleep all the time...and Mama says he might die.

The kitty does pass away and the boy experiences his beloved pet's death in a safe, secure environment with his parents explaining everything very nicely. I felt the illustrations were done extremely well, the subject matter was written appropriately for a young child, and the book would make a nice selection for libraries.

Big Cat Pepper
Elizabeth Partridge
32 pages
Picture Book
Bloomsbury
9781599900247
May 2009

The Little Green Pea, written by Alison Barber and illustrated by Paige Keiser is an absolutely adorable story of dreaming big (and throws in a little eco-info too)! A little green pea lives in a row of 53, but dreams of becoming a tree someday. All of the other peas know better...they know what will become of them, but the little green pea is determined to be something more than just a part of a dish.

When the little pea is plucked...and indeed headed for a dinner table he uses his quick wits to get out of the bucket. However, what happens next is very unexpected AND we get a cool visitor to the story. I don't want to give too much away!

A cute choice for libraries and a nice storytime read aloud.

The Little Green Pea
Alison Barber
32 pages
Picture Book
Sleeping Bear Press
9781585364480
May 2009

To learn more, or to purchase, click on the book cover above to link to Amazon.