My Hands Can

“My Hands Can" by Ammi-Joan Paquette, with vibrant illustrations by Abrena Khadija, is a delightful board book perfect for babies, toddlers, and preschoolers, though older children and even adults can benefit from its positive message. The story is packed with rhyme and rhythm, making it enjoyable to read aloud and a great tool for building language skills in kids. It focuses on all the wonderful things hands can do—like building and stacking—but it goes deeper than that. This book also shows how hands can connect us on an emotional level, whether by picking others up when they fall or waving to people we love.
One of my favorite features of "My Hands Can" is its inclusivity. Khadija incorporates American Sign Language, showcases Braille as an example of "reading down the line," and includes prosthetics in the illustrations. These thoughtful details add a much richer layer to the storytelling. Reading this book together would be a great way to help teach children to love their bodies and the things they can do. The only thing I wished for was to see even more variety in the hands depicted. While I loved the inclusion of a character with a prosthetic hand, I would have liked to see hands with different shapes and sizes beyond the traditional five-fingered form.
After reading, my family had a great conversation about how our hands are all good at different things. Some people are great at untying knots, while others are pros at opening jars. We talked about how just because you can’t do one thing with your hands doesn’t mean you can’t do something else great with them.
The simple, bright color palette and sharp, clean shapes make the illustrations easy for small children to understand, and the representation of all skin tones ensures that every child can see someone who looks like them doing amazing things with their hands. Overall, this book is a lovely reminder that what our bodies can do is far more important than how they look. Perfect for little hands and growing minds!