If your hands can mix and mash, what job might you have?

Hands can wiggle, hands can clap.

Hands can wrap and flap and tap.

But hands can help—so raise yours, please!

Can you guess? Whose hands are these?

What if your hands reach, wrench, yank, and crank? The hands in this book—and the people attached to them—do all sorts of helpful work. And together, these helpers make their community a safe and fun place to live.

As you read, keep an eye out for community members who make repeat appearances! Can you guess all the jobs based on the actions of these busy hands?

Miranda Paul is an award-winning children's book author. Her recent books include One Plastic Bag: Isatou Ceesay and the Recycling Women of the Gambia, a Junior Library Guild selection. She lives in Green Bay, Wisconsin, with her husband and two children. Find out more at www.mirandapaul.com and www.oneplasticbag.com.



Luciana Navarro Powell was born in Brazil and worked as a product and graphic designer and before becoming an illustrator. She incorporates watercolor, photographs, and scanned objects into her artwork. She lives with her husband and two children in San Diego, California.

The inspiring true story of how one African woman began a movement to recycle the plastic bags that were polluting her community.


Plastic bags are cheap and easy to use. But what happens when a bag breaks or is no longer needed? In Njau, Gambia, people simply dropped the bags and went on their way. One plastic bag became two. Then ten. Then a hundred.


The bags accumulated in ugly heaps alongside roads. Water pooled in them, bringing mosquitoes and disease. Some bags were burned, leaving behind a terrible smell. Some were buried, but they strangled gardens. They killed livestock that tried to eat them. Something had to change.


Isatou Ceesay was that change. She found a way to recycle the bags and transform her community. This inspirational true story shows how one person's actions really can make a difference in our world.

Drip. Sip. Pour me a cup. Water is water unless...it heats up.
Whirl. Swirl. Watch it curl by. Steam is steam unless...it cools high.

This spare, poetic picture book follows a group of kids as they move through all the different phases of the water cycle. From rain to fog to snow to mist, talented author Miranda Paul and the always remarkable Jason Chin (Redwoods, Coral Reefs, Island, Gravity) combine to create a beautiful and informative journey in this innovative nonfiction picture book that will leave you thirsty for more.

How do you give thanks?

Gratitude isn't something we need to save up for a special holiday. What are you grateful for right now, today?

This anthology brings together a diverse group of poets who express gratitude for everything from a puppy to hot cocoa to the sky itself. Each writer uses a different poetic form, and readers will encounter a concrete poem, a sonnet, a pantoum, a sijo, and much more.

Contributors include Kimberly Blaeser, Sun Yung Shin, Naomi Shihab Nye, Charles Waters, Janice Scully, Jane Yolen, Traci Sorell, JaNay Brown-Wood, Cynthia Leitich Smith, Margarita Engle, and more. Stunning illustrations from Marlena Myles invite close examination, making this a collection to return to and savor again and again.

A portion of the proceeds from this anthology will be donated to We Need Diverse Books.

Discover the true story of how environmentalist Farmer Tantoh is transforming the landscape in his home country of Cameroon.


When Tantoh Nforba was a child, his fellow students mocked him for his interest in gardening. Today he's an environmental hero, bringing clean water and bountiful gardens to the central African nation of Cameroon. Authors Miranda Paul and Baptiste Paul share Farmer Tantoh's inspiring story.

Journey far beyond our solar system and explore the marvels of interstellar space. A wonder-filled poem and spectacular illustrations bring readers across the observable universe to encounter dwarf planets, black holes, brand-new stars, and other incredible phenomena. Award-winning author Miranda Paul and illustrator Sija Hong present a fresh and fascinating journey to the outer reaches of outer space.