Join Hands!: The Ways We Celebrate Life

School Library Journal

K-Gr 3

Children of assorted ages and ethnicities dance, dress up, and act out different scenes. They play instruments, ice skate (alone and in groups), and perform or parade. Their energy is evident in every crisp, colorful photograph. The text is a pantoum, a Malaysian poetic form that repeats various elements in four-line stanzas. The repetition goes around like a circle, and the author says it reminds her of "friends joining hands." A concluding note explains the form, but it is not necessary to read it in order to enjoy this lively and beautiful book. Of course, it can also be used as a creative writing tool to teach the poetic form.-Susan Lissim, Dwight School, New York City

Kirkus Reviews

Lively photographs celebrate both individuality and community. From singing and dancing to a pet parade and masquerade, the joys of playing together are made manifest through Ancona's trademark high-spirited pictures. Parents familiar with The Electric Company and other pieces produced by the Children's Television Network will wax nostalgic over the candid photos with natural light; the clean design and wide diversity of representations in the photos will also capture the attention of younger readers. Mora calls on kids to join in the fun using a pantoum, a Malaysian poetic form. Composed of four-line stanzas, in which the second and fourth lines of each stanza become the first and third lines of the next stanza, the pantoum enlivens the text with repetition and rhythm. The full poem is included at the end with color-coded lines to help readers understand its structure, along with a friendly explanation of the form. (Picture book. 3-6)