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Hands & Hearts: With 15 Words in American Sign Language
A mother and daughter spend a sunny day at the beach together where they swim, dance, build sandcastles, and, most importantly, communicate. But their communication is not spoken; rather, it is created by loving hands that use American Sign Language.
Readers will learn how to sign 15 words using American Sign Language with the help of sidebars that are both instructive and playful. And the beautifully illustrated beach scenes will appeal both to the deaf community and to hearing parents and children, who will enjoy this gentle introduction to some basic words in ASL. Hands & Hearts is a picture book unlike any other, revealing the special bond between mother and child.
Praise for Hands & Hearts
"A memorable excursion."
-- Kirkus Reviews
"The book is recommended for libraries with an interest in ASL, and those in need of beach-themed picture books for the mommy-and-me crowd."
-- School Library Journal
Readers will learn how to sign 15 words using American Sign Language with the help of sidebars that are both instructive and playful. And the beautifully illustrated beach scenes will appeal both to the deaf community and to hearing parents and children, who will enjoy this gentle introduction to some basic words in ASL. Hands & Hearts is a picture book unlike any other, revealing the special bond between mother and child.
Praise for Hands & Hearts
"A memorable excursion."
-- Kirkus Reviews
"The book is recommended for libraries with an interest in ASL, and those in need of beach-themed picture books for the mommy-and-me crowd."
-- School Library Journal
32 pages, Hardcover
First published May 13, 2014
5 people are currently reading
151 people want to read
About the author
Donna Jo Napoli
135 books1,113 followersDonna Jo Napoli is both a linguist and a writer of children's and YA fiction. She loves to garden and bake bread, and even dreams of moving to the woods and becoming a naturalist.
At various times her house and yard have been filled with dogs, cats, birds, and rabbits. For thirteen years she had a cat named Taxi, and liked to go outside and call, "Taxi!" to make the neighbors wonder. But dear dear Taxi died in 2009.
She has five children, seven grandchildren, and currently lives outside Philadelphia. She received her BA in mathematics in 1970 and her Ph.D. in Romance Languages and Literatures in 1973, both from Harvard University, then did a postdoctoral year in Linguistics at MIT. She has since taught linguistics at Smith College, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Georgetown University, the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, and Swarthmore College. It was at UM that she earned tenure (in 1981) and became a full professor (in 1984). She has held visiting positions at the University of Queensland (Australia), the University of Geneva (Switzerland), Capital Normal University of Beijing (China), the University of Newcastle (UK), the University of Venice at Ca' Foscari (Italy), and the Siena School for the Liberal Arts (Italy) as well as lectured at the University of Sydney (Australia), Macquarie University (Australia), the University of the Witwatersrand (South Africa), and the University of Stellenbosch (South Africa) and held a fellowship at Trinity College Dublin. In the area of linguistics she has authored, coauthored, edited, or coedited 17 books, ranging from theoretical linguistics to practical matters in language structure and use, including matters of interest to d/Deaf people. She has held grants and fellowships from numerous sources, including the National Science Foundation, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Mellon Foundation, the Sloan Foundation.
At various times her house and yard have been filled with dogs, cats, birds, and rabbits. For thirteen years she had a cat named Taxi, and liked to go outside and call, "Taxi!" to make the neighbors wonder. But dear dear Taxi died in 2009.
She has five children, seven grandchildren, and currently lives outside Philadelphia. She received her BA in mathematics in 1970 and her Ph.D. in Romance Languages and Literatures in 1973, both from Harvard University, then did a postdoctoral year in Linguistics at MIT. She has since taught linguistics at Smith College, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Georgetown University, the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, and Swarthmore College. It was at UM that she earned tenure (in 1981) and became a full professor (in 1984). She has held visiting positions at the University of Queensland (Australia), the University of Geneva (Switzerland), Capital Normal University of Beijing (China), the University of Newcastle (UK), the University of Venice at Ca' Foscari (Italy), and the Siena School for the Liberal Arts (Italy) as well as lectured at the University of Sydney (Australia), Macquarie University (Australia), the University of the Witwatersrand (South Africa), and the University of Stellenbosch (South Africa) and held a fellowship at Trinity College Dublin. In the area of linguistics she has authored, coauthored, edited, or coedited 17 books, ranging from theoretical linguistics to practical matters in language structure and use, including matters of interest to d/Deaf people. She has held grants and fellowships from numerous sources, including the National Science Foundation, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Mellon Foundation, the Sloan Foundation.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews
September 22, 2021
"Hands & Hearts" is a book about a daughter and her mother that took a trip to the beach one day. In the books it shows the daughter and mother having tons of fun together. Although the book illustrates the two having fun together, the way they communicate is a little different. This books shows the mother and daughter communicating through sign language while at the beach. I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in early sign language. The book gives a great introduction for parents, teachers, and children to simple sign language. By parents or teachers reading this book, the children can learn how to do some basic signing together. In reading this book, children will also be exposed to the lesson that not all children can communicate the same way. This will teach children that they can learn how to communicate with someone who cannot talk out loud.
April 24, 2015
I liked this book because of the sign language and the art, mostly. I wish the diagrams of the sign language had been a bit more clear on one or two of them, but it's difficult to draw a still 2D picture of a 3D motion, so for the most part I liked them. I think "run" was the only truly unclear one.
I liked seeing the characters doing sign language as well.
I liked seeing the characters doing sign language as well.
March 17, 2022
This is such a cute book! I loved the fact that it included diagrams for different words in ASL. Hands & Hearts is such a sweet and adorable picture book and I would highly suggest checking it out. It’s a great way to introduce children to sign language and it opens the door for great conversations too.
June 15, 2017
On a beautiful summer day, a happy mother and her daughter make a trip to the beach to enjoy one another's company. They splash in the waves, build sand castles, eat lunch, and relax in the sun. Overall, it looks like they have a very fun day! The two can be seen many times talking to eachother on the beach. But they're not using their voices, they're using their hands! That's right. These two characters are deaf, and communicate using sign language. The novel teaches you different ASL words as you read so that you can recognize the conversations as they happen on the beach.
I loved how this book was illustrated with pretty beach colors that warmed you up and added to the light and happy vibe of the book. I also really like that the signs were all pencil drawn; really neat touch! I would use this book in class because I think ASL is really cool, and would love to teach my students. I also see the benefit in pairing new information with motion, and find ASL to be very helpful in that aspect.
I loved how this book was illustrated with pretty beach colors that warmed you up and added to the light and happy vibe of the book. I also really like that the signs were all pencil drawn; really neat touch! I would use this book in class because I think ASL is really cool, and would love to teach my students. I also see the benefit in pairing new information with motion, and find ASL to be very helpful in that aspect.
February 16, 2021
A lovely beach story with good ASL illustrations. Kudos to the illustrator. I wish the author would stop using lowercase deaf, it's uppercase Deaf when talking about people who speak in ASL and identify as culturally Deaf.
July 29, 2015
Loved the American Sign Language aspect of this book.
December 11, 2020
Summary:
This book follows a mother and daughter on their trip to the beach and teaches the reader some ASL. Through this book, we learn the importance of the mother and daughter's hands to communicate through signing.
Review:
I loved that the book represented deaf people, and taught some signs with very clear drawings. The only thing I would say is that if you are going to read this to your class and attempt to teach them the signs in the book, please learn the signs yourself first. In the youtube video I used to "read" this book, the lady was doing many of them wrong. If we are going to represent a culture we need to honor it and learn their language the right way. ASL is a real language. We wouldn't speak with mixed up letters and still call it English, so we shouldn't use deeply flawed signs and call it ASL.
Uses for This Book:
This book would be great to have in the classroom and for use in teaching about deaf culture and ASL, possibly during deaf awareness month or to teach about classmates who may be deaf or hard of hearing.
This book follows a mother and daughter on their trip to the beach and teaches the reader some ASL. Through this book, we learn the importance of the mother and daughter's hands to communicate through signing.
Review:
I loved that the book represented deaf people, and taught some signs with very clear drawings. The only thing I would say is that if you are going to read this to your class and attempt to teach them the signs in the book, please learn the signs yourself first. In the youtube video I used to "read" this book, the lady was doing many of them wrong. If we are going to represent a culture we need to honor it and learn their language the right way. ASL is a real language. We wouldn't speak with mixed up letters and still call it English, so we shouldn't use deeply flawed signs and call it ASL.
Uses for This Book:
This book would be great to have in the classroom and for use in teaching about deaf culture and ASL, possibly during deaf awareness month or to teach about classmates who may be deaf or hard of hearing.
April 24, 2021
A child narrates her mother and her spending a sunny day at a quiet beach together where they swim, dance, build sandcastles, and best of all, share their thoughts, speaking with loving hands through sign language. Sidebar drawings demonstrate how to sign 15 words—including "hello," "water," and "laugh"—in American Sign Language.
The neat thing about this book is that the reader is able to learn sign. So, one word in each passage appears in red type. This word is then featured in a sidebar illustrating the sign. Illustration wise,n gentle pencil-and-watercolor paintings capture the scenes and will lead young children to imagine the feelings of a soft sea breeze and the sun on their faces. The warm golden light suffusing the images emphasizes the loving bond between the two.
This was calming yet interesting to read as I got to learn sign language along the way. It not only allows other readers who do not know sign language to learn and understand the hand movements, but also for those who are deaf to be able to relate to the book. Very good read for children.
The neat thing about this book is that the reader is able to learn sign. So, one word in each passage appears in red type. This word is then featured in a sidebar illustrating the sign. Illustration wise,n gentle pencil-and-watercolor paintings capture the scenes and will lead young children to imagine the feelings of a soft sea breeze and the sun on their faces. The warm golden light suffusing the images emphasizes the loving bond between the two.
This was calming yet interesting to read as I got to learn sign language along the way. It not only allows other readers who do not know sign language to learn and understand the hand movements, but also for those who are deaf to be able to relate to the book. Very good read for children.
April 20, 2022
The book "Hands & Hearts" is a book that incorporates ASL into the book by using images on how to sign certain words. In the book a mother and daughter are going to spend a day at the beach, we don't know if they are both deaf or just one of them. The book goes on to show their day at the beach and the text highlights certain words like; swim, run, flowers, dance, hello, and other words. The words that are highlighted in the book also show an image on how to sign that certain word, which I think is a good touch for young students who want to learn or are curious. I also absolutely loved the illustrations in this book. The illustrations were simple but had pretty colors by using watercolors. Not only does this book depict maybe the way it is normal to be deaf, but also special way to bond with others as well.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 31, 2025
A pretty book about a mom and child's day at the beach. Each page has a few lines of rhythmic text, each with one highlighted word thats sign is illustrated beside the text. The beautiful watercolour images also show either the activity or the characters using the sign in context.
I didn't love the writing to be honest, even though I loved the concept of the book. I feel like the poetic language might go over kids' heads, and it doesn't rhyme even though it feels like it should, but it's never a bad thing to expose children to more language than they already know. The signs are all for pretty simple words as well, and those may be the most memorable part of the book.
An example of the kind of text on each page:
Hands to hold
hands to play
hands to yak
and kiss tips as we LAUGH (sign for laugh shown)
I didn't love the writing to be honest, even though I loved the concept of the book. I feel like the poetic language might go over kids' heads, and it doesn't rhyme even though it feels like it should, but it's never a bad thing to expose children to more language than they already know. The signs are all for pretty simple words as well, and those may be the most memorable part of the book.
An example of the kind of text on each page:
Hands to hold
hands to play
hands to yak
and kiss tips as we LAUGH (sign for laugh shown)
July 25, 2019
With its outlined human figures set against the gentle pastels of sand and sea, we have a story told in four-lined passages about a mother and child’s happy outing at the beach. Each page is accompanied by a hand sign in ASL illustrating a highlighted word. The story allows a reader to read it aloud as well as making the appropriate gestures.
You don’t know whether it’s the mother or child who’s deaf and you realize that it doesn’t matter. This picture book is a lovely little primer for young children who might be interested in learning American Sign Language and makes it an interactive treat that’s fun for reader and listener.
You don’t know whether it’s the mother or child who’s deaf and you realize that it doesn’t matter. This picture book is a lovely little primer for young children who might be interested in learning American Sign Language and makes it an interactive treat that’s fun for reader and listener.
February 26, 2021
More books that feature people with hearing loss are needed, and this is a lovely one. The illustrations are soft and beautiful depicting a mother and daughter spending the day at the beach. It also includes 15 words and this signs that go with them, with illustrations on each page with how to sign that word. I wish they had included some references at the end of the book for more information on hearing loss, and sign language. Perhaps some YouTube links for demonstrating signs as two dimensional pictures don’t always get them across as well. Still, a needed addition for any library.
May 5, 2023
This is a simple fun story of a daughter and mother spending a day of play at the beach. But the real point is to introduce sign language to kids, with 15 words given. Most of the signs are done in pencil and a bit blurry. Perhaps the blur was to indicate movement but I didn't get that impression. We need more, much more, on sign language for children. Like oral language, the best time for kids to learn sign is as early as possible before they even know they are learning anything. Recommended.
November 15, 2017
This is a very sweet book about a mother and daughter's day at the beach, with American Sign Language on every page. The illustrations are gorgeous and I love that, in addition to the sign language diagrams on the side, the mother and daughter are actually seen doing the signs in many of the illustrations. A nice addition to ASL and general picture book collections alike.
December 7, 2018
Good story. This story can diversify the knowledge of a student by teaching them basic sign language and showing them there is another way of speaking without using their vocal cords. This book touches on the topic of communication, family, and the understanding of people that do not necessarily communicate the same way you might. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in ASL.
July 17, 2019
This is a lovely story of a mother and daughter who spend the day at the beach. On the first two-page spread, we learn that there is something very special about the two characters in the book. The story is told to the reader through the written word, however the mother and daughter communicate using American sign language. Fifteen words from the text are illustrated in American Sign Language.
September 11, 2020
Ages 3 and up. This story of a deaf mother and her hearing daughter at the beach teaches the Signs they use to communicate with each other along the way. The illustrations are beautiful and the text is poetic. NOTE: As mentioned with other books, American Sign Language is extremely similar to German Sign Language (Deutsche Gebärdenspräche), but British Sign Language is not.
August 17, 2021
Interesting use of the English language. Love the sign language incorporation. Most of the signs are easy to follow illustrations. Illustrations are lovely! Colorful, descriptive. Will be researching more books by the illustrator. Enjoyed the Author’s Note which included a link to resources online and in person.
December 6, 2017
I appreciated the usage of ASL, as it still doesn't get enough recognition. The story, however, was uneventful, and therefore it felt more like the flipping of pages than the reading of a story. Nice to have if you want to show off some ASL vocabulary though and its use.
March 21, 2019
I really enjoyed the diversity this book had. I liked how it teaches kids some words in sign language and through out the book the illustrations show them signing to each other like how it would be in real life.
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February 14, 2023This book shows students that just because you can not speak doesn't mean you can't have fun and that everyone can do anything even if you communicate through sign language. This book can also teach students a few words in American Sign Language.
April 10, 2019
The illustrations are charming but the story is lacking.
June 7, 2019
We use ASL, this book was beautiful and perfect for bedtime.
December 1, 2020
Minimal and lovely. Two dimensional ASL is always a bit iffy, though.
September 13, 2021
The pictures were BEAUTIFUL and the signs were terrific. The words however....weird! No rhythm and just generally I felt like they missed the mark.
October 30, 2021
A mother-daughter day at the beach, showing them spending time with each other.
Each page has a side bar showing 1 (or in one case, 2) words in ASL.
Each page has a side bar showing 1 (or in one case, 2) words in ASL.
December 18, 2021
A beautiful invitation for kids to learn more sign language!
May 1, 2025
Checked out from FW Library in TX; Mother’s Day-Themed
December 7, 2017
I really enjoyed the diversity this book had. I liked how it teaches kids some words in sign language and through out the book the illustrations show them signing to each other like how it would be in real life.
March 19, 2020
Writing in English and sign language.
Super cool.
Fascinating.
Shows that people can know more than one language.
Super cool.
Fascinating.
Shows that people can know more than one language.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews