Mentor Text Monday: Whose Hands Are These?
Writing for Children Blog
March 14, 2016
What writers and illustrators can learn from Whose Hands Are These? A Community Helper Guessing Book
How to...
- Infuse a story with the perfect mix of mystery and predictability
- Incorporate perfect rhythm and rhyme
- Create wonder with mixed media illustrations that show facial expression and active body language
- Include engaging back matter
- Introduce vocabulary words that are understood through context clues
- Celebrate diversity in race and community jobs
This is a book that we read and re-read at my house! Filled with lyrical words and lovely illustrations, this book does a great job of introducing kids to community helpers and different professions. My kids loved the rhyming text and guessing game throughout. The entire book evokes discussion and includes a well-written, engaging back matter. This fun and educational book made me happy! Judging from my kids' enthusiasm, it made them happy too.
Happy Reading and Writing,
Kirsti
Kirsti Call is the co-coordinator of ReFoReMo or Reading for Research Month, a research challenge and blog focused on mentor texts for picture book writers. Her debut picture book, The Raindrop Who Couldn't Fall, came out December 2013 with Character Publishing. She contributes to Writer's Rumpus and is a CYBILS panelist.