These Hands

A young African American girl asks her grandfather about what his hands have done throughout his life. Through his responses, he shares stories about his work in a Detroit bread factory during the 1950s and early 1960s. The grandfather's recollections reveal workplace practices and restrictions that existed for Black workers during that era. His memories paint a picture of determination and resilience in the face of unfair treatment. The soft, textured illustrations by Floyd Cooper, who both wrote and illustrated this book, convey warmth between grandfather and granddaughter while documenting an important piece of labor and civil rights history. The story moves between past and present as the conversation unfolds. This intergenerational tale explores themes of family bonds, dignity, and progress through personal history. The narrative demonstrates how individual stories connect to broader social change.

Readers appreciate how the book teaches children about workplace discrimination through the tender relationship between a grandfather and grandson. Many note it introduces complex civil rights history in an age-appropriate way that opens discussions with young children. Parents and teachers highlight the warm illustrations and the grandfather's dignified way of explaining past injustices. Multiple reviewers mention their children asking thoughtful questions after reading. Some readers felt the story could have provided more historical context and details about the labor movement. A few noted the topic may be challenging for very young children to fully grasp. Ratings: Goodreads: 4.32/5 (220 ratings) Amazon: 4.8/5 (46 ratings) Sample review: "My 6-year-old was outraged by the unfairness and it led to a meaningful conversation about how people fought to change things." - Goodreads reader "The illustrations capture such emotion in the faces." - Amazon reviewer

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🖐️ Author Floyd Cooper drew from his own grandfather's experiences as a bakery worker in the 1950s and '60s to tell this story about workplace discrimination 📚 The book addresses the real historical practice of preventing African American workers from touching bread dough in many commercial bakeries, based on racist policies 🎨 Cooper used a unique "oil erasure" technique to create the book's illustrations, applying oil paint and then erasing parts of it to create texture and light 🏆 These Hands won the 2012 Paterson Prize for Books for Young People and was named a Charlotte Zolotow Honor Book 💕 The story's tender relationship between grandfather and grandson provides a gentle way to introduce young readers to civil rights history and workplace discrimination, while emphasizing strength, dignity, and positive change