Howdy, y’all!
That’s just one of the many ways to say hello that are about to be showcased in today’s Perfect Picture Book!
Get ready to have some fun and learn something new!
Even better, a copy of this book is being generously gifted to one lucky winner (US residents only) who comments on today’s post between now and Wednesday February 1 at 7PM Eastern! For a little extra good karma, feel free to share today’s post and the book cover on social media. The book releases on February 7 and all new books can use a little extra boost! 😊
Are you ready for a glimpse at this delightful book?
Title: The Way We Say Hello
Written By: Andrea Denish
Illustrated By: BlueBean
Publisher: Starry Forest Books, February 7, 2023
Suitable For Ages: 3-7
Themes/Topics: new siblings, greetings, languages, love
text copyright Andrea Denish 2023, illustration copyright BlueBean 2023, Starry Forest Books
Opening: “A special day. A special place.
How will you greet a special face?
A wink?
A pat?
A tap-tap-tap?
A wave?
A shake?
A big bear hug?
How will YOU say HELLO?”
Brief Synopsis: From the publisher: “A young child searches for the best way to welcome a new baby to their family as they ask, “A special day. A special place. How will you greet a special face?” With rhyming text, heartwarming art, and educational facts about cultures and customs around the world, The Way We Say Hello takes you as far as Tibet and as near as your front yard as you learn greeting after greeting.”
text copyright Andrea Denish 2023, illustration copyright BlueBean 2023, Starry Forest Books
Links To Resources: the book has a couple pages of back matter about different ways of saying hello; activity sheets on the author Andrea Denish’s website HERE; coloring pages on illustrator BlueBean’s site HERE; plus a few words from the author about the book!
SUSANNA: What do you hope readers will gain from your book?
ANDREA: The young child in the story is seeking a way to greet the new baby. I hope it brings readers back to that time in their own lives when they met a new sibling, or perhaps that day is coming soon. The pages of the book take us on a tour around the globe where we get a glimpse of many international greeting customs. The backmatter provides information about the origins of the greetings found in the book. Two of my favorites are the Windsor wave and the Tibetan tongue greeting. I hope the book works on two levels: a sweet, rhyming story about a child getting ready to meet a new sibling, and for older readers – an exploration of languages and cultural expressions. I hope families who are expecting a new baby will find something in this book to connect with in preparation for the big day.
Why I Like This Book: This is such a lovely book! It’s something to think about, isn’t it? How you’ll say hello the first time you meet your new sibling? It’s one of the most important meetings you’ll ever have, so it certainly requires some special consideration! This book is at once a new baby story and a glimpse into how people greet each other all over the world. Even if you’re familiar with some of them, I bet you’ll learn a few ways of saying hello you didn’t know 😊 Young (and older!) readers can practice saying hello to each other the way people do in Japan, Tibet, or Guatapé. BlueBean’s art, in soft pastels, is warm and inviting, a perfect complement to this peek at many cultures and languages as well as the arrival of the new baby. And in the end, you’re sure to find just the right way to say hello!
I hope you enjoy it as much as I do 😊
For the complete list of books with resources, please visit Perfect Picture Books.
PPBF folks, please add your titles and post-specific blog links (and any other info you feel like filling out 😊) to the form below so we can all come see what fabulous picture books you’ve chosen to share this week!
(Please be patient waiting for the spreadsheet with the books to load. For some unknown reason it has been very slow lately, but it will load eventually!)
Have a wonderful weekend, everyone! 😊 And don’t forget to leave a comment to be entered for a chance to win the giveaway copy!
Susanna Leonard Hill 
‘what a beautiful book, Susanna! And the illustrations are lovely. Kids will love trying to say hello in different ways!
I really think they will, Vivian! I enjoyed it! 😊
This is indeed an adorable book and I am so glad you featured it for #PPBF. The art and the rhyme are simply delightful.
It’s a great example of how to give a book layers, Maria, and such fun to read!
Andrea is a talented writer! Yay for the feature here!
Learning about the different customs of saying “hello” in the backmatter is a great way to be read/used for those “only child” families.
It really is, Bru, and it’s done so nicely! I would have loved to share one of the back matter pages but since the book isn’t even out yet I was cautious about over-sharing!
This subject never gets old! Super fun!
And it brings the world closer together!
Doesn’t it though, Phyllis? You put that so nicely! I wish I’d thought to say that! 😊
You do everyday 🙂
I love that this book show greetings in various cultures! Thanks for sharing, Susanna!
You’re welcome, Tina!
Thanks for the share. I really never gave it a thought about this until I read this and realized we have our greetings in many ways. Even welcoming our pets and others we meet.
So true, Pamela! It’s a great topic!
This story looks so sweet! I look forward to reading it!
It’s very nicely done, Kim! I think you’ll enjoy it 😊
What a simple and wonderful idea! You had me at “hello”!
Haha, Robin 😊 It is a lovely book, though! 😊
Great idea for a picture book! I’m looking forward to saying “hello” to my first grandchild in May. 🙂
Oh, so exciting, Marie! I highly recommend being a grandma!!! 😊❤️
This book looks adorable, think my twins will love it!
I bet they will, Zachary!
Love this book.
It’s wonderful, isn’t it, Deb?!
This book is beautiful and I can’t wait to learn about greetings in other cultures.
It’s such a great idea, isn’t it, Danielle? One of those “wish I’d thought of that”s!!!
Oh, Susanna! You continue to amaze me by the outstanding PB’s you find. I’m a hugger, so I’d be greeting the baby in a gentle embrace with a Rock-a-Bye Baby swing to it. What a delightfully unique story where readers gain a glimpse of many international customs of “welcome.” I’ll be looking for this book on our library shelves, and if missing, I’ll place a purchase request at the desk. Thank you for mining so many gems for us to read.
It’s a lovely book, Marsha! I’m so glad it appeals to you! And I know Andrea will be delighted at a purchase request should the library not have it already – we all need any extra little boosts our books can get! 😊
Aw, what a beautiful book! I love the idea of thinking, ahead of time, about how you want to greet a new friend, a new sibling – even your BFF! Thank you for sharing this, it’s the perfect book for welcoming someone into the family.
I love that it is has that element to it and ALSO shows us so many different cultural forms of greeting! And such nice back matter to go with it. It’s your kind of book 😊
This looks so lovely, Susanna! And what a terrific way to spark a conversation about how to welcome a new baby. So sweet. Thanks for sharing it with us!
My pleasure, Jilanne!
Feeling nothing but ooey-gooey warmth in anticipation of reading The Way We Say Hello. Despite what you may believe of Canadians’ talk, we don’t add ‘eh’ to our hi’s or ‘hello’s’ 😉
Hahaha! Good to know, Patti 😊
Ooh I think I need this book!
I think you will like it, Jenna! 😊
This looks like a sweet story…on many levels! Congratulations!
It’s lovely, Karan! I hope you get to read it!
I’ve been looking for books for younger children and this one is perfect! And it is unique! Thanks for sharing today!
You’re very welcome, Pat! And it really is just right for younger children!
What a delightful and clever idea, that will work equally well for new siblings, new friends, and old friends and family, too. Well done, Andrea!
Yes, she had a great idea with this one, Marty! 😊
I love rhyming books! This one sounds so sweet! A perfect choice for PPBF!
Thanks, Susanna! 🙂
I’m glad you like it, Susan!
Love the layering! 🙂
Hi Susanna, This looks wonderful! Beautiful all the way around. My niece who wrote the music for Butterfly Inn is expecting a little girl in February and this will be perfect for Theo, her son, to meet his little sister. And . . . Her name will be Charlotte!
I love this book and already bought my own copy! Go Andrea!
This looks adorable!