What Will These Hands Make?

This celebration of citizenry and craft is a poignant reminder of the objects and places that makers weave. As a family prepares for a loved one’s birthday party, the titular question becomes a refrain, exemplified by a litany of handmade items, listed and shown, that a family encounters nearby (“a teacup for a child/ a bowl round and shiny”) and within their neighborhood streets (“a sidewalk safe/ a haven for others”). Signature cut-paper scenes by McClure (The Great Chicken Escape) are dynamic—set upon a background evocative of kraft paper, minimal spot color (red, white, brown, yellow) guides the eye through the busy pages, highlighting the family’s house, a person’s white hair, a hand-sewn pillow, and other special items. Spreads spotlight McClure’s painstaking detail and expand the family’s world into a thrumming community full of artisans indoors and out: gardeners, bakers, and performers alike. The book’s appeal spans a wide range: younger readers will enjoy the seek-and-find aspect, and older readers may find inspiration in its vision of daily life and communal innovation. An elegant reflection on the provenance of everyday items. Ages 4–8. [em]Agent: Steven Malk, Writers House. (Feb.) [/em]