afro8921's review against another edition
4.0
I like this picture book. It's a kind of nice mixture of activism and hip hop (or at least that's my take on it.) but don't take my work for it!
mat_tobin's review against another edition
4.0
What an lovely way to celebrate and value the agency of a child. This book suggests a life of hope, opportunities for success, of friendships and loving families and how we can all come together in celebrating a world with common and kindly aspirations.
bookishb1tch's review against another edition
i don’t think this is a great book for kids. it has no substance or explanation.
heisereads's review against another edition
4.0
Don't miss the author & illustrator notes at the end that explain the deeper meaning behind this book.
yapha's review against another edition
4.0
There is hidden power in this book, reclaiming the act of "hands up" and putting a positive, joyful spin on it.
5elementknitr's review against another edition
4.0
My privilege was shown to me by this book. I didn't really get what it was all about until I read the author explanation at the end. She tells of the smalls in her life being afraid of the phrase, "Hands up!", so she wrote a book showing all the ways that phrase can be a happy experience.
It never even occurred to me.
It never even occurred to me.
emeelee's review
4.0
As the author wrote in her author's note: For many people, the phrase "hands up" brings forward difficult emotions like anger, sadness, frustration, and fear. With this story, I wanted to emphasize the ways I've experienced that phrase as part of my everyday life [...] I want the world to remember that black kids are just that-- kids [...] with lives full of happiness and struggle and triumph and even sadness.
jshettel's review
3.0
What comes to your mind when you hear, “Hands up!”? This book explores the nuances of meaning.
dbrannan's review
4.0
It's a good book, but I just don't always love books with that much repetition. Great message. Not a great read aloud.