How We Say I Love You

by Nicole Chen (Author) Lenny Wen (Illustrator)

Reading Level: 2nd − 3rd Grade
In this heartwarming picture book, an Asian American girl shares how her family expresses their love for one another through actions rather than words. How do you tell your family that you love them? For Hana, love is all around her: Mom stirs love into a steaming pot of xifan. Dad cheers with love at her soccer game. Hana says good night with love by rubbing her grandma's feet and pouring her grandpa his sleepy tea. And as the light fades, Hana's parents tuck her into bed and give her a good night kiss. So many families express their love in all they do for one another, every day. Here is a book that wraps you in a hug and invites your family to share their own special ways of showing love.
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Hardcover
$18.99

Kirkus

A warm embrace of a book.

School Library Journal

Gr 1-3—Hana's Asian American family shows its love for one another in actions instead of using a well-known three-word phrase. Hana feels her family's love every day in the delicious breakfast her mother makes to start the day off right; her grandfather walking her to school every day; her grandmother's delicious lunches; her father's encouraging words as she plays soccer and the way he reads to her at night. She shows them her love by trying her best in all things, pouring her grandfather's nightly tea, rubbing her grandmother's feet, and enjoying the sweetness of family time together. It's a love that Hana cannot wait to share with her unborn sibling to whom she whispers all the joys that await them. Chen's text has several Taiwanese and Mandarin Chinese words that work well in context. In addition, there is a helpful glossary at the book's end, though without a pronunciation guide. Using the style that has served her well in previous picture books, Wen's warm and cozy illustrations depict a multigenerational family that presents a vision of a happy home. The spreads are broken up with the effective use of occasional borders. Hana's classmates have various skin tones. VERDICT This is a successful story that shows not only the myriad ways families indicate love but also an extended family as well. A good general purchase.—Catherine Callegari

Copyright 2022 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9780593428399
Lexile Measure
670
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers
Publication date
December 13, 2022
Series
-
BISAC categories
JUV013030 - Juvenile Fiction | Family | Multigenerational
JUV011020 - Juvenile Fiction | People & Places | United States - Asian American
JUV017070 - Juvenile Fiction | Holidays & Celebrations | Valentine's Day
Library of Congress categories
Picture books
Families
Family life
Love
Pregnant women
Asian Americans
Asian American families

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