School Library Journal Starred Review (Sun Sep 01 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

K-Gr 3— The third of the "Between" series, this is a gentle and affirming book about one's ability to help others, regardless of age. Maya, a young Indian American girl, learns from her grandfather that namaste means, "I bow to you." When he visits from India, he puts his hands together and follows this greeting with, "What's between your hands when you namaste the world?" Maya's hands are small, and she wonders what she can do to make a difference. The neighbors are coming and going and doing important things for others. Through this story, Maya learns that she, too, has a beautiful thing between her hands—love. The digitally created illustrations offer the look and feel of paint and collage; they also perfectly reflect the diversity of Maya's neighborhood. VERDICT This charming book will have children holding love in their hands; a must-have for any social-emotional collection.— Melissa King

ALA Booklist (Thu Oct 31 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

The traditional Indian greeting, namaste, is the subject of Perkins' third book in the Between series. Maya, a girl of Indian heritage, is contemplating what exactly she is giving the world when her hands come together, palm to palm, and she offers namaste to neighbors and friends. Selvanathan's illustrations of Maya's multicultural urban home and community have a sturdy solidity and are suffused with a golden warmth projected onto the brightly colored scenes. A nice rhythm is maintained in the story between doing at Maya offers others, like a glass of water or help threading a needle d the moments she asks those friends what they mean when they namaste. The answers range from justice, for a young protester, to an artist's quest for truth. Rhythm is also maintained between the story's words and its wordless frames, which offer pause. Finally, Maya's relationship with her neighbor Mrs. Jones suggests her answer: when she offers namaste, she is offering love. A beautiful book that readers will relate to and think about.

Kirkus Reviews

With the help of her neighbors, a South Asian girl finds meaning in the wordnamasteIt's a hot day, and Maya is missing her grandfather, who's in India but who always has ideas to chase away boredom. Maya remembers a question he once asked her: "What's between your hands when you namaste the world?" Before Maya can think too hard about her answer, her neighbor Mrs. Jones asks for her assistance retrieving her cat from a bush. After helping Mrs. Jones, Maya poses her grandfather's questions to those she encounters. An artist responds withtruth. Maya's babysitter, returning from a protest, says that there's justice between her hands. And Maya's dance teacher, who stops by on her way to serve food at a nearby shelter, replies withmercy. Mrs. Jones periodically interrupts, asking for more help; by story's end, Maya realizes that between her hands, there is love. And no matter how small Maya's hands may feel, she knows love gives her plenty of big things to do. Though at times the text feels preachy, Perkins conveys a meaningful message. She seamlessly interweaves multiple storylines in just a few words, telling a layered tale using simple, child-friendly language, aided by Selvanathan's vibrant, detailed illustrations, which push the narrative forward. Close-ups of Maya's diverse friends and neighbors, set against swirling backgrounds, infuse them with a warm glow.Proof that even the smallest hands can wield giant power.(Picture book. 3-6)