My Hands Tell a Story by Kelly Starling Lyons, Illustrated by Tonya Engel

Hello my fellow bookworms!

Today is the day where you can play Green Day's song "Wake Me Up When September Ends" and wake up to a new month! Happy early October!

Photograph by Kelly Starling Lyons & Tonya Engel (c) 2022 Reycraft Books

Today, I would like to bring notice to a beautiful picture book I found out about through the ALA Annual Conference this past summer! I was lucky enough to be able to get a signed copy by both the author and illustrator. This is a charming story that I will keep sharing with my family and friends.

My Hands Tell a Story, written by Kelly Starling Lyons, and illustrated by Tonya Engel, is a beautiful picture book for children. It starts with a grandmother and granddaughter named Zoe baking cinnamon bread from scratch. The granddaughter wonders if she will ever be as good at the baking process as her grandmother. What starts as making bread and bonding becomes a glimpse into the grandmother's life and all the things she has done that has helped her to where she is today.

A colorful and wonderfully drawn story, this is one you will want to read with your family and little ones. The story has an emphasis on family and preserving in your endeavors. A great read, especially with Thanksgiving coming up. I highly recommend it! 

Thank you to both Ms. Starling Lyons and Ms. Engel for sharing their story and providing me with a signed copy! I will treasure it always.  

About the Author: Kelly Starling Lyons

Like Zoe, author Kelly Starling Lyons grew up baking with her grandma. Now, she celebrates those special moments in stories. Kelly has written many acclaimed children's books, including Caldecott Honor winner Going Down Home with Daddy, Christopher Award winner Tiara's Hat Parade, and Geisel Honor winner Ty's Travels: Zip, Zoom. She is a teaching artist and a founding member of The Brown Bookshelf. Kelly lives in North Carolina with her family.
 

 

About the Illustrator: Tonya Engel

Tonya Engel is a self-taught artist born in Texas and has established studios in New York, Miami, Austin and Houston where she now resides. Heavily influenced by folk artists of the Deep south, Harlem renaissance as well as Mark Chagall, Frida Kahlo and Romare Beardon, Tonya’s illustrations speak to image, identity and relationships. Meshing decorative elements, oils and occasional collage with emotional content, the subjects are mainly women with contemplative faces implying a dream world that invites our interpretations. Engel’s personal, autobiographical work can be found in public and private collections around the world. She has been the recipient of many awards including a three-month residency in Paris, France.