{"id":1740757441,"title":"Busy Fingers","handle":"busy-fingers","description":"\u003c!-- - - - - - - - ENTER AUTHOR\/ILLUSTRATOR INFO BELOW - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBy: \u003ca title=\"Author C.W. Bowie\" href=\"http:\/\/www.charlesbridge.com\/pages\/c-w-bowie\"\u003eC.W. Bowie\u003c\/a\u003e \/ Illustrated by: \u003ca title=\"Illustrator Fred Willingham\" href=\"http:\/\/www.charlesbridge.com\/pages\/fred-willingham\"\u003eFred Willingham\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - ENTER HEADING BELOW - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\"A comforting book to snuggle up with at the end of a busy day.\"\u003cbr\u003e \u003ci\u003e—Booklist\u003c\/i\u003e\n\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - ENTER DESCRIPTION BELOW - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eBusy Fingers\u003c\/i\u003e appeals to kids and parents alike with its fun finger-play and lush illustrations of youngsters discovering their little hands and what they can do.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eToddlers can handle their own small board book edition with its simple text and the same beautiful illustrations of fingers squishing, reaching, playing, and working.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - ENTER RECOMMENDATIONS BELOW - - - - - - - -- - - --\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"recommended-books\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf you like this book, you’ll enjoy these:\u003cbr\u003e\u003ca title=\"Baby Pig Pig Walks\" href=\"http:\/\/www.charlesbridge.com\/products\/baby-pig-pig-walks\"\u003eBaby Pig Pig Walks\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ca title=\"Global Babies\" href=\"http:\/\/www.charlesbridge.com\/products\/global-babies\"\u003eGlobal Babies\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - START OF TABS - - - - - - - -- - - --\u003e [TABS]\n\u003ch5\u003eLook Inside\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg class=\"cvr-border-gray\" style=\"display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0750\/0101\/files\/busy-fingers-board-spread.jpg?13286566528045232921\"\u003e\u003c!-- Please call pinit.js only once per page --\u003e\u003cscript type=\"text\/javascript\" async=\"\" defer data-pin-shape=\"round\" data-pin-height=\"32\" data-pin-hover=\"true\" src=\"\/\/assets.pinterest.com\/js\/pinit.js\"\u003e\u003c\/script\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - ENTER AUTHOR BIO BELOW - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAuthor \u0026amp; Illustrator\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eC.W. Bowie, author\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eC.W. Bowie is really three people. Wendie Old has written several biographies for children, including \u003ci\u003eTo Fly: The Story of the Wright Brothers\u003c\/i\u003e (Clarion). She lives in Baltimore, Maryland. Mary Bowman-Kruhm lives in Frederick, Maryland, and has co-authored 21 books for children and teens. Claudine Wirths, who co-authored many books with Bowman-Kruhm, passed away in 2000.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca title=\"Author C.W. Bowie\" href=\"http:\/\/www.charlesbridge.com\/pages\/c-w-bowie\"\u003eRead more\u003c\/a\u003e about C.W. Bowie.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - ENTER ILLUSTRATOR BIO BELOW - - - - - - - - - - - --\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFred Willingham, illustrator\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFred Willingham has loved to draw since he was a young boy. His favorite subject matter has always been people, starting with comic book characters and moving on to draw his family and friends. His high school art teacher encouraged his talent and his love of drawing and Fred succeeded in going to art school at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh. He graduated with a degree in visual communication and became a freelance illustrator. He has illustrated several children's books for both the trade and educational markets. Fred lives in Cleveland, Ohio, with his family.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca title=\"Illustrator Fred Willingham\" href=\"http:\/\/www.charlesbridge.com\/pages\/fred-willingham\"\u003eRead more \u003c\/a\u003eabout Fred Willingham.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - ENTER AWARDS \u0026 HONORS BELOW - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAwards \u0026amp; Honors\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eABC Best Books for Children\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Seal Book Award\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - ENTER REVIEWS BELOW - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eEditorial Reviews\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn this sequel to \u003ci\u003eBusy Toes\u003c\/i\u003e (1998), Bowie (a pseudonym for a trio of women) extols the handiness of opposable thumbs and fingers. In rhyming text this enthusiastic read highlights 21 samplings of what hands and fingers can accomplish-such as \"Itsy-bitsy spider\" and a shadow play. Also celebrated is the usefulness of these ten feelers as they help us to count or allow us to interact with the world through the simple motion of petting a dog. Willingham's multi-racial chalk illustrations superbly capture the subtlety of the children's facial expressions and the dexterity of their pudgy digits. A single picture book could not possibly enumerate the abundant ways fingers make our lives extraordinary, but this work does beg more. The reader night welcome additional finger rhymes or sign language examples. It's fertile ground, though, for preschoolers and families to think up their own finger fun.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBooklist\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn this companion to \u003ci\u003eBusy Toes \u003c\/i\u003e(1999), young children are shown engaging in a variety of activities in which they use their fingers. Short, simple rhymes accompany realistic pastel paintings showing little hands waving good-bye, finger painting, signing \"I love you,\" and more. Except for occasional stiffness, Willingham's figures are nicely rendered and represent children from a variety of cultures. Unfortunately, many scenes have flat, bland backgrounds devoid of objects, giving the pictures a sterile, false look that detracts from otherwise appealing scenes of active play that pave the way for a calming bath, a bedtime story, and, finally, a good-night kiss. Preschoolers will like paging through this and seeing kids about their own age doing fun, familiar activities. A comforting book to snuggle up with at the end of a busy day.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSchool Library Journal\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA simple rhyming text that invites participation and repetition explores the ways fingers move. \"Fingers high,\/fingers low.\/Fingers reach to touch a toe.\" The interracial cast models the actions, from waving to washing to making an itty-bitty spider. Although the youngsters pictured seem slightly older than the target audience, very young children will delight in imitating the text as it is read to them: \"Fingers count,\/fingers stroke.\/Fingers squish,\/fingers poke.\" The lack of plot is replaced by solid concepts, clearly pictured in pleasant pastel illustrations, that children will enjoy exploring.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - ENTER DOWNLOADABLES BELOW - - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eDownloadables\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0750\/0101\/files\/busy-fingers-cvr.jpg?5446037239269789656\" style=\"display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"btn-wrapper\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0750\/0101\/files\/busy-fingers-board-book-hires.zip?5446037239269789656\" class=\"product-btn\"\u003eDownload the Cover\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - ENTER DETAILS BELOW - - - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eDetails\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBoard Book\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cbr\u003eISBN: 978-1-58089-048-9\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eE-book PDF\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eISBN: 978-1-60734-173-4\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAges: 0-3\u003cbr\u003ePage count: 28\u003cbr\u003e5 \u003csup\u003e13\u003c\/sup\u003e\/\u003csub\u003e16\u003c\/sub\u003e x 6 \u003csup\u003e11\u003c\/sup\u003e\/\u003csub\u003e16\u003c\/sub\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n[\/TABS]","published_at":"2015-08-04T13:12:00-04:00","created_at":"2015-08-04T11:54:12-04:00","vendor":"Charlesbridge","type":"Children's Book","tags":["Browse by Age_Ages 0-3","Browse by Format_Board Book","Browse by Language_English","Browse by Subject_Diversity","Browse by Subject_Early Childhood","Browse by Subject_Life Lessons \u0026 Skills","Browse by Subject_Story Time \u0026 Play"],"price":795,"price_min":795,"price_max":795,"available":true,"price_varies":false,"compare_at_price":null,"compare_at_price_min":0,"compare_at_price_max":0,"compare_at_price_varies":false,"variants":[{"id":5286780545,"title":"Board Book","option1":"Board Book","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":"90489","requires_shipping":true,"taxable":false,"featured_image":null,"available":true,"name":"Busy Fingers - Board Book","public_title":"Board Book","options":["Board Book"],"price":795,"weight":232,"compare_at_price":null,"inventory_quantity":7,"inventory_management":"shopify","inventory_policy":"continue","barcode":"978-1-58089-048-9","requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[]}],"images":["\/\/imaginebooks.net\/cdn\/shop\/products\/busy-fingers-board-book-cover.jpg?v=1586787118"],"featured_image":"\/\/imaginebooks.net\/cdn\/shop\/products\/busy-fingers-board-book-cover.jpg?v=1586787118","options":["Title"],"media":[{"alt":"Busy Fingers book cover","id":2453804220495,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.96,"height":625,"width":600,"src":"\/\/imaginebooks.net\/cdn\/shop\/products\/busy-fingers-board-book-cover.jpg?v=1586787118"},"aspect_ratio":0.96,"height":625,"media_type":"image","src":"\/\/imaginebooks.net\/cdn\/shop\/products\/busy-fingers-board-book-cover.jpg?v=1586787118","width":600}],"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_groups":[],"content":"\u003c!-- - - - - - - - ENTER AUTHOR\/ILLUSTRATOR INFO BELOW - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBy: \u003ca title=\"Author C.W. Bowie\" href=\"http:\/\/www.charlesbridge.com\/pages\/c-w-bowie\"\u003eC.W. Bowie\u003c\/a\u003e \/ Illustrated by: \u003ca title=\"Illustrator Fred Willingham\" href=\"http:\/\/www.charlesbridge.com\/pages\/fred-willingham\"\u003eFred Willingham\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - ENTER HEADING BELOW - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\"A comforting book to snuggle up with at the end of a busy day.\"\u003cbr\u003e \u003ci\u003e—Booklist\u003c\/i\u003e\n\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - ENTER DESCRIPTION BELOW - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eBusy Fingers\u003c\/i\u003e appeals to kids and parents alike with its fun finger-play and lush illustrations of youngsters discovering their little hands and what they can do.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eToddlers can handle their own small board book edition with its simple text and the same beautiful illustrations of fingers squishing, reaching, playing, and working.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - ENTER RECOMMENDATIONS BELOW - - - - - - - -- - - --\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"recommended-books\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf you like this book, you’ll enjoy these:\u003cbr\u003e\u003ca title=\"Baby Pig Pig Walks\" href=\"http:\/\/www.charlesbridge.com\/products\/baby-pig-pig-walks\"\u003eBaby Pig Pig Walks\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ca title=\"Global Babies\" href=\"http:\/\/www.charlesbridge.com\/products\/global-babies\"\u003eGlobal Babies\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - START OF TABS - - - - - - - -- - - --\u003e [TABS]\n\u003ch5\u003eLook Inside\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg class=\"cvr-border-gray\" style=\"display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0750\/0101\/files\/busy-fingers-board-spread.jpg?13286566528045232921\"\u003e\u003c!-- Please call pinit.js only once per page --\u003e\u003cscript type=\"text\/javascript\" async=\"\" defer data-pin-shape=\"round\" data-pin-height=\"32\" data-pin-hover=\"true\" src=\"\/\/assets.pinterest.com\/js\/pinit.js\"\u003e\u003c\/script\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - ENTER AUTHOR BIO BELOW - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAuthor \u0026amp; Illustrator\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eC.W. Bowie, author\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eC.W. Bowie is really three people. Wendie Old has written several biographies for children, including \u003ci\u003eTo Fly: The Story of the Wright Brothers\u003c\/i\u003e (Clarion). She lives in Baltimore, Maryland. Mary Bowman-Kruhm lives in Frederick, Maryland, and has co-authored 21 books for children and teens. Claudine Wirths, who co-authored many books with Bowman-Kruhm, passed away in 2000.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca title=\"Author C.W. Bowie\" href=\"http:\/\/www.charlesbridge.com\/pages\/c-w-bowie\"\u003eRead more\u003c\/a\u003e about C.W. Bowie.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - ENTER ILLUSTRATOR BIO BELOW - - - - - - - - - - - --\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFred Willingham, illustrator\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFred Willingham has loved to draw since he was a young boy. His favorite subject matter has always been people, starting with comic book characters and moving on to draw his family and friends. His high school art teacher encouraged his talent and his love of drawing and Fred succeeded in going to art school at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh. He graduated with a degree in visual communication and became a freelance illustrator. He has illustrated several children's books for both the trade and educational markets. Fred lives in Cleveland, Ohio, with his family.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca title=\"Illustrator Fred Willingham\" href=\"http:\/\/www.charlesbridge.com\/pages\/fred-willingham\"\u003eRead more \u003c\/a\u003eabout Fred Willingham.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - ENTER AWARDS \u0026 HONORS BELOW - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAwards \u0026amp; Honors\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eABC Best Books for Children\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Seal Book Award\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - ENTER REVIEWS BELOW - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eEditorial Reviews\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn this sequel to \u003ci\u003eBusy Toes\u003c\/i\u003e (1998), Bowie (a pseudonym for a trio of women) extols the handiness of opposable thumbs and fingers. In rhyming text this enthusiastic read highlights 21 samplings of what hands and fingers can accomplish-such as \"Itsy-bitsy spider\" and a shadow play. Also celebrated is the usefulness of these ten feelers as they help us to count or allow us to interact with the world through the simple motion of petting a dog. Willingham's multi-racial chalk illustrations superbly capture the subtlety of the children's facial expressions and the dexterity of their pudgy digits. A single picture book could not possibly enumerate the abundant ways fingers make our lives extraordinary, but this work does beg more. The reader night welcome additional finger rhymes or sign language examples. It's fertile ground, though, for preschoolers and families to think up their own finger fun.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBooklist\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn this companion to \u003ci\u003eBusy Toes \u003c\/i\u003e(1999), young children are shown engaging in a variety of activities in which they use their fingers. Short, simple rhymes accompany realistic pastel paintings showing little hands waving good-bye, finger painting, signing \"I love you,\" and more. Except for occasional stiffness, Willingham's figures are nicely rendered and represent children from a variety of cultures. Unfortunately, many scenes have flat, bland backgrounds devoid of objects, giving the pictures a sterile, false look that detracts from otherwise appealing scenes of active play that pave the way for a calming bath, a bedtime story, and, finally, a good-night kiss. Preschoolers will like paging through this and seeing kids about their own age doing fun, familiar activities. A comforting book to snuggle up with at the end of a busy day.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSchool Library Journal\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA simple rhyming text that invites participation and repetition explores the ways fingers move. \"Fingers high,\/fingers low.\/Fingers reach to touch a toe.\" The interracial cast models the actions, from waving to washing to making an itty-bitty spider. Although the youngsters pictured seem slightly older than the target audience, very young children will delight in imitating the text as it is read to them: \"Fingers count,\/fingers stroke.\/Fingers squish,\/fingers poke.\" The lack of plot is replaced by solid concepts, clearly pictured in pleasant pastel illustrations, that children will enjoy exploring.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - ENTER DOWNLOADABLES BELOW - - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eDownloadables\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0750\/0101\/files\/busy-fingers-cvr.jpg?5446037239269789656\" style=\"display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"btn-wrapper\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0750\/0101\/files\/busy-fingers-board-book-hires.zip?5446037239269789656\" class=\"product-btn\"\u003eDownload the Cover\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - ENTER DETAILS BELOW - - - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eDetails\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBoard Book\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cbr\u003eISBN: 978-1-58089-048-9\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eE-book PDF\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eISBN: 978-1-60734-173-4\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAges: 0-3\u003cbr\u003ePage count: 28\u003cbr\u003e5 \u003csup\u003e13\u003c\/sup\u003e\/\u003csub\u003e16\u003c\/sub\u003e x 6 \u003csup\u003e11\u003c\/sup\u003e\/\u003csub\u003e16\u003c\/sub\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n[\/TABS]"}

By: C.W. Bowie / Illustrated by: Fred Willingham

"A comforting book to snuggle up with at the end of a busy day."
—Booklist

Busy Fingers appeals to kids and parents alike with its fun finger-play and lush illustrations of youngsters discovering their little hands and what they can do.

Toddlers can handle their own small board book edition with its simple text and the same beautiful illustrations of fingers squishing, reaching, playing, and working.

Maximum quantity available reached.

C.W. Bowie, author

C.W. Bowie is really three people. Wendie Old has written several biographies for children, including To Fly: The Story of the Wright Brothers (Clarion). She lives in Baltimore, Maryland. Mary Bowman-Kruhm lives in Frederick, Maryland, and has co-authored 21 books for children and teens. Claudine Wirths, who co-authored many books with Bowman-Kruhm, passed away in 2000.

Read more about C.W. Bowie.


Fred Willingham, illustrator

Fred Willingham has loved to draw since he was a young boy. His favorite subject matter has always been people, starting with comic book characters and moving on to draw his family and friends. His high school art teacher encouraged his talent and his love of drawing and Fred succeeded in going to art school at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh. He graduated with a degree in visual communication and became a freelance illustrator. He has illustrated several children's books for both the trade and educational markets. Fred lives in Cleveland, Ohio, with his family.

Read more about Fred Willingham.

  • ABC Best Books for Children
  • Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Seal Book Award

Kirkus Reviews

In this sequel to Busy Toes (1998), Bowie (a pseudonym for a trio of women) extols the handiness of opposable thumbs and fingers. In rhyming text this enthusiastic read highlights 21 samplings of what hands and fingers can accomplish-such as "Itsy-bitsy spider" and a shadow play. Also celebrated is the usefulness of these ten feelers as they help us to count or allow us to interact with the world through the simple motion of petting a dog. Willingham's multi-racial chalk illustrations superbly capture the subtlety of the children's facial expressions and the dexterity of their pudgy digits. A single picture book could not possibly enumerate the abundant ways fingers make our lives extraordinary, but this work does beg more. The reader night welcome additional finger rhymes or sign language examples. It's fertile ground, though, for preschoolers and families to think up their own finger fun.

Booklist

In this companion to Busy Toes (1999), young children are shown engaging in a variety of activities in which they use their fingers. Short, simple rhymes accompany realistic pastel paintings showing little hands waving good-bye, finger painting, signing "I love you," and more. Except for occasional stiffness, Willingham's figures are nicely rendered and represent children from a variety of cultures. Unfortunately, many scenes have flat, bland backgrounds devoid of objects, giving the pictures a sterile, false look that detracts from otherwise appealing scenes of active play that pave the way for a calming bath, a bedtime story, and, finally, a good-night kiss. Preschoolers will like paging through this and seeing kids about their own age doing fun, familiar activities. A comforting book to snuggle up with at the end of a busy day.

School Library Journal

A simple rhyming text that invites participation and repetition explores the ways fingers move. "Fingers high,/fingers low./Fingers reach to touch a toe." The interracial cast models the actions, from waving to washing to making an itty-bitty spider. Although the youngsters pictured seem slightly older than the target audience, very young children will delight in imitating the text as it is read to them: "Fingers count,/fingers stroke./Fingers squish,/fingers poke." The lack of plot is replaced by solid concepts, clearly pictured in pleasant pastel illustrations, that children will enjoy exploring.

Board Book
ISBN: 978-1-58089-048-9

E-book PDF
ISBN: 978-1-60734-173-4

Ages: 0-3
Page count: 28
5 13/16 x 6 11/16