MORE THAN WORDS

You don’t always need to use words to make yourself heard.

Nathan, a brown-skinned boy, doesn’t say much, but he is thinking a lot. The text then examines ways that people say things without talking: making facial expressions; writing with a pencil, brailler, or tablet; using an alphabet board; signing; using text- or symbol-to-speech technology; singing and making sounds; moving, playing, and building; and painting or drawing. Each spread shows children using these methods to communicate. Ending pages circle back to Nathan and the interconnected channels and pools he has dug in the schoolyard for the little boats he has crafted out of walnuts and leaves. Even without a single word exchanged, the other children find a way to listen to him and reach out a hand in friendship. MacLean’s gouache, pencil crayon, acrylic ink, and digital illustrations depict a class diverse in skin tone, ethnicity, religion, and ability. We see children who use wheelchairs, a child with a hearing impairment, a service dog, and a student who uses oxygen tubing. The backmatter distinguishes between expressive and receptive communication, emphasizes that “Even if someone doesn’t express themselves in the same way as you, it doesn’t mean they don’t understand you,” and lists ways to ensure everyone has communication access. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A warmly inclusive look at the many ways we communicate with one another.