Tug Your Earlobe: A Picture Guide to Body Language

Gr 1-4–Harsh words open this book on body language, but it’s all in good fun, or so readers are to believe. “Anyone who can read body language will know immediately, without words, how their friend feels towards them—they will know if that person is hostile and lying, just as they will know if they are being friendly and sincere.” The author then lays out the “secrets of nonverbal communication,” a mission that would be impossible without Wolf’s expressive body parts (hands reach, flail, grab, wave) and facial expressions (the side eye is here, plus its explanation). With a nod to keeping a distance (social, personal, intimate) and how such things can vary depending on the custom of the country, author and illustrator provide a visual lexicon with accessible sentences to help children learn the language of crossed ankles, folded arms, slouching, mirroring, and far more. Adults could take a page from this friendly title; alert children will deploy these moves in allowance negotiations, public speaking, and playground diplomacy.