How My Family Says I Love You

In Yvonne Sewankambo's 'How My Family Says I Love You,' readers are invited into the warm embrace of a large, extended family where affection is shown through actions rather than just words. The protagonist shares vignettes of her family members, including siblings, aunts, uncles, and grandmothers (jajjas), each demonstrating their love in unique, tangible ways, such as braiding hair, sharing food, telling stories, or chasing away monsters. This book is perfect for sparking conversations about how different families, and individuals within them, express care and connection. It emphasizes that love is a verb, providing comfort and a sense of belonging for young readers aged 4-11.

How do you say “I love you” without saying “I love you”? For one big family, it’s woven into the fabric of every day in this tender, resonant picture book. My sister Nalu braids my hair every week. It’s how she says “I love you.” Tendo always races his sister to the finish line as they leave the house. Kira the dog greets her at the door with a wagging tail and a spin. Sometimes it’s Auntie Linda pulling her into her wheelchair for a hug, or Uncle Alex bringing his funny parrot for a visit. One jajja teaches her granddaughter how to make the chicken dish she learned as a child; another tells stories from far away, before she was born. Whether it’s Mom asking if she’s hungry a hundred times a day, or older siblings scaring away the monster that keeps her awake, the refrain “I love you” comes through loud and clear—and reminds us that there are countless ways to express affection to those that we hold dear.