Winner of the 2022 Ezra Jack Keats Illustrator Award!

From debut author-illustrator Gracey Zhang comes a timeless and timely picture book that celebrates the unassuming power of kind words.

Oh, there goes Lala! She carries a pot of water around the corner, down the block, and over the fence, to a patch of dirt and concrete where tiny weeds sprout. "Hello, hello, friends!" she whispers. Lala waters the plants every day, but it is her kind words that make them sway and nod.

Lala's wild nature and quiet compassion enchant in this evergreen story about the power of kind words and the magic of being loved for who you are.

Gracey Zhang is an illustrator and animator with a love of storytelling and verse. She is the author and illustrator of Lala's Words and the illustrator of The Big Bath House, Nigel and the Moon, and The Upside Down Hat. She was born and raised in Vancouver, Canada, and received her degree in Illustration from RISD. Gracey is now based in Brooklyn, New York, where she can be found window watching from the train when she's not scribbling away at her desk. You can visit her at graceyzhang.com.

Gracey Zhang's profile page

• Commended, Best Books for Kids and Teens, Canadian Children's Book Centre
• Short-listed, Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award
• Winner, Ezra Jack Keats Award

A Junior Library Guild selection

Praise for Lala's Words:

Winner of the 2022 Ezra Jack Keats Illustrator Award!

"Zhang's style, blending warmhearted mltiethnic urban caricature with a bold-lined rough-and-tumble zeal, is wholly original. And like the compliment Lala pays her soon science-fiction-size plants, this debut picture book (which also depcits a burgeoning mother-daughter relationship) is 'magnificient.'" -- New York Times Book Review

"This is the enchanting story about the power of words." -- Booklist

"Lala’s enthusiasm blossoms on the page." -- Kirkus Reviews

“A verdant tale of leaves, language, and most importantly, love.”— Molly Idle (author-illustrator of Pearl; Flora and the Flamingo)

“Much like an encouraging word, Gracey’s vibrant pictures will lift you up.” -- Christian Robinson (author of Another; illustrator of Last Stop on Market Street)

“A touching fantasy rooted in reality. Gracey’s art recalls children’s books masters . . . Ludwig Bemelmans, Roger Duvoisin, David Small. Yet it is fresh and lovely and hasn’t been seen before." -- LeUyen Pham (illustrator of Bear Came Along; Grace for President)

“Lala’s Words is really about magic; a special kind of magic called kindness. Like the sunlight and falling rain, kindness nourishes the world around us. This book, with its lovely art and whimsical story, will also nourish the reader.” -- The Fan Brothers (author-illustrators of Ocean Meets Sky; The Night Gardener)