Cheryl Willis Hudson is the author of a dozen books for children, including Bright Eyes, Brown Skin (coauthored with Bernette G. Ford) and Come by Here, Lord: Everyday Prayers for Children. She says that Hands Can was inspired by her own children. I was amazed by the versatility, dexterity, utility, and even gracefulness of such small fingers, she says. I began to see hands as marvelous works of art, and I wanted to somehow capture that vision in a children's book.

John-Francis Bourke was born in Dublin, Ireland, and now works in New York City. His photographs have been published in GQ, TV Guide, ESPN The Magazine, Nick Jr., Parenting, and Parents. He says, Photographing people provides me with a constant stream of new faces, new words, new conversation - it never gets old. Photographing children gives you all that, plus innocence and curiosity. Wonderful! This is his first book for children.