Some people say "Hey!" by using their words. They bellow loudly to greet you. But others say hi with only a smile to tell you they're so glad you're here.
This is true especially for me who say Hi, only with a smile.

A wonderful book to show that not everyone wants to say, "Hello," in the same way. Some of us like to give hugs, some of us don't want to be touched and would prefer to say it with a smile or a wave, all are okay!

This is such a lovely, gentle book about all the ways people communicate—speaking, signing, smiling, waving, and even not making eye contact. Every child will find a piece of themselves in these pages. I love how it embraces the idea that communication is not one-size-fits-all. It normalizes different styles, encourages empathy, and shows kids (and adults!) that there’s no “wrong” way to say hello.
The illustrations reflect a beautiful diversity of children and emotions, and the tone throughout is warm and inclusive. The Reader’s Note is packed with practical ideas and insights, especially helpful for families navigating communication differences.
A thoughtful, affirming book for every classroom and home library. Thank you American Psychological Association and NetGalley for the ARC

This is a sweet and well made book about the diverse ways that we can say hi. It’s great exposure to people with different needs, comfort levels, and abilities. The writing flows nicely and the art is engaging and pretty. I would absolutely love this book in my classroom!

Some great communication skills are nonverbal! This book is designed for children and lovingly covers the usual and unusual (e.g. ASL/NZSL) and even using assistive devices. While not shown here, this is also a way to introduce the ability to communicate with adults who are post stroke and other people with unusual presentations.
The illustrations by Tracy Bishop are imaginative and add much to the story in simple figures and bright colors.
Well suited for reading alone or WITH someone of any age, including ESL, and great for gifting to everyone, but especially to a school, waiting room, or your local public library!
I requested and received a temporary uncorrected digital Galley on Thorium PDF from Magination Press — American Psychological Association via NetGalley. Pub Date Sep 09, 2025
#YouCanSayHiwithOnlyaSmile by Merriam Sarcia Saunders @howtoparentadhd and @tracybishopart @maginationpress @childrensbookcouncil @goodreads #kidsbook #picturebookart #kidlit #picturebook #illustration #childrensbooks #imagination #neurodiverse #youareunique #nonverbalcommunication #littlefreelibrary

I enjoyed the book and thought the content was suitable for elementary-aged students. It's a sweet book I could easily see using with my students as a learning tool to help them understand how to be a friend and be warm, while focusing on what your comfortable version of greeting someone is. Aesthetically, I did not love how the types of greetings were highlighted. Good book for teaching SEL skills!

What a great book that exposes kids to different types of greetings!
Not all hellos involve talking as demonstrated throughout the book.
Nonverbal communication from either a disability or simply being too shy is okay!
We need more books like this that tell our kids that it is okay!
I was shy as a kid and didn't talk to my dads coworkers, I still do not know why I was like that but I never had anyone telling me that it was okay. Our kids need this, it will resonate with those who do.

The art for this story is very vibrant and bright. The story itself highlights the different ways that people can communicate- especially when saying hello. This book beautifully portrays people's differences and how it's okay that everyone does things differently. I think that the book would be best for ages 5+. #NetGalley #NetGalleyARC #ARC

This book gives great examples of how many different ways there are for people to greet each other. It also reminds kids that it is ok to greet people in different ways.

This is a book about communication methods and the many ways you can say hello. I enjoyed the variety, and children with different verbal abilities or emotional abilities will benefit from this book greatly.

An adorable and relatable book of the many ways we greet each other. It's full of inclusivity and introduces children to various forms of non verbal communication. Highly recommend!

You Can Say Hi With Only A Smile is a delightful read for all children, but will be especially helpful for children preschool through early elementary age. The text is concise, but meaningful. Saunders does an excellent job of exploring all of the ways children communicate as well as offering some potential insight into why some children may use differing communication styles. The book highlights the use of eye contact(or lack there of), AAC devices, sign language, and non-verbal communication. The illustrations are colorful and detailed without being distracting. This book is a must for every speech-language pathologist, counselor, teacher and family working to raise inclusive and kind children.

Such an inclusive and important book; I love it! The author accurately and simply illustrated that there are many different types of ways to greet others, and they're not always physical, big, or verbal. This point is pushed even further because none of the characters make a big deal out of greetings that are different from their own. This was such a good decision because it helps normalize our differences for young readers. Lastly, I specifically want to give credit to the author for including the "aunt that requests a hug" moment, because it's common for kids to have a relative like this, and they might not always want to give a hug. I applaud the main character for sticking to their boundaries and turning down the hug. I can't stress enough how important it is for kids to see characters like that, who put their own needs and boundaries first. Perfect book; bravo!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an electronic copy to read in exchange for an honest review.

This book!!!!! What a brilliant, perfect book on all the different ways we communicate. I really really appreciate how many different ways the author highlights - words, gestures, assistive devices. All are normal, all are acceptable. I appreciate how the different forms of communication are presented - without highlighting that someone is 'different' that's why they use a device or sign. It is so inclusive!

I cannot wait to read this book with my kindergarten class.

I received an ARC of this children's book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a really lovely book. The pictures are adorable and the message of the book, that there are many different ways to communicate, it wonderful!

This book would be excellent for children with poor communication skills. Unfortunately, it's not useful for my teachings.

Thank you to Magination Press and Netgalley for the ebook to read and review.

Everyone is different, everyone comminucates differently. This book is a perfect example of each persons individuality, showcasing many different ways people say hello to each other.

I loved how we went round to meet all the people in the protagonists life and it shared how each person communicated, from speaking, to a machine, to waves and smiles. The illustrations that went with this book were really sweet and I loved seeing all the visuals of how each person shared their hellos to each other.

This is a great book for helping with young children to learn they can communicate in many different ways, that each person is different, to learn what they are personally comfortable with, what their boundaries are. The book also had lots more resources at the end to further educate on the topic which i love seeing included.

The illustrations by Tracy Nishimura Bishop in this book are the cutest! You Can Say Hi With Only A Smile by Merriam Sarcia Saunders is a wonderfully inclusive book that highlights the various ways people communicate with one another, some with their hands, others with a tablet and some with just a smile, wink or a wave and that's ok!
Be sure to read the notes at the end to give you even more insight into understanding about nonverbal communication, personal.space and movement.
Highly recommend!

What a great book to teach children about the different ways we can say "hi". I think many kids could relate to the various ways we can say hi without using words! Beautiful illustrations and colors! A great book to add to a classroom library!

netgalley ARC - I am so happy that this exists! I think kids would really benefit from being exposed to diversity in communication and this is a lovely example.