Words are power tools, as these picture books show kids

We take words for granted. They’re the most basic building blocks of stories, the names we call each other, the way we explain our love to one another. These four thoughtful picture books make words themselves the center of the story, and explore all the power and beauty they hold.

“What Are Words, Really?” by Alexi Lubomirski, illustrated by Carlos Aponte.

(Ages 4 through 8. Candlewick Press. $17.99.)

This bold, bright ode to the power of words blends colorful art with the words themselves.

The message is that words matter, and choosing the best and kindest ones makes a difference: “Consider how your words can affect everything that surrounds you! You can make life amazing. Go ahead, look around you!” Using kind words for yourself and others is “like a magical spell” that brings light to the world — and this sunny book encourages readers to do just that.

“Namaste is a Greeting” by Suma Subramaniam, illustrated by Sandhya Prabhat.

(Ages 4 through 8. Candlewick Press.)

This simple story of greeting, sharing and kindness explores the depth of meaning in the word “namaste.”

Like all greetings, it is a way to reach out with love and respect: “Namaste is ‘I bow to you.’ “It’s the right word for when you’re happy or sad, lonely or reaching out to others.

“Offer namaste to heal and comfort,” this story advises, as a little girl brings a moment of friendship and kindness to an elderly neighbor.

“What’s Your Name?” by Bethanie Deeney Murguia.

(Ages 3 through 7. Candlewick Press. $18.99.)

There may be no word more special than your own name, and this poetic discussion of what’s in a name welcomes readers to enjoy their names and the reasons behind them.

“Names honor family and athletes and stars — people through history and heroes of ours.” Imagine a world without all those different names, the book wonders, “where you were called You. And I was named You. And they were You, too.”

Some people grow into their names, and some change them or add on, but either way they’re unique, loved — and the first step in introducing yourself to a new friend.

“One and Everything” by Sam Winston.

(Ages 7 through 10. Candlewick Studio. $19.99.)

Artist Sam Winston’s stunning book is both a work of art and a tribute to the diversity of languages, stories, ideas and perspectives the world can hold.

“Once there were many stories for the world,” he writes. Until one day, a story decided it was the one and only, greatest story, and instead of listening to an older story it encountered, “it ate up the older story in one gulp.”

As the One and Only story swallows more and more of the world’s stories, it grows greater and greater — until, packed with every word there is, it realizes it is every story, and the great gray mass explodes into countless colorful stories, each one different.

The idea is lovely — but even more stunning is the story behind the art, which uses text from languages throughout history and from around the world. A fascinating guide at the end of the book discusses the characters used in the artwork, the languages they capture, and the cultures they convey.