Say It

PreS-Gr 2–Young Nika has a secret, and she’s afraid of judgment and criticism from others. This secret weighs on her so heavily, it interferes with her daily life—until she discovers that her burden grows lighter when she shares it with a friend. Reassuring themes of empathy, self-compassion, and communication are conveyed through straightforward, all-caps prose crafted in short sentences. The visuals in this book are particularly striking, with large illustrations rendered in crayon and paint, evoking a childlike drawing style. An effective use of color conveys mood—red to indicate anger and blue to imply sadness—with creative interplay between the text and illustrations, as in one spread where the phrase “IT IS A VERY HEAVY SECRET” literally bears down on a crouching Nika. Between the expressive illustrations and the story’s encouraging message, readers will find much comfort here.