Secrets I Know

by Kallie George, Paola Zakimi (Illustrator)

Overview

Perfect for fans of Liz Garton Scanlon's All the World and Amy Krouse Rosenthal's I Wish You More, this charming, whimsical story about one imaginative little girl’s magical world is sure to enchant readers young and old.
 
Follow the girl throughout a day spent in her own backyard, and you'll discover lots of secrets only she can tell. For example, did you know that whispers hide in trees? Or that trees make great umbrellas? With a simple, poetic text from Kallie George and extraordinary illustrations from debut artist Paola Zakimi, here is a book families will read again and again and treasure for years to come.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781101938959
Publisher:	Random House Children's Books
Publication date:	05/23/2017
Sold by:	Random House
Format:	eBook
Pages:	32
Lexile:	AD330L (what's this?)
File size:	42 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	3 - 7 Years

About the Author

Kallie George is the author of the picture books The Lost Gift and Duck, Duck, Dinosaur, and the chapter book series The Magical Animal Adoption Society. When she's not writing, she leads workshops for aspiring writers. She lives in Vancouver. Visit her at kalliegeorge.com.
 
Paola Zakimi spent all of her childhood and part of her youth in cold Patagonia, Argentina. She has a popular Etsy shop, where she sells illustrations and nursery decor featuring characters of her own creation. This is her first picture book. Visit her at paolazakimi.com and on Twitter @paolazakimi.

Editorial Reviews

★ 03/13/2017
As this pensive story opens, a girl sits curled up by a window; her dog gazes out at the garden, where rain falls. “I know lots of secrets,” the girl says, addressing readers. “Like... Secrets are for whispering.” A page turn shows her out in the garden, dressed in a raincoat, viewed through leafy branches (“Whispers hide in trees”). “Trees make great umbrellas,” reads another spread, as the girl sits in a tree house with her dog, protected from the rain. Her linked musings progress (“Sunshine marks the spot... for finding buried treasure. True treasure is a friend”), and she’s joined by a friend who helps her retrieve a telescope that they use to stargaze under the same “umbrella” of a tree. Zakimi (Teddy & Co.) draws animals and plants and their varied textures with care, quietly underscoring the small wonders found in a backyard; matte paper and a restrained palette add to the sense of tranquility. George’s (The Lost Gift) poem celebrates nature, friendship, and understanding things not just with the head but with the heart. Ages 3–7. Agent: Emily van Beek, Folio Literary Management. (May)

Publishers Weekly

PRAISE FOR Secrets I Know:

“Psst! This book holds delightful secrets. And these secrets shouldn't be missed.” —Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review

“George’s poem celebrates nature, friendship, and understanding things not just with the head but with the heart.” —Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

"Basically I will read anything Kallie George makes." —Jbrary (blog)

PRAISE FOR The Lost Gift (by Kallie George): 

"The writing is simple yet expressive." —Horn Book Magazine

PRAISE FOR Teddy & Co. (illustrated by Paola Zakimi):

"Each lightly illustrated chapter functions well as its own short story and as a piece of the narrative whole. These are lovable and unique characters that will charm parents and children alike." —Johanna Albrecht, Flyleaf Books, Chapel Hill, NC 

From the Publisher

05/01/2017
PreS-Gr 1—A girl explores the secrets in her backyard in this whimsical picture book that celebrates a child's imagination. The poetic text builds the story one idea at a time as she moves about her day. "I know lots of secrets. Like…/Secrets are for whispering./Whispers hide in trees./Trees make great umbrellas./Umbrellas are the perfect boats." Each verse is accompanied by subtle, full-page, digitally rendered pencil drawings, in muted earth tone colors, that quietly share her secrets with others. The child's adventure leads to finding treasure in a friend and confiding secrets in the stars, who tell only the trees, as the lyrical word association brings the narrative full circle. VERDICT The large format makes this serene tale perfectly suited for one-on-one or small group reading, as it thoroughly captures the inspiring wonders of a day of play in one's own backyard.—Kristine M. Casper, Huntington Public Library, NY

School Library Journal

★ 2017-02-14
A small girl shares her secrets (she knows "lots," and she knows "secrets are for whispering").She cups her pale hand, covers her mouth, leans into a puppy's ear, and begins. Throughout her day (marked by raindrops, seashells, sun, play, and, finally, stars) readers hear the girl's husky, hushed voice unfurling ribbons of loosely tied thoughts and associations. She relays all she knows: "Whispers hide in trees. / Trees make great umbrellas. / Umbrellas are the perfect boats." The interconnected (perhaps improvised?) litany goes on and on, while short sentences convey charming clarity and punctuated certainty. Full-bleed, double-page spreads depict playtime vignettes that inspire her secrets, and as these pictures run off the page, succeeding one another fluidly, it's easy to visualize the girl's secrets all strung together, a cheerful paper chain of ideas and whimsy. Pencil drawings capture the coyness in her upward-cast eyes, the bounce of her bob, her pursed smile, and the windy, leafy outdoors. Dusky digital coloring—mildly murky browns and greens—clouds the illustrations with a subtle cover of mystery, suggesting both a cloudy day and a shadowy, secretive mood. Once indoors, the mood and pictures brighten, lit up by a beaming friendship with her neighbor, a brown-skinned boy equally excited by stargazing. He also knows that "Stars keep your secrets. / They only tell the trees." Psst! This book holds delightful secrets. And these secrets shouldn't be missed. (Picture book. 3-8)

Kirkus Reviews