Through the Looking Glass Children's Book Reviews
Say Something
Picture Book
For ages 5 to 7
Scholastic, 2019 ISBN: 978-0545865036
Many of us think that we are small and unimportant. We think that our thoughts and feelings have no power, and that our voices are not worthy. It turns out that we are wrong. Our voices, “so long as they come from the heart” are needed in this world that we live in.
The interesting thing is that our voices don’t have to be loud to be “powerful.” A whisper will do. An action will work as well. Our creativity is another way that we can speak without speaking.
If you see someone who is sitting alone, someone who might need a friend, you can reach out to that person just by sitting next to them and keeping them company. This is a way of speaking, of saying something.
You can say something by planting a garden, or by painting a picture. You can say something by having the courage to wear what you want, and by writing a poem.
Sometimes you do need to actually speak. You need to protect those who are being hurt by using that very powerful word, “Stop!” And if you are being hurt you need to use your voice to help others understand how you feel, for using your voice can bring about change. In fact, if you see that something ugly is happening in the world raise your voice peacefully to ask the world to change, and invite others to join you.
This book was written for just about everyone on this planet. Being afraid of saying something is a commonplace problem. We are afraid of looking foolish or rocking the boat. We are afraid of being the center of attention. Unfortunately, there are so many fears that silence our voices.
The interesting thing, as Peter Reynolds shows us in this book, is that saying something is really not as scary as it seems. He invites us to take baby steps and he shows us that our voices, no matter how quiet they are, can truly “change the world.”
