A Place Inside of Me: A Poem to Heal the Heart

• Caldecott Medal/Honor Book 2021

• Today Show Best Book for the Holidays
• NCTE Notable Poetry Book
• Evanston Public Library’s Top 100 Great Book for Kids
• Nerdy Award Winner for Single Poem Picture Book

In this powerful, affirming poem by award-winning author Zetta Elliott, a Black child explores his shifting emotions throughout the year.

There is a place inside of me
a space deep down inside of me
where all my feelings hide.

Summertime is filled with joy—skateboarding and playing basketball —until his community is deeply wounded by a police shooting. As fall turns to winter and then spring, fear grows into anger, then pride and peace.

In her stunning debut, illustrator Noa Denmon articulates the depth and nuances of a child’s experiences following a police shooting—through grief and protests, healing and community—with washes of color as vibrant as his words.

Here is a groundbreaking narrative that can help all readers—children and adults alike—talk about the feelings hiding deep inside each of us.