Less than 24 hours after I shared a mildly principled post with resources for reading with kids during this incredibly turbulent time — and received a few nasty emails, and promptly lost more subscribers than I normally do in a month — I walked into my kitchen to find a copy of SHRINKING VIOLET by Laurel Snyder, illustrated by LeUyen Pham (out in March from Chronicle Books), waiting for me like a quiet, eerie reminder of who I am and why I do this work.

It’s a beautiful story about fear and bravery for anyone who has ever felt scared and small — or needs a reminder that standing up for others is always worth it, and fuels your own inner strength.