A child finds a way to access inner peace—when the world around her feels anything but peaceful—in this uplifting new picture book by acclaimed author-illustrator team Jacqueline Woodson and E. B. Lewis.

Sometimes it seems like you can’t get away from the noise. Especially in a busy school on a rainy day when everyone’s stuck inside. The gym is full of kids shouting, balls bouncing, and rain pelting, and Simone notices that being cooped up in class is making everyone cranky. Fortunately, their teacher knows how to help them find their calm again, using a shiny bowl and a wooden stick to create a beautiful sound that rises above the noise. And as they all close their eyes and breathe, Simone is surprised to discover that even when life feels stormy, she can find the quiet she carries within herself.

With lyrical prose and luminous paintings highlighting the power of visualization, this is an empowering story for readers of all ages.
© John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation
Jacqueline Woodson received a 2023 Guggenheim Foundation Fellowship, a 2020 MacArthur Fellowship, the 2020 Hans Christian Andersen Award, the 2018 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award, and the 2018 Children’s Literature Legacy Award. She was the 2018–2019 National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, and in 2015, she was named the Young People’s Poet Laureate by the Poetry Foundation. She received the 2014 National Book Award for her New York Times bestselling memoir Brown Girl Dreaming, which was also a recipient of the Coretta Scott King Award, a Newbery Honor, the NAACP Image Award, and a Sibert Honor. She wrote the adult books Red at the Bone, a New York Times bestseller, and Another Brooklyn, a 2016 National Book Award finalist. Born in Columbus, Ohio, Jacqueline grew up in Greenville, South Carolina, and Brooklyn, New York, and graduated from college with a B.A. in English. She is the author of dozens of award-winning books for young adults, middle graders, and children; among her many accolades, she is a four-time Newbery Honor winner, a four-time National Book Award finalist, and a three-time Coretta Scott King Award winner. Her books include Coretta Scott King Award and NAACP Image Award winner Before the Ever After; New York Times bestsellers The Day You Begin and Harbor Me; The Other Side, Caldecott Honor book Coming On Home Soon; Newbery Honor winners Feathers, Show Way, and After Tupac and D Foster; Miracle's Boys, which received the LA Times Book Prize and the Coretta Scott King Award; and Each Kindness, which won the Jane Addams Children’s Book Award. Jacqueline is also a recipient of the Margaret A. Edwards Award for lifetime achievement for her contributions to young adult literature. She lives with her family in Brooklyn, New York. View titles by Jacqueline Woodson

About

A child finds a way to access inner peace—when the world around her feels anything but peaceful—in this uplifting new picture book by acclaimed author-illustrator team Jacqueline Woodson and E. B. Lewis.

Sometimes it seems like you can’t get away from the noise. Especially in a busy school on a rainy day when everyone’s stuck inside. The gym is full of kids shouting, balls bouncing, and rain pelting, and Simone notices that being cooped up in class is making everyone cranky. Fortunately, their teacher knows how to help them find their calm again, using a shiny bowl and a wooden stick to create a beautiful sound that rises above the noise. And as they all close their eyes and breathe, Simone is surprised to discover that even when life feels stormy, she can find the quiet she carries within herself.

With lyrical prose and luminous paintings highlighting the power of visualization, this is an empowering story for readers of all ages.

Author

© John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation
Jacqueline Woodson received a 2023 Guggenheim Foundation Fellowship, a 2020 MacArthur Fellowship, the 2020 Hans Christian Andersen Award, the 2018 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award, and the 2018 Children’s Literature Legacy Award. She was the 2018–2019 National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, and in 2015, she was named the Young People’s Poet Laureate by the Poetry Foundation. She received the 2014 National Book Award for her New York Times bestselling memoir Brown Girl Dreaming, which was also a recipient of the Coretta Scott King Award, a Newbery Honor, the NAACP Image Award, and a Sibert Honor. She wrote the adult books Red at the Bone, a New York Times bestseller, and Another Brooklyn, a 2016 National Book Award finalist. Born in Columbus, Ohio, Jacqueline grew up in Greenville, South Carolina, and Brooklyn, New York, and graduated from college with a B.A. in English. She is the author of dozens of award-winning books for young adults, middle graders, and children; among her many accolades, she is a four-time Newbery Honor winner, a four-time National Book Award finalist, and a three-time Coretta Scott King Award winner. Her books include Coretta Scott King Award and NAACP Image Award winner Before the Ever After; New York Times bestsellers The Day You Begin and Harbor Me; The Other Side, Caldecott Honor book Coming On Home Soon; Newbery Honor winners Feathers, Show Way, and After Tupac and D Foster; Miracle's Boys, which received the LA Times Book Prize and the Coretta Scott King Award; and Each Kindness, which won the Jane Addams Children’s Book Award. Jacqueline is also a recipient of the Margaret A. Edwards Award for lifetime achievement for her contributions to young adult literature. She lives with her family in Brooklyn, New York. View titles by Jacqueline Woodson

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