You might not believe it now, but when I was younger I was shy and quiet. I wish I’d had a book like this one back then!
Sandra Feder has visited my blog before about the first book in this series. She is the author of four highly acclaimed picture books: Angry Me and Peaceful Me, illustrated by Rahele Jomepour Bell; Bitter and Sweet, illustrated by Kyrsten Brooker, a PJ Library selection; and The Moon Inside, illustrated by Aimée Sicuro, which has been translated into multiple languages. She has also written the Daisy series of early chapter books, illustrated by Susan Mitchell. Sandra lives in California. You can learn more about her at her website.
SHY ME is the story of one child (nameless) who tells the reader what it’s like being shy. Yet it isn’t just an exploration of what shyness looks like, the main character also shares some coping techniques that have helped to combat shyness. Any child who has ever felt shy will love this compassionate approach to the subject. And the beautiful cut-paper collage illustrations by Ashley Barron will also draw readers in.
Welcome back Sandra!
Me: This is now your third book in the Emotions and Me series with Groundwood Books. Did you always envision it as a series from the beginning? Were three books always part of the plan or did they evolve from previous successful sales?
Sandra: When I was writing Angry Me, the first book in the series, I realized that it would be wonderful to have a companion book exploring an opposite emotion. I settled on peaceful and then started exploring when a child might feel peaceful and when they would not. Happily, the series has been a bestseller for my publisher Groundwood Books and so we are continuing! I really wanted to honor the range of emotions children have and give even very young children a way to talk about and process their big feelings.
Me: I remember your first book about anger (ANGRY ME) but sadly I missed the second one (PEACEFUL ME). Those seem like a natural pairing together. Shyness as the next emotion intrigues me. What gave you the idea to write this next book in the series about shyness?
Sandra: The idea for Shy Me originally came from my youngest daughter’s shy feelings when she was a child and a conversation that I had with the illustrator of Angry Me and Peaceful Me, Rahele Jomepour Bell, who talked about being a shy child herself and how difficult that was for her at times. I think so many children experience shy feelings at different points in their lives and in different situations, so that felt like a natural topic to explore in this series.
Me: These stories are so succinct and so accurate with the depiction of the main character’s feelings! Using the first person point of view really helps with this, but your writing is deceptively simple. How hard are these manuscripts to write? Are there many revisions to get them to this brilliant, finished state?
Sandra: Thank you so much for your kind words! I felt strongly when I started the series that I wanted to write in the first-person, to really give voice to the big feelings children have. I thought a lot about how few opportunities there can be for children to use their own words to express what they’re feeling, because a lot of childhood is being told where to go and how to behave. The manuscripts are hard to write because the words I use should sound appropriate coming from the mouth of a child and still have impact and carry weight. I can’t phrase a feeling or idea in adult terms, which is often how the idea first comes to me. So yes, I go through many drafts and then spend time with the terrific editors at Groundwood Books making sure that each sentence really sounds authentically kid-like.
Me: Wow! That’s a lot of work. There are not a lot of books out there dealing with shyness for children in such a concrete way. I have Kindergarten students I immediately thought of when reading this book. Is this an important topic to you personally? Why do you think children need to hear this?
Sandra: I think it is an important topic because being shy is something so many children experience at various times. It is important to me personally, because I remember my youngest daughter hiding behind me when entering a crowded room full of strangers, but also sometimes when greeting a beloved relative. In this book, I wanted to show different situations when the child felt shy and then offer ideas for combatting shyness, so the child doesn’t miss out on things he really wants to do. However, I did not want to imply that being shy is a bad thing or something that necessarily needs to be overcome. So, the story ends with the child realizing that being shy is only one part of who he is.
Me: I love that. The first two books in the series had a different illustrator (i.e., Rahele Jomepour Bell). Were you worried about the change in illustrator this far into the series? When did you find out this was going to happen?
Sandra: Rahele did an amazing job with Angry Me and Peaceful Me, and we had hoped she would be able to continue with Shy Me, as she was partly the inspiration for this one, but her schedule did not allow that. One reason I feel so grateful to work with Groundwood Books is that they have consistently paired me with outstanding illustrators and Ashley Barron is another example of that. I’m so excited for us to introduce another compelling character in the series!
Me: And the illustrations by Ashley Barron are absolutely gorgeous! I love the textures and expressions of the characters! Were there any illustration surprises for you? Any favorites?
Sandra: Ashley’s work on Shy Me is so exquisite! I love the textures and expressions too and think her ability to convey shyness through the child’s body language is moving and beautiful. One of the fun surprises was the illustration of the child making a friend in a snow fort, as I used to make snow forts with my own children when we lived in a snowy part of the world. So that brought back fun memories for me. I also love the illustration of the child practicing in front of his stuffed animals in order to gain confidence! That is so sweet and seems so appropriately child-like.
Me: With three books in the series already, are you planning on any more? Is the series already pretty planned out? Or is this book the last one?
Sandra: I’m thrilled to announce that there is a fourth book in the series, Lonely Me, to be released in 2026. That idea was born out of the conversations that have been taking place worldwide about how interconnected we all are and at the same time acutely lonely.
As for more books in the series, I certainly hope so! There are so many more emotions and feelings to explore, and I’ve been so happy to see the wonderful reception these books have received in homes, schools, and libraries. Social emotional learning continues to be a big topic for educators and parents, so I would love to continue to provide resources for starting conversations.
When I go into schools to speak, my favorite part is the children showing me their angry faces and then talking with me about the ways they’ve learned to let those feelings go and embrace peacefulness. I also have had the pleasure of having my emotions books read to me by children who will stop and acknowledge having had the same experience or feeling. I think hearing big feelings expressed in child-like language is so important for them!
That is SO true! I can’t wait to read that fourth book and hopefully many more in this series. Thank you for stopping by my blog today Sandra.
Dear readers, this book is published tomorrow. If you haven’t had a chance to read any of the books in this series, you’ll want to make sure you check them out. Each one explores an emotion in depth and detail from a child’s perspective using the first person point of view quite effectively. And trust me when I say, you won’t want to miss this latest addition to the series. They’re very powerful reads.