When No One Is Watching
“When no one is watching, I dance. I leap and I spin and I prance ’round the room … When no one is watching, I dance. When everyone’s watching, I hide. I hide like the cat alongside the big chair, I scrunch myself down and pretend I’m not there.” A young introvert has no problem expressing herself when she’s alone, but when other people are around she’d rather not be noticed. Eileen Spinelli’s lilting narrative skillfully uses the rhythm, pacing and word choice to reflect the duality. There is no judgment, just matter-of factness about her desire to be away from the crowd. But she also values connection, and in her friend Loretta, who is “shy too,” she has found a kindred spirit, someone with whom she can be silly or quiet. “Together we don’t care who’s watching at all.” Highly Commended, 2014 Charlotte Zolotow Award ©2013 Cooperative Children's Book Center
Illustrated by David A. Johnson
CCBC Age Recommendation: Ages 4-7
Age Range:
PreK-Early Elementary (Ages 4-7)
Format:
Picture book
Subjects:
Friendship
Shyness
Stories in Rhyme
Publisher:
Eerdmans
Publish Year: 2013
Pages: 24
ISBN: 9780802853035
CCBC Location: Picture Book, Spinelli