CECELIA SAYS NO WHEN FRIENDSHIP AND BOUNDARIES COLLIDE

A spunky young girl finds courage in her mother’s words in Anne’s picture book.

With her black, curly hair in two cute puffs, 6-year-old Cecelia (who has tan skin) wears purple clothes and hairbows because purple is her mommy’s favorite color. To connect with her mother when mommy’s away at work, Cecelia draws pictures for her with purple crayons. Cecelia’s classmate Sammi Sylvester really loves Cecelia’s drawings. So, when Sammi asks to have them on Monday and Tuesday, Cecelia says yes. Saying yes on Wednesday gives her a bad feeling because her mommy will never see her expressions of love. When Cecelia gets home, she remembers her mom’s advice that “it’s okay to say no to a friend,” then tries it out on her stuffed animals, her pets, and even a drawing of Sammi. After practicing at home, Cecelia is finally able to tell Sammi no, she can’t have her purple airplane picture—but they can still be friends. The author / illustrator’s purple-dominated color scheme drives home Cecelia’s love for her mother, and Cecelia’s changing expressions are caught with nuance in the simple drawings. Cecelia’s personality also comes through in the dialogue, from her kindly innocence to her expressive consternation when humorously comparing Sammi to “a hungry octopus grabbing everything.” There could be a more pointed discussion of boundaries, but Cecelia administers a master class in the concept by example.

An approachable lesson about saying “no” for young readers.