Words can describe things.
Words can make your heart sing.
But words can also hurt and be an arrow to your heart.
Pip and Cat find out that words can help cheer someone up, make them feel stronger, encourage them and help them to laugh again.
'This book is about your heart. The little bit inside of you that makes you, you!'
Kate Jane Neal created Words and Your Heart after her children were verbally bullied at school.
In her story Neal explores how words are used and misused. She suggests that if we think about the words we choose to use we can all protect everyone's heart.
Neal's illustrations are expressive and uses a very restrained colour palette of grey tones with highlights of red to help show emotion.
This is a thought provoking book, that is not preachy but encourages reflection and discussion about the words we use. While we would like to believe the old childhood rhyme about sticks and stones breaking bones and names not hurting us, we all know that words can and do hurt.
If Words and Your Heart makes one person stop and think about what they say to others, then this book can help change lives.
Title: Words and Your Heart
Author/Illustrator: Kate Jane Neal
Publisher: Simon & Schuster, $14.99
Publication Date: 1 November 2017
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781471168536
For ages: 5+
Type: Picture Books
