Exploring Emotions in a Time of Trouble: A Review of A Place Inside of Me

Children, especially Black children, are going through hard times today, with a deadly pandemic, police shootings of Black people, and violent repression of protests. There’s fear and anger, along with the resolve to turn a dire situation around. Zetta Elliott’s latest picture book, A Place Inside of Me: A Poem to Heal the Heart, illustrated in rich browns and soft pastels by Noa Denmon, arrives at this much-needed moment when children are coming to grips with the wider forces that affect their communities and their futures.

The pre-teenage narrator loves skateboarding and hanging out with friends at the basketball court. The poem begins with his joy in the everyday activities. Quickly, it’s replaced by sorrow when he learns from the barbershop’s TV that police have shot a Black girl. Lying in bed that night, he fears he will be next. His anger leads him to action—attending a demonstration, giving a report to his class about “how long and hard we have struggled/& against all odds my people have emerged/strong/triumphant/& beautiful.” He finds moments of tranquility in a meditation class—as in her poetry volume for teens Say Her Name, Elliott emphasizes the importance of self-care—gives love to others, and receives it in return. Most of all, he learns to love himself.

Whereas Say Her Name is, first and foremost, directed to Black girls, A Place Inside of Me is a message to Black boys. Elliott and Denmon highlight emotions too often suppressed. The words and pictures cut to the heart of a child’s experiences and feelings in a reassuring way. It’s okay to be scared. It’s okay to cry. Self-care includes finding ways to direct anger to bring about empowerment and positive change. You come from people who have survived and made lives filled with joy and love—and you can too.