Booklist calls ELLIE HAS A SECRET by Amelia Bothe “an arresting picture-book debut” that “superbly explores the toll of keeping a secret” in starred review
★ Ellie Has a Secret by Amelia Bothe. Illus. by the author
Pub date: Aug. 2025. 40p. Clarion, $19.99 (9780063373150). PreS–Gr. 3
A young girl grapples with guilt over secretly taking something that isn’t hers. Sifting through the classroom sandbox, Ellie is transfixed by a glossy seashell and impulsively drops the “beautiful little thing” in her pocket. Sitting away from her friends at the lunch table, she surreptitiously admires her precious new treasure. While gazing at the object of her fascination, a malleable, dragon-like entity writhes out of the shell and, in a voice that sounds like “dripping water,” hisses an introduction: “I am your Secret.” Ellie happily carries the Secret with her wherever she goes, thrilled that it is “hers and hers alone.” Although mischievously endearing at first, the glinty-eyed creature quickly grows larger and starts to weigh Ellie down. Like a classic fable, Bothe’s metaphoric story superbly explores the toll of keeping a secret. Cinematic digital artwork, with slightly ominous, surreal details, shows the freckle-faced little girl struggling to hold her gigantic beast of burden on the school bus. At home, Ellie can’t enjoy admiring her shell and hides it under her bed. Harboring the Secret prevents the child from eating or sleeping, but finally confessing her transgression to her parents brings welcome relief. An arresting picture-book debut.
— Linda Ludke