By Cole Manor Healthy Comet reporters 

Niko Draws a Feeling
Written by Bob Raczka
Illustrated by Simone Shin

In Niko Draws a Feeling, we read about a boy named Niko who loves to draw his feelings. For example, when he draws the warmth of the sun on his face, his parents can’t understand why they can’t find the sun or his face. He has drawn the feeling. But he finds that most people have trouble understanding his feeling. This makes him more and more sad. He draws the sad feeling and hangs it in his room. One day, he meets Iris, a new neighbor. She asks to see his drawings and he brings her to look at them. When she sees the picture of sadness, she tells him that “you must have been sad when you drew this picture.” Finally, Niko feels understood.

Ms. Evelyn’s second-grade reporters shared thoughts after reading the book. They shared that the book teaches us that friendship can make us feel good about ourselves. It’s important to ask good questions and listen to understand.

Several reporters shared their feelings about the book:

• “It teaches that even if people don’t understand you, don’t give up.”
• It’s important to “be kind, respectful, generous, and gentle.”
• One reporter says she didn’t like the book because the “beginning was sad.”

This book would be great for kids of all ages because it teaches us how to be kind. Artists would also like this book because the book also teaches us that art can look like all sorts of things and it’s OK to create your own kind of art.

—By Ms. Evelyn’s second-grade cub reporters