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  • Published: 27 October 2026
  • ISBN: 9781662621116
  • Imprint: RH US eBook Childrens
  • Format: EBook
  • Pages: 32

What Shall We Tell You?




A much-needed poem of hope and love for children facing adversity due to bigotry, bullying, violence, or other causes.

This moving picture book from Black creators Wade Hudson and Tonya Engel empowers children ages 4-8 to face life’s challenges with courage and confidence.

“What shall we tell you / when our world / sometimes seems / dark and uninviting?”

What do we say to children when they encounter exclusion, hatred, or cruelty? In this poem, Wade Hudson uses a series of questions and answers to reassure children that despite the very real problems we sometimes face, “love, like cream in milk, / will rise to the top.”

Accompanied by Tonya Engel’s lush illustrations, Hudson sensitively delivers his message of hope, love, and inclusivity. He affirms that every child belongs, can be themselves, and is strengthened by kindness.

  • Published: 27 October 2026
  • ISBN: 9781662621116
  • Imprint: RH US eBook Childrens
  • Format: EBook
  • Pages: 32

About the author

Tonya Engel

Tonya Engel is an award-winning artist and illustrator of more than 30 children’s books, many of which feature Black women in history. Her titles include Because Claudette by Tracey Baptiste, Hidden Figures: The True Story of Four Black Women and the Space Race by Margot Lee Shetterly, Rise! From Cages Bird to Poet of the People, Maya Angelou by Bethany Hegedus, A Voice Named Aretha by Katheryn Russell-Brown, Ida B. Wells, Voice of Truth by Michelle Duster, and many others. In addition to children’s books, Tonya’s art can be found on prints, greeting cards, and textiles. She lives in Houston, Texas. Visit tonyaengel.com.

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