Author, illustrator, designer, and all around creative.
Harper Collins / Allida
Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection
How to Draw a Secret
Twelve-year-old Cindy relishes creating flawless images, but she is stumped by an art contest prompt: “What family means to me.” No one at school can know that Cindy’s dad moved back to Taiwan four years ago, so Cindy sketches out the perfect plan to draw the perfect picture while keeping her parents’ separation secret.
Then an unexpected trip to Taipei reveals devastating new secrets. Suddenly everything from her art to her family is falling apart. With her dream of perfection in tatters, Cindy must figure out how to draw from her heart and share her secrets.
But can she really reveal the truth, messy lines and all?
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What people are saying
“Phenomenal and powerful. No family is perfect, but How to Draw a Secret is a truly perfect read. I wish I had had this book as a kid.”
— Christina Soontornvat, three-time Newbery Honor recipient and author of The Tryout
“A deeply beautiful book: beautiful to look at, and especially beautiful because of the total honesty in Cindy’s confusion, determination, and love for her flawed family.”
— Linda Sue Park, New York Times bestselling author of A Long Walk to Water
“The sunny color palette and emotive facial expressions inject lightheartedness into the tween’s grappling with her parents’ secrets and her own shifting perspective. Readers will root for her growth as an artist and budding adolescent as she embraces the sometimes messy parts of life.”
— Publishers Weekly
"Brilliant! You will want to re-read this again and again."
— Jennifer L. Holm, NY Times-bestselling co-creator of Sunny Side Up
“[A] vital story of protecting and ultimately shattering the facade of a perfect family. Cindy is able to create a new vision of her family, literally, through the medium of her artwork. Honest and heartfelt.”
— School Library Journal
“Readers will relate to this reflective, independent thinker who’s feisty yet loving. Themes of redemption and forgiveness unfold with humor and honesty as this semi-autobiographical tale offers a poignant exploration of family, acceptance, and what it means to love imperfect people.”
— Booklist
“A moving portrayal of a family processing fraught, messy changes.”
— Kirkus Reviews
“Cindy discovers her authentic voice and embraces vulnerability to deepen her relationships with those around her. Chang’s animated facial expressions reveal her vibrant personality.”
— Horn Book Magazine
