Ask a Bookseller: A picture book for when it’s hard to get the words out

All September, Ask a Bookseller will be featuring recommendations for kids and teens. First up: Harriett Logan of Loganberry Books in Cleveland, Ohio, recommended the picture book “I Talk Like a River,” with an inventive metaphor that reframes stuttering.It’s written by poet Jordan Scott, based on his own experience, and illustrated by Sydney Smith. The story follows a boy through a frustrating day of school where his stutter gets in the way of all the things he wants to say. After school, his father brings him to his favorite place — the river — and asks him to watch how the current ripples and eddies and rushes.“You talk like a river,” his father tells him. This beautiful metaphor becomes a point of calm and pride for the boy. The pictures match the mood, transitioning from brown hues to big swirling blues at the riverside, Logan says.

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