Ekata Mandal – illustratör

Daniel has always been true to himself. Even when he was younger, and talking was hard, he found his own way to share his thoughts. And when he was almost five, it was like the words became unstuck! It was so good to say exactly what he thought.But sometimes, Daniel doesn't think about what might happen after he says what he thinks. He tells his mother the soup tastes odd, or his classmate his shoes smell funny, or his sister her singing hurts his ears. He wants to be himself, and say what was on his mind, but his words are hurting people's feelings. And he doesn't want to do that.With the help of his family, Daniel learns the importance of treating other people the way he'd want to be treated. He practices empathy by standing in other people's shoes (literally!) before he speaks. And gradually he gets better at speaking the truth and doing so with kindness.Award-winning author Leslie Kimmelman, an instrumental editor in the creation of the first Sesame Street character on the autism spectrum, has crafted a warm picture book about speaking truthfully yet with kindness and the importance of being supportive in the face of differences.