All the Faces of Me

"Nana's nesting dolls are all exactly the same. White frills, rosy cheeks, and six perfect smiles. Except for the smallest one--unpainted, it is a raw peanut. So she decides to pull out her markers and give it a face. But then, looking at the others, she realizes all of their perfectly matching smiles don't feel quite right. She has many faces for each of her emotions. So, she decides to use her marker to fix them too. But, when Nana sees her dolls, she is furious. She believes that the dolls are ruined, but her granddaughter doesn't agree. "If those dolls were me," the little girl says, "no two would be alike." Sometimes she is happy, sometimes silly, sad, or reflective. The girl inherently recognizes that people are not composed of one emotion or expression, and that understanding your many emotions is a good thing. When her nana considers what her granddaughter is telling her, she begins to understand. She tells her granddaughter that she sees that the dolls are even more beautiful now, with each of their many faces, but that next time she should ask before making an art project out of her personal things. They embrace, and Nana's hug is big enough to hold all of her. Together they learn lessons about honoring your own emotions, while also respecting the feelings of your loved ones."--