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“A San Francisco sixth grader grapples with the burden of keeping a heavy family secret…The appealing cartoon-style illustrations have soft, saturated tones, emphasizing the characters’ facial expressions and making their complex, shifting, and overlapping emotions ring true…Chang makes the emotional strain that emerges from secrecy clear, and the book refreshingly and bracingly addresses the topic of non-nuclear Asian American family configurations. A moving portrayal of a family processing fraught, messy changes.”

—Kirkus Reviews

How to Draw a Secret: A Graphic Novel

Written by Cindy Chang
Illustrated by Cindy Chang
Published by Allida

Twelve-year-old Cindy relishes drawing 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 Cindy’s 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?

Primary ISBN: 9780358659662
Publication Date: February 2025
Available As: Hardcover, Paperback, eBook
Middle Grade, Graphic Novel, Age 08 or older

Community Represented:

Themes: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Setting: United States (San Francisco CA), Taiwan (Taipei)

Character's Place in the Immigration Journey: 1st Generation

Book Creator(s) Connection to the Community Represented: Own Voices/Lived Experience

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