The Things We Hold

A tender picture book about a young girl navigating housing insecurity — a beautiful reminder to always lead with kindness and empathy. At first glance, you wouldn't guess that Lilly holds a lot inside. Like her embarrassment when she gets teased for wearing the same clothes to school every day. And her disappointment when her teacher hands out permission slips for a field trip with a fee, which Lilly knows her mama can't afford. And the heaviest secret she holds is that she and her family don't have a home and sometimes sleep in their car. Winner of Lee & Low’s New Voices Award, debut author Vanessa Lewis-Porter brings her experience as an educator to share the challenges some of her students faced in school. Coupled with emotive illustrations by award-winning artist Cornelius Van Wright, THE THINGS WE HOLD is a gentle reminder to always lead with kindness and empathy because you never know what a person is holding inside.Author: Vanessa Lewis-Porter,author,Cornelius Van Wright,illustrator Contributors: Vanessa Lewis-Porter,author,Cornelius Van Wright,illustrator Binding: hardcover Publication Date: Release Date: Languages: English,Published,English,Original Language,Englis Published/Release Date: 8 Sep 2026 Format: Hardback Publisher/Studio/Brand: Lee & Low Books Inc Author/Director/Artist: Vanessa Lewis-Porter Dimension (cm): 279x216x6 mm Package Dimension (cm): 12x285x225 mm Item Weight (g): 420 Package Weight (g): 408