WORDS THAT WOUND, STORIES THAT HEAL

A gentle guide to emotional resilience from When Harsh Words Are Spoken

- By Thaliba Cader

In a world where children's emotional needs are too often silenced or dismissed, When Harsh Words Are Spoken emerges as a tender and timely picture book that meets young readers exactly where they are. Authored by Sasha Wickremaratne Jayamaha and illustrated by Leanne Fort, this book creates a safe, compassionate space for children to explore the impact of sadness, rejection, and loneliness emotions they frequently feel but rarely understand.

Far from being just another “feel good” story, When Harsh Words Are Spoken offers a healing framework for families, educators, and therapists navigating difficult conversations. Through striking illustrations and lyrical simplicity, it equips young readers with the emotional vocabulary to name what hurts and the resilience to move forward.

1 Q&A with Leanne Fort, Illustrator of When Harsh Words Are Spoken This story journeys through raw emotional terrain from shame and isolation to comfort and healing.

How did you visually translate these emotional shifts while keeping the tone hopeful for children? Capturing deep emotions for young children is tricky. The illustrations had to be simple enough for kids to relate to, yet expressive enough to convey complex feelings. Art is uniquely powerful in expressing what words often can't, and it can be understood by all ages.

I used composition to show emotion placing the character in the background or isolating her with negative space to highlight feelings of Loneliness. Colour theory also played a major role.

Brighter colours evoke cheer, while muted tones suggest sadness. I softened the "sad" palette into pastels so the book remained engaging without being overwhelming.

I also drew from my own experiences. The way morning sunlight streams through a window always brings me hope so I used that as a recurring visual motif throughout the book.