A warm, empowering picture book that teaches children the difference between ‘secrets’ and ‘surprises’ so they can protect themselves against sexual aggressions and feel safe to speak up.
Curious Sansa loves asking questions. After a class discussion on the things that help them when they are scared, she realises that her parents’ answers no longer comfort her. At home, her mother and father start researching and explain to Sansa that some people use ‘secrets’ to hurt children and keep them silent. Together with her parents and teachers, Sansa learns the difference between happy ‘surprises’ (which are temporary and make her feel excited) and harmful ‘secrets’ (which make her feel afraid or bad and must always be told). Through conversations at school and at home, she discovers that her body belongs only to her, that no adult can force her to hide something from her parents, and that there are no secrets in her family —only surprises and things that can always be talked about.