It’s not a happy feeling. It’s a feeling that makes you walk away and act mean to your friends-even when they’re kind. It’s called the UGLY FEELING. You wish you could smile and be happy for your friends when good things happen to them, but instead you just feel ugly inside and out.

Lately, Catherine has been experiencing what she calls the ugly feeling when others compliment her friend and just fumble over words with her. Catherine turns to her mother, Loretta, for help, and Loretta tells her a story of a little girl just like her who learns how to overcome the ugly feeling.

About the Author

Bea L. Hines was the first African American female journalist to be hired by the Miami Herald Publishing Company in 1970. She covered various assignment beats and, in 1981, became the first African American female columnist. A year later in 1982, her columns were nominated for the Pulitzer Prize. She has taught journalism workshops at many universities. For years, Hines has been in demand as a public speaker for colleges and organizations. She is the recipient of numerous awards and accolades, including being named A Florida Woman of Achievement and A Woman of Impact. She is a mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother.

About the Illustrator

Mary Anne Holliday grew up in England. She initially trained as a visual artist and graphic designer, and then moved to the United States in her twenties to pursue a career in dance and theater. She later returned to visual arts and became a landscape oil painter, illustrator, and art teacher. She is the mother of one daughter and is also Bea L. Hines’s daughter-in-law!