The Secret Seller

The Secret Seller is about a boy who is sad because all the children in the playground in Central Park have a secret, but him. He finds a surprising one when he meets a little man who sells secrets just beyond the playground.

I wanted to experiment with combining photographs with art work. The photographer Norma Holt shot the playground photos in black and white, and the Swiss artist Etienne Delesert illustrated the Secret Seller's colorful secret world. My son, Ken, played the little boy looking for a secret. It was fun for all of us, but especially for Ken, who became the hero of his own book.

“Why are you sad?” asked the voice next to him.

Looking up, Ken saw the strangest little man. He was not like anyone Ken had ever seen before. But something about the way he smiled made Ken feel he was a friend.

“Because I have no secret,” he told the little man. “Everyone has a secret but me.”

“How lucky that we should meet,” said his new friend. “It so happens that I am a secret seller.”

“A what?” asked Ken.

“A seller of secrets. I can easily sell you any kind of secret you’d like.”

“But I have no money,” said Ken. He reached back into his pocket and pulled out his tin horn. “Can I buy a secret with this?” he asked.

“We shall see,” said the secret seller. “The price of a secret depends on the size, the color, the time of day, and how much it means to you.”

“But you have no bag,” said Ken. “Where are your secrets?”

“My secrets are all around us,” said the secret seller with a twinkle in his eyes. “Come with me, and maybe we can find one that is yours.”