However.
Every so often a book comes along that speaks to one of us, and this is such a book:
This book made me want to find Mr Rosen and kiss him. This is probably the best children's book about being sad that I have ever read.MB struggles with emotions. He is a passionate little boy who feels with intensity, and some times, quite often, struggles with expressing how he feels. In the end, sadness becomes confusion, which then results in rage. This rage can then be directed at any one for no particular reason at all.
This is the only children's picture book that has made the eldest three all choke up when reading it. There was a palpable silence at the end, and some real thinking. When I read it alone to Mb, he whispered "I feel like that sometimes too". His sadness moments are based on the crushed snail on the path, or the fact that it rained but to him they are real feelings and when you have a day when every thing is going awry, it's helpful and healing to know that even grown ups know what it feels like to be sad.
4 comments:
Gulp. Your MB sounds a bit the same as mine, especially where squashed snails are concerned. I was just beginning to feel a little hopeless and end of tether-ish. My hearty thanks for this book review.
yes, it is a sensitive book. i forgot about it till now. we had to give ours back. i couldn't even bring myself to steal it from the library, that's how affecting it was. must add it to amazon list.
Trev cried just yesterday because he accidentally stepped on two snails.
We're definitely "wear it for the world to see" people in this family.
I'll look into the book - though it might make mine too sad to read it.
I desperately wanted to read this book when I first heard about it - I think I heard MR talking on the radio about it and how/why he came to write it. Thank you for reminding me.
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