friday's five, emotions in motion

For some families, summertime can mean more family time, which for us often meant more time for reading together when the kids were younger. I liked to think about what themes we were reading about and how they could relate to my kids' lives, and with three very emotionally expressive children, I often looked for books that could help them make sense out of what they were feeling.

This week's roundup of picture books addresses different kinds of feelings and experiences, so here's hoping that something might catch your eye for your own family reading time or, if you're a teacher friend, something that you think would be a useful addition to your classroom reading.

1. When Sadness is at Your Door written and illustrated by Eva Eland

I picked this book up at the library over a week ago, and it's sat on my desk mostly untouched until today. While I am clearly not the author's target audience, I gotta say that this book was something I needed right now, and I'm hopeful that younger readers will connect with it, too, if and when needed. Sadness is personified, sort of, into a pale greenish blob of a thing, slightly translucent but definitely a marked presence, and sometimes it just shows up as it does on the doorstep of a little boy who feels overwhelmed by it. Hiding it away in a closet doesn't seem to work, but it sometimes takes over completely, enveloping the little guy. This book gives some advice on what to do-- don't be afraid, listen to it, sit and be quiet with it, maybe take it for a walk. There's a bit of symbolism used here that may go over the heads of younger readers, but I still think this is a powerful book to include in classrooms starting at the preschool age.

2. My Heart written and illustrated by Corinna Luyhken

The visual beauty of this sweet book is remarkable, with pale grays and splashes of warm yellows, and the pages invite long glances of appreciation. I'm sometimes not sure if the term "lyrical" applies, but this one is undeniable. This reads like a poem or a song, full of depth beyond the text. This can be viewed as a book about emotions, but it truly is much more, and I'd invite teachers and families with young elementary school aged children to read it together and ask the kids what they think the passages mean.

3. Home is a Window written by Stephanie Parsley Ledyard and illustrated by Chris Sasaki

How would a child define the concept of home? In this lovely pic book, many ways are included that seem to fit perfectly with a child's perspective: "Home is Hello, sweet pea, and a hug, a little bit of green, a corner, and a chair." With that introduction, we see a little girl being warmly embraced by a parent in a cozy living room. We continue to see more images of her family at home, from a busy dinner table to a comfy bed complete with a snuggling dachshund at the foot. The comfort of familiarity is present and celebrated, and then it is shown to be disrupted. Because sometimes, home is what is new. A unique presentation of a story of a family's move, this picture book hits the right notes in conveying security and attention during a time that can be scary for a child.

4. Ocean Meets Sky written and illustrated by The Fan Brothers

Hugely imaginative and visually stunning, this picture book is a touching tribute to a child's love for their grandfather, and the way that love endures long after loss. I can't emphasize enough how beautiful these illustrations are, and the tenderness of the words matches perfectly. This is the type of pic book to read while snuggled up with a young child you love, slowly savoring each page, just feeling the emotion and examining the details of the images.

5. Why Do You Cry?: Not a Sob Story written by Kate Klise and illustrated by M. Sarah Klise

As Little Rabbit is about to turn five years old, he decides he is too old for crying anymore. He wishes only to invite friends who also don't cry anymore to his first grown-up birthday party. But as he goes around to his animal pals to invite them, he finds that they each share situations in which they still cry sometimes. What fun would it be to have a birthday party in which none of your friends can attend? When Little Rabbit expresses his frustrations to his mom, she admits that she cries, as well. Little Rabbit begins to change his perspective on what makes one no longer a baby, and he starts to understand that everyone cries from time to time. Normalizing the expression of emotion, especially for young boys, is an important takeaway from this picture book.


Oh, all the feels!! Happy (and sad, and much more!) reading.