Written by: Heather Hawk Feinberg
Illustrated by: Chamisa Kellogg
Approximate read time: 9 minutes
Age group: 6 – 8
Rating: A
A moving story, Crying is like the Rain has a powerful message about dealing with big feelings. In my generation, there weren’t many books that participated in the topic of how feelings affect us, neither as youngsters nor in preparation for adulthood. This book might have made growing up a little easier! The storyline does a wonderful job of tying the analogy of weather with our internal states. It thoroughly explains their cyclical nature, their normalcy, and their value. The characters are unnamed but easy to connect with. We follow them through a long walk outdoors, during which the narrator gives a digestible lesson in clouds and rain, and neatly compares them with sadness and worry. Then, we get a lovely visual of what happens after a storm, both outside and within. The illustrations are clean, colorful, and expressive. The read time is a bit longer than the average bedtime story, mostly because there are so many full-page illustrations to admire; the writing itself is brief and accessible, even for struggling or very young readers.
Do you use metaphors to help your child understand complex ideas? How do they respond?
Excerpt:
“Feelings aren’t meant to be kept inside. They’re meant to be felt, to flow through us like rainwater. We are not our feelings. Feelings come and go.”
Other information:
Published by: Tilbury House Publishers
Number of pages: 36
Language: English