Illustrated by M. Sarah Klise. 32 p., Holt, 2006. Sometimes kids think that growing up means not crying. Little Rabbit decides that when he turns 5, he isn't going to cry any more, because "crying is for babies." In fact, he's only going to invite friends who don't cry to his birthday party. But each friend he invites tells him that they can't come to his party because they cry - when they're rejected, or scared, or physically hurt, or embarrassed. When he tells his mother that she'll be the only party guest, she gently explains that she cries too, sometimes; for example, at sad movies, or when she's in physical pain, or when she feels happy and proud that Little Rabbit is growing up. She explains, "'You can cry for any reason. Or for no reason at all.," and she tells him that it's OK with her if he cries sometimes, even when he's big. So she and all of Little Rabbit's friends come to his birthday party. And Little Rabbit still feels grown-up. With its sweet illustrations, this story encourages children to accept their and others' crying, and to know that they can grow up without giving up a sense of connection to their emotions. Ages 3-6
Showing posts with label feelings. Show all posts
Showing posts with label feelings. Show all posts
The Hello, Goodbye Window by Norton Juster
Illustrated by Chris Raschka. 32 p., 2005. Relationships with grandparents can be a special source of joy and security for children. In this story by the author of the absolutely wonderful children's novel The Phantom Tollbooth, a little girl has special times at her Nanna and Poppy's house. Their house has a Hello, Goodbye Window where the girl greets her grandparents when she arrives, looks for the pizza delivery person, and even expects the queen of England and tyrannosaurus rex. When it's time to go home, she blows goodbye kisses through the window. The girl shares memories with Nanna and eats Poppy's delicious breakfasts, draws pictures, enjoys Poppy's jokes, and helps Nanna in the garden. There are limits at Nanna and Poppy's house (the girl can ride her bike, but not in the street; she can collect sticks, but not bring them into the house) but these don't seem to bother the girl a bit. When Mommy and Daddy pick the girl up, she's happy to go home, but sad to leave her grandparents, and acknowledges this combination of feelings in an informative, matter-of-fact way. The girl plans to have a special Hello, Goodbye Window in her own house when she grows up to be a Nanna. The colorful, exuberant illustrations add to this story's delight. The Hello, Goodbye Window offers a sense of warmth, security, and fun, empathy with transitions, and acknowledgement of complicated emotions. Ages 4-8