Why Do We Cry?

by Fran Pintadera, Ana Sender

Overview

This thoughtful, poetic book uses metaphors and beautiful imagery to explore the reasons for our tears. In a soft voice, Mario asks, “Mother, why do we cry?” And his mother begins to tell him about the many reasons for our tears. We cry because our sadness is so huge it must escape from our bodies. We cry because we don’t understand the world, and our tears go in search of an answer. Most important, she tells him, we cry because we feel like crying. And, as she shows him then, sometimes we feel like crying for joy. This warm, reassuring hug of a book makes clear that everyone is allowed to cry, and that everyone does.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781525305030
Publisher:	Kids Can Press
Publication date:	04/07/2020
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	147 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	3 - 7 Years

About the Author

Fran Pintadera is a storyteller, theater director and an award-winning author of more than a dozen books for children. He lives in Spain.;Ana Sender began her illustration career in textile design but now mostly illustrates children’s books, and even writes them herself sometimes. Her books include The Cottingley Fairies and The Orchid Hunter. She lives in Barcelona, Spain.

Editorial Reviews

This exploration of tears is reassuring and nonjudgmental.—Kirkus Reviews

... accessible and profound ...—Booklist, starred review

A sensitive, creative exploration of a universal phenomenon.—School Library Journal, starred review

As mental health issues rise, more and more parents are coming into libraries looking for books that talk about feelings, and Why Do We Cry? is an excellent book to recommend.—CM Magazine

From the Publisher

★ 02/01/2020

PreS-Gr 2—A boy dangling upside down on a park bench tentatively asks his mother the titular question in this Spanish import. Starting with the most obvious reason, the ensuing pages depict 13 different answers in loving, accessible language: "Sometimes we cry because the sadness we feel is so great that we just can't contain it." Sender has chosen to place the mother (depicted as a young, light-skinned woman with one dark braid) in the protagonist's role, rather than her son Mario—perhaps to create some emotional distance for the viewer. It is the mother who is shown in silhouette, blackbirds being released from her hair in the opening. Other questions and explanations involve anger, lack of comprehension, facing an insurmountable wall, and the inability to "find the right words." The palette shifts with the mood; a bicycle light sends a red, tear-shaped beam into a dark forest, while a green river supports the young woman in a pre-Raphaelite pose as she experiences pain, but considers that "Tears are the best medicine." Ultimately, Mario's mother notes that "…we cry because we feel like crying. That's the most important reason." When the boy asks, in the final scene as they dance in puddles, why his mother is crying, she explains that tears can flow from happiness as well. The final spread provides well-chosen facts about tears, including what they are made of, why they are productive, and how they look under a microscope. VERDICT A sensitive, creative exploration of a universal phenomenon.—Wendy Lukehart, District of Columbia Public Library

School Library Journal

2019-12-08
A boy asks his mother a simple question and receives a not-so-simple answer.

Mario's mother lists some of the many reasons people cry in sensitively nuanced metaphors layered with emotional truths. Each spread prints one word or phrase in a slightly larger font than the rest, subtly but effectively drawing readers' attention to a particular feeling. Among the obvious are "sadness," "anger," and "happy." The more nuanced concepts include "grow," "lock," and "wall," which the surrounding text and illustrations help convey. All the while, readers see a young girl, perhaps the mother when she was young, experiencing these emotions. Encapsulating it all, Mario's mother finally says, "But more than anything, sweetheart, we cry because we feel like crying." In the backmatter, Pintadera further answers other, scientifically based questions about tears, such as "What are tears made of?" and "Why are tears good for us?" While the scientific perspective at first seems out of place in such an emotional book, it helps remove some of the stigma surrounding the act of crying. The text assures readers that tears are a natural biological function with several purposes: "Who cries?…crying is universal, just like laughter." Additional discussion activities prompt readers to make personal connections. This book, originally published in Spain, features a pale-skinned, black-haired parent and child. The textured images generate appropriate moods, providing powerful symbolic visuals for the addressed emotions. Many could hang in an art gallery as part of a surrealist collection.

This exploration of tears is reassuring and nonjudgmental. (Picture book. 3-8)

Kirkus Reviews