"Sometimes
When I bake cookies with Grandpa
In a cinnamon and flour kitchen
He sings his favorite song
The one Grandma used to play
On her pineapple ukulele
And his eyes overflow with glittering tears
And I catch them like you catch a cold
And we cry
Jess Townes captures lovely moments in a young child's life as she explores a wealth of emotions he feels. Each scenario is likely to be familiar with readers: crashing his bike, howling with laughter, being bullied at school, the disappointment of striking out, the fear of unfamiliar sounds in the middle of the night, memories of a grandmother no longer alive, and the joy of holding a baby sister close. In each case, tears are the end result.
There is no shame for him in the crying. As feelings fill him up each time, there is nowhere for the emotions to go - unless he cries, which he sometimes does. He is comfortable with the feelings evoked as he experiences such memorable times in his life.
Daniel Miyares' illustrations perfectly match the text in colors that represent how the boy deals with his feelings - reds, blues and yellows. Teardrops are evident in varying sizes, and carry though the importance of expressing overwhelming emotions throughout the book.
Listeners will have much to discuss as the book is shared. Take the time to listen to their experiences. It could certainly lead to putting pen to paper in order to describe one such time when they cried. So much for the myth that boys 'can't' or 'shouldn't' cry. Why on earth do we trivialize crying for them? Perhaps after reading this book together, their dads and male caregivers will feel free to be seen crying or sharing times that made them cry earlier in their lives.
" ... But when I let my tears out
My feelings fit perfectly inside my body
All my feelings together
And I know it's okay that
Sometimes
I cry."
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