Children will enjoy reading through the different smile and cry responses of piglet, bunny and cat and will maybe recognise some of their own smile and cry moments. Have you ever had ‘an ate all the pies smile’ or ‘a tickle smile’. Maybe you’ve had ‘an ice-cream plopping down cry’ or ‘a tutu in the wash cry’.
Presented in a clever flip-the-book format, the two emotions meet in the centre pages with an illustration that matches the text from both stories – ‘or maybe, just maybe, it’s... a wrapped in a cuddle smile.’ and ‘or maybe, just maybe, it’s... a wrapped in a cuddle cry.’
Tania McCartney’s clever text explores emotions in a way that young readers will relate to easily, helping them to learn and recognise some of the subtleties in the ways we express our feelings. Jess Racklyeft’s gorgeous soft-coloured illustrations introduce a wonderful trio of characters that readers can’t help but love.
Even though I have worked with Tania for several years, I still marvel at the diversity of her writing ability and look forward to each new book as a special surprise. Smile Cry subtly explores nuances of emotion in a clever way that is meaningful for young children. It is a deceptively simple and beautifully told story. Jess Racklyeft’s illustrations complement the story and concept beautifully and I’m sure Smile Cry is a book that will be treasured by children and parents and kept as a useful resource for anyone who works with young children.
Title: Smile Cry: A Beginner's Book of Feelings
Author: Tania McCartney
Illustrator: Jess Racklyeft
Publisher: EK Books, $19.99 RRP
Publication Date: 1 April 2016
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781921966989
For ages: 2 - 6
Type: Picture Book