Book Review: It Is Okay To Cry

Author: Ansaba Gavor

Illustrator: Rice Maria Garcia

Publisher: Pen & Pad Publishing LLC

Released: October 1, 2018

Format: Kindle, Paperback

ISBN: 978-09833134

Reviewer: Ellwyn Autumn

Rating: 5 Lemon Drops

It Is Okay To Cry addresses various emotions and the socially acceptable way to express them through crying. Whether you’re a boy or a girl, young or old, we all cry and feel better afterwards. 

Review:

A charming story that teaches children it’s okay for anyone and everyone to cry.

Told through the main character’s point of view, we learn that people cry for many different reasons to express various emotions: anger, sadness, happiness, fear and pain.

Gavor has written another first-rate story that is instructional for unimpaired social/emotional development and illustrates the positive effects of heartfelt compassion.

One of my favorite parts is the analogy Gavor draws between the character and a rain cloud. “Crying makes me think of the clouds in the sky bursting with rain just like my eyes sometimes burst with tears…” 

A straightforward image children will relate to and easily understand.

Garcia’s illustrations capture the mood of the characters and the tone of the story. The colors match the characters feelings and the rainbows scattered throughout the book give promise of better days to come.

I give it 5 Lemon Drops!

Classroom Connection:

It Is Okay To Cry is a must read for any lesson focused on social/emotional learning. The coping skills modeled by the main character can easily translate into meaningful conversations that enable children to problem solve real life situations.

After a reading of the book, children could list reasons why they cry on water drop templates or make a rainbow to cheer them up when they’re sad.

It would make a great addition to the classroom library or the dramatic play area.

Resources:

https://www.pinterest.com/ellwynautumn/socialemotional-strategies/