Crying is Like the Rain: A Story of Mindfulness and Feelings

PreS-Gr 1–Through a social and emotional learning lens, Feinberg attempts to explain feelings to readers by likening them to the weather, and noting that they are passing. Some emotions—hurt, loneliness, fear, worry—can feel like volcanoes, tornadoes, hurricanes, and earthquakes inside. Even if “crying is like the rain,” there are different versions of that, too: a thunderous downpour, light sprinkles with the sun still shining, or simply misty. Feinberg takes apart the reactions of others to emotional displays; people can be angry, worried, or try to make the one who is crying laugh, but their response may come from a place of their own discomfort. Kellogg’s illustrations of acrylic and watercolor capture the emotions of the young character shown in the pages, and add to the reassuring purpose of the book. Back matter suggests having children write “Weather Reports” for their daily emotions, as well as activities to go deeper and ideas for the best way to talk with children.