Everybody Feels Sad, Vol. 3

Children's Literature - Carlee Hallman

The feeling of sadness is named and its physical accompaniment described in this book. It does not last forever. Three scenarios of things that make children sad are told through illustrations and two simple sentences per page. Sam's toy robot breaks. When Omar is new at school, he is teased and lonely. Amy's pet rabbit dies. A sad person may be helped by talking with him or her. The glossary defines comfort in the following way: "when you comfort someone, you're kind to them and try to make them feel better." An index is included. Notes for parents and teachers give page by page ideas for discussion such as: "Read the last part of Amy's story (pages 19-20). Talk about how it feels a little while after a pet has died. Do your children have happy memories of their pets?" The colored cartoon-like pictures show various emotions on the faces and by the postures of children in their usual environments. This is a wonderful book to facilitate discussion of feelings between adults and children. Reviewer: Carlee Hallman