5 Children's Books that Make Me Cry

No matter how whimsical or fictitious, children's books tell human stories. It doesn't matter if the characters are all talking animals. Storytelling draws on our common experiences and should draw an emotional response.

Awhile back I wrote a blog post for my public library about books that make my son laugh. I thought I would write a companion on books the make me cry. Here are five.

"How the Grinch Stole Christmas" by Dr. Suess
I have so many childhood memories attached to this story that it is not a surprise that this book conjures up emotions. It's a redemption story set at Christmas with sing-songy rhymes and a "love is the answer" message. Do we really get together and sing with all our neighbors at Christmas? No, but I think a lot of harried moms wish we would. Perhaps that longing for uncomplicated community adds to the appeal of this classic.

The passage that gets me:
"And the minute his heart didn't feel quite so tight,
He whizzed with his load through the bright morning light ..."

"Wherever You Are My Love Will Find You" by Nancy Tillman
I think Nancy Tillman target audience is emotional moms. She's found her market. I pick this up at a book sale when I was pregnant with Liam and would read it "to him" when he was a baby. I was new to the whole motherhood thing, and the power of the attachment I felt for my child was raw and overwhelming. The illustrations are beautiful and fantastical. The message is simple, rhythmic and emotional. Queue ugly cry.

The passage that gets me:
"And if someday you’re lonely, or someday you’re sad,

or you strike out at baseball, or think you’ve been bad…

just lift up your face, feel the wind in your hair.

That’s me, my sweet baby, my love is right there."

"The Little Engine That Could" by Watty Piper
One night before bed, I was reading this book to my children during a time of particularly horrendous violence in Aleppo, Syria. Stories of children trapped in a war zone were not far from my mind, and the helplessness of the dolls and toys trying to reach the other side of the mountain took on new meaning.

The passage that gets to me:
"Won't you please pull our train over the mountain? Our engine has broken down, and the good little boys and girls on the other side won't have any toys to play with or good food to eat unless you help us."

"Knuffle Bunny Free" by Mo Willems
This is the story of a child, Trixie, beginning to grow up and letting go of their favorite comfort toy, Knuffle Bunny. That storyline in and of itself is a bit melancholy. Then Mo Willems has to go and add "A Note to Trixie" on the final pages, and I just lose it.

The passage that gets me:
"Trixie, I hope to watch you grow up, fall in love, start a family, and be happy."

"Belly Button Book" by Sandra Boynton
OK, bear with me. Yes, this is a book about how cartoon hippos think belly buttons are wonderful. Yes, it has Boynton's usual fun rhyming and signature illustrations. It has fun with words, and I do sing parts of this when I'm reading it. But then, winter comes. I can't help equating the last page of this book to loss of innocence, childhood, joy -- you name it. I know I'm probably reading too much into this, but I still get misty-eyed.

The passage that gets me:
"We sing this song on summer nights,
or when it's hot outside.
But never in cold wintertime,
when belly buttons hide.
No, never in cold wintertime,
when belly buttons hide."

High Fidelity Book Reading

The world of reading is enormous. It's an infinite universe, really, once you start getting into sci-fi. 😜 For someone accepting of all genres, like me, this can be a problem. There are so many books! How do you pick just one to read from cover to cover?

To compound my problem, I often only get in 5 to 10 minutes of pre-bedtime reading in before my eyelids slide shut. So my reading rate, right now, is very slow. That makes it challenging to finish books that require more focus and tempting to read "cotton-candy" books. Of course, the easy, escapist books start to make my stomach hurt after awhile.

All the possibilities lead to an ever growing pile of books. So right now, I'm working on finishing up four that are in various states of completion. Here's the run down:

"Between the World and I" by Ta-Nehisi Coates
The is as much beautiful and accessible and it is painful and challenging. Race in America is a complex and emotional issue, and I am learning about myself, as a white woman, by reading Coates' letter to his son. Reading this short book is hard, and I am trying to give it the consideration it deserves. That is why I keep putting it to the side and picking up something else.

"The Man in the High Castle" by Philip K. Dick
I'll be honest. The reason I'm struggling with this one is that I'm really not enjoying it much. The only female character in the book is weak, self-centered and aggravating. It always bothers me when there aren't well-drawn women in a book. I don't find any of the characters engrossing. None offer any insight to the alternate reality they are living in. Still, I try not to give up on books too often, so would like to see it through.

"Glass Sword" by Victoria Aveyar
This is the sequel to "Red Queen," which I enjoyed well enough even though it had some typical YA book problems (love triangle, uneven characters, a plot that doesn't make sense if you think about it too much). "Glass Sword" has really turned the volume up on the cringe-inducing teen angst. I think the author doesn't want to get through the plot too quickly, so she has her characters think about their decisions and relationships ad nauseum. Snap out of it already!

"Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns)" by Mindy Kaling
This is a funny and light read. It is truly a book to just read and enjoy. Kaling takes a breezy, self-deprecating look at her career and social life. It shouldn't be taking me this long to get through, but I checked it out from my public library's e-library. The first 14-day checkout period expired, and the book was automatically returned. Then I was on a wait list. Then I had to find my password again, and I was getting distracted by these other books. Book problems!

And then there are all the books on my to-read list that I could be reading right now. Am I missing out? What should I abandon these books to read instead?

An Unexpected Detour

Image: pixabay.com

Last summer my husband and I packed our two kids into the car and drove down to Arkansas to spend a few days rambling about a part of the country we had never been to before. The drive down took us about 6 hours. Though we stocked the car with toys and even set up portable DVD players (technology!), we still found the need to make several stops along the way to let the kids stretch their legs and burn energy.

We were attempting to return to the highway after one such stop in Tulsa. Navigation was a bit tricky because of construction, but it was a Saturday and a there was little other traffic. We knew we would make it out just fine eventually. We came to a stoplight and across the intersection was a row of white and orange barriers. There was scaffolding with cameramen perched on top and folks lined the sides of the street.

Suddenly a colorful herd of cyclists came into view. They whipped around the corner right in front of us. Zip, zip, zip, zip, zip — the energy the were expelling seemed to permeate the air. I felt the hair on my arms stand up, my heart rise in my throat and a smile bloom on my face. How thrilling!

The light turned green. We made a left-hand turn and found our way onto the highway.

I have found myself on a lot of detours lately. I'm experiencing things I hadn't expected. Some of this is very challenging, even painful. Some of it is so surprisingly beautiful.

If I was more of a mathematical thinker, I might categorize and separate my experiences. Then they could be placed on opposing ends of a scale to see if the good outweighs the bad. That's not really how I've experienced life lately, though.

The other morning, I was at the home of a couple I have known a long time. The woman's health is in decline. She is confused, frustrated and in pain. That day, I watched her husband talk her through testing her blood sugar. She has probably done this task a thousand time by herself. Somewhere along the way, her husband must have recognized that it was time for him to learn how it was done. He was calm, patient and certain. In the midst of what is otherwise a challenging time for her, there it was — a moment of grace, like a bright athlete zipping by.