Why do I love children fiction books? Well, there are many reasons. Usually, it comes down to a few points—the illustration is almost always beautiful and I love how simple yet nuanced the words can be. (Also, I do read books to my nephew and am always on a lookout to read books to my niece).

In this book, Why Do We Cry? A mother and son explore various reasons why people cry. The accompanying art with each reason complements the emotion and explanation in a gorgeous manner. I also love how this book normalises crying and validates feelings—“it’s okay to cry if you feel like crying. It’s okay to cry if you’re happy/sad/etc.”

The illustrations are gorgeous and I just can’t get over how it. The only concern I have is that the font can be a little small in some scenes, thereby be a little difficult to differentiate between the background (perhaps have more contrast or maybe I just need glasses haha). Otherwise, this is definitely a book I’d recommend to families, teachers, and anyone, really.

I also liked how there was information on tears and crying at the end. Always love a good fun fact of the day.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book is just wonderful! Mario gets so many thoughtful answers to his question "Why Do We Cry?" The nuanced feelings and differing reasons for why we might cry are so touching, and really show the depth of emotions that exist in us. It's also a sweet testament to the love between a mother and her child. I truly loved this sweet and gorgeously illustrated book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kids Can Press for the advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I need a physical copy of this book on my shelf. It’s been a while since I’m reading a picture book that touched me deeply. This little book of gem is just... I don’t know. Simple, beautiful, real, and feel right like your bestest friend hug you :) I adore this book SO MUCH.

I requested and received an e-ARC from NetGalley and Kids Can Press in exchange for an honest review.

This was a beautiful story with lovely illustrations between mother and son about the many reasons we may cry. I think this book would help explain to kids that crying is part of being a human and that it is okay to cry if you need to.

Mario asks his mother, “Why do we cry?” and she goes on to tell him all the different reasons that we do cry. Some of the reasons are a bit metaphorical, and might be harder for younger children to understand, but the illustrations help in those cases. (The book is aimed for 3-7 year olds, but I think the story is more fitting for ages 5 and up). The illustrations correspond well with the words on the page.

The story lets children know that it is ultimately ok to cry. I feel that the book showcasing a boy asking about crying is wonderful as some boys are told NOT to cry.

A few added pluses:

There is also a lesson that scientifically explains about tears so children can understand some of the varying reasons that tears exist. There is also a small interactive section with activities dealing with tears that will help children express their imagination.

Many thanks to Kids Can Press for granting me an e-arc to read and review. A+ on this children’s picture book!

A very cute and informative picture book about the different reasons why we cry. Nearly every page explains a new reason and way why we cry, and why it helps to cry about it, and it does it in a very well explained way! It really makes the reader reflect on crying! I also liked that the final pages are dedicated to what happens in our body when we cry and the different kinds of tears we may have, which makes it easy to also use in connection to Natural Science, especially in countries where English is a second language!
I will 100% be purchasing this to be used in the Primary or Secondary Classroom!

Mario asks, "Mother, why do we cry?" His mother thinks for a moment, and then begins to tell him about the many reasons for our tears…

What an absolutely beautiful picture book! Part of me wanted to race through it to hear Mario’s mother’s gentle and reassuring words but another wanted to take my time and explore the gorgeous illustrations – every time I look at the pictures, I see something new. Mario’s mum explains in simple language that we can cry when we are happy as well as when we are sad and that crying is for absolutely everyone. There is no shame and no guilt attached to crying and it is spoken of as something completely natural; something to be embraced even. At the end of the book is a section explaining the science of tears which is fascinating – including what tears look like under a microscope and how much a single tear weighs.

A beautiful, reassuring picture books for children (and adults) everywhere! It is published on 9th April.

In this picture book a mother answers her son’s question of “Why do we cry?” Accompanying her thoughtful words are beautifully fantastical imagery. This is not only a lovely book but also a superb tool in helping teach children emotional literacy.

What an absolutely beautiful book! As a social science enthusiast, I found this story of a young boy expressing his curiosity about his feelings, and why it is that we cry, to be a breath of fresh air for so many reasons. With beautiful writing, incredibly vibrant illustrations, and a wonderful lesson therein, Why Do We Cry? by Fran Pintadera is an absolute gem.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Kids Can Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I think this book is really good to let people connect with their inner feelings and understand that there's space for tears and that they don't have to be ashamed of letting them out. I also liked that the one who asked was a boy, since "boys don't cry" is sadly one of the products of toxic masculinity. I thought this book adressed the diverse causes of tears with respect and pointed out that, no matter what causes them, even if you can't understand of name the feeling, your emotions are important and should be respected and not pushed aside, and they should be adressed. I thought it was a really good book for children, but as an adult I think the book is good for all ages, too. I'm the kind of person who tries to solve a problem herself and present myself as cheerfull even if at the moment I'm not happy, and until a few years ago I used to try to smile instead of letting myself feel btw it was that I was feeling and cry about it. So I really liked with how much respect the author and illustrator approached this topic. I highly recommend this book. I know I focused too much on the topic, but the illustrations were gorgeous and helped elevate the writing because they captured perfectly the feelings of frustration, isolation, fear and so on.

This is such a educational and age appropriate way to discuss all of the reasons we cry. As a mom of a little boy, I feel that it is my responsibility to discuss things that go against the social norms related to masculinity that are going to unfortunately surround him. One of those norms that I am fighting is the idea that it is ok to cry. This book creates a perfect foundation for that conversation and the images only add to the beauty of the book.

I love books that promote curiosity in children—especially when it comes to understanding emotions. Fran Pintadera has pieced together an important, wonderful story to help kids gain meaning from their tears.

Mario, a young boy, listens as his mother shares over a dozen reasons behind our crying. Each reason, whether from sadness or loneliness or overwhelm, comes to life with Pintadera’s lyrical writing and Ana Sender’s vivid illustrations. A reader, young or old, is sure to find at least one relatable experience. Tears are universal. They are right, healthy, and productive, even. “Why Do We Cry?” provides a safe spot for a child’s tears to land. And though its message is delicate and weighty, Pintadera deals graciously with his subject, finishing the book with a thirteenth reason—the most hopeful of them all.

As my niece gets older I want her to learn to be comfortable feeling and sharing her emotions. I adore children's books like this that hold meaningful messages and encourage compassion. They start great conversations and allow the new generation to access valuable knowledge for later life. It's a very common and popular theme among kid's books now and I am so glad.

The illustrations were beautiful and eye-catching and my niece enjoyed sitting down with me to have a look and listen to me read. Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with this book, it will make a great future addition to my niece's shelf.

Disclaimer I received a copy of this book as an ARC via NetGalley.

I think this book does a good job covering a lot of the varied reasons humans may cry. And the illustrations do a wonderful job at making the reader both adults and children understand. I think the brief more factual info at the end of the story also work very well to increasing knowledge about tears and how normal they are. I really enjoy the recent publications of more books like this explaining emotions and emotional reactions as normal and ok.

This was a beautiful picture book. I loved the end papers and the illustrations throughout. It is a great introduction to crying; why we do it, how we feel, and normalizing it. There is even an end note describing the shape of tears, what they're made of, and the types of tears we shed. This would be a great read aloud for 4-7 y/o.

Beautiful illustrations used to explain how a mother shares reasons behind the tears.A cute little book .Definitely rereading soon .

Why Do We Cry? by Fran Pintadera, 31 pages. PICTURE BOOK
Kids Can Press, 2020. $19.
Language: G (0 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: G; Violence: G
BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE
AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE
Mario has a question for his mom: why do we cry? His thoughtful mother explains the different reason tears might roll down our faces and the emotions that go with them.
Pintadera breaks down the misconception that tears come from weakness as she shows a little boy asking a simple “why” question. Mario’s mother answers by talking about emotions non-judgmentally, and Pintadera gives more information about the science of tears in the back of the book. I love both the premise and the beautiful illustrations that accompany the conversation between Mario and his mother.
Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

Why do we cry? That's the question on one little boy's mind as he sits in the park with his mom. According to his mom, we cry for several reasons, because we're sad, when we're scared or frustrated, and because it makes us feel better.

Let me say, I just love this book. I'm a crier. I cry when I'm happy, when I'm sad, when I'm mad, all the time. I really believe that crying can make you feel better, and this book supports that idea. The author makes a point to mention that everybody cries, and that there is NOTHING WRONG with crying. Also, the illustrations are downright gorgeous. I love the image of the girl sitting on the dresser in the room filling with water, and the warthog scene when the author writes about crying as an international language.

Wow. This book is powerful. The pictures were stunning and layered with so much. I’ll have to read it multiple times to look at everything.

It begins with a little boy, “why do we cry?” His mom gives him so many answers that will allow kids to dig deep inside and reflect on why do they cry. It is a beautiful and wonderful way to start a conversation with children about the power of feelings and emotions.

I read this book with my 5 year old, who is a very sensitive little soul (just like her Mama). We both loved both the words and illustrations in this book. It speaks to all the reasons why we cry and how crying communicates when words aren't enough. It was a great conversation started for the two of us to then talk further about our emotions and recent times when tears have fallen. At the end of the story, there are additional facts about tears and some activities which my daughter also loved reading and doing. This is a beautiful book about emotions and the right balance of education and acceptance of feelings. Highly recommended as an addition to any child's library.