A Bank Street Best Book of the Year

"[A] nuanced tale that normalizes crying and makes clear that it is a part of life...Townes’ honest and resonant prose grounds readers in the protagonist’s life and offers superb opportunities for discussion about social-emotional development. With stirring echoes of Ezra Jack Keats in palette and line, Miyares’ illustrations are immersive." —Kirkus, starred review

"Childhood is full of emotional ups and downs, and in this beautifully illustrated story, readers follow a boy through a series of life events and the emotions they raise. These universal experiences and the tearful reactions they produce will resonate with readers of all ages...Highly effective for communicating the appropriateness of tearful expressions, this title will be useful in social-emotional learning experiences for starting conversations about our human ­reactions to being alive." —School Library Journal, starred review

"For young readers just beginning to identify and grapple with complex emotions, this picture book is a cozy reassurance that it’s okay to cry and could also serve as a conversation starter for older kids, especially boys, to consider how they process their feelings." —The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, starred review

"Townes reassures readers, supplying language to describe experiences and feelings in this tightly focused resource that examines how 'when I let my tears out/ My feelings fit perfectly inside my body.'" —Publishers Weekly