Caroline Starr Rose

picture book and middle-grade author

  • home
  • Bio
  • Blog
  • Books
    • Anthologies
    • Blue Birds
    • The Burning Season
    • Jasper and the Riddle of Riley’s Mine
    • May B.
    • Miraculous
    • Over in the Wetlands
    • A Race Around the World
    • Ride On, Will Cody!
  • Author Visits
  • Virtual Visits
  • Events
  • Teacher Resources
  • Contact
  • Writing One to One

When Sadness is at Your Door

Leave a Comment

Some emotions are hard to describe and even harder to experience. Eva Eland’s new picture book, When Sadness is at Your Door, is a “gentle and reassuring” look at one of life’s most complicated emotions.

The story opens with Sadness appearing as an uninvited guest. Simple illustrations give the emotion a color and shape.

The imagery and language show how Sadness can feel overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to stay that way. There is no talk of Sadness as a “bad” emotion or one we must try to avoid.

I was struck by how seeing Sadness on the page made the emotion somehow feel less scary. I also appreciated how Sadness was portrayed as something apart from the child — an important distinction, I think.

Just as unexpectedly as Sadness arrives, the child discovers it has gone.

When Sadness is at Your Door is an honest and hopeful portrayal of a complex emotion and is a wonderful tool to equip young readers the next time sadness pays to visit.

Thank you, Penguin Random House, for an advance copy for review.

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Email

Filed Under: books and reading

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Meet Caroline Starr Rose
  • Email
  • Instagram
  • RSS
  • Twitter

my books

Subscribe to my newsletter + to receive regular blog posts

categories

  • A Race Around the World
  • authors
  • Blue Birds
  • books and reading
  • classroom connections
  • encouragement
  • faith
  • family
  • historical fiction
  • home
  • Jasper and the Riddle of Riley's Mine
  • May B.
  • Miraculous
  • non-fiction
  • Over in the Wetlands
  • poetry
  • publication
  • Ride On, Will Cody!
  • Song of the Raven
  • teaching
  • The Burning Season
  • The Notebook Series
  • the writing life
  • this and that

Copyright © 2023 · Caroline Starr Rose · Site by Design by Insight

I participate in Amazon Services LLC Associates and Bookshop.org, affiliate programs that allow me to make a small commission if you click through and make a purchase. Thank you for supporting this site!

Sign up for biweekly blog posts + my quarterly author newsletter and receive a printable quote from my novel, Blue Birds.