Riley Can't Stop Crying

November 30, 2020
This English translation of a transitional picture book introduces audiences to Regina Bibeau and her four-year-old brother, Riley. When Regina and her single father fail to cheer up the inconsolable Riley, whose tears form a puddle around his toes and eventually fill the house, Regina draws common ailments and asks Riley to indicate the source of his sorrow. But Riley existentially draws himself, leading Regina to help her brother explore his self-presentation by trading toys; purchasing different clothing, including a skirt; and soliciting a fresh haircut. Gentle-hued watercolor and gouache illustrations by Bray-Bourret depict characters with lithe rubber hose limbs and migratory facial features, creating a comedic effect that feels incongruous with Riley’s distress. While solutions elide mental health concerns, Boulay and Simard accessibly interrogate identity: “we can express some of ourselves on the outside, but there will always be complicated things left inside that we don’t know how to show.” Ages 6–8.

Starred review from February 1, 2021

K-Gr 2-In a compassionate look at dysmorphia, this insightfully emotional book guides children to unpack the turmoil of being unhappy with one's self and how family support can encourage self-acceptance and self-love. A young girl, Regina, and her single father face the daily dilemma of calming her brother, four-year-old Riley, who cries incessantly but cannot explain why. Readers follow Regina's candid, beautifully described thought process as she takes action to investigate and resolve what is upsetting her brother and subsequently facing the unspoken unhappiness in her small family. After many tries, the most revealing connection is made when Regina and her father ask, without judgment, what Riley's choices of toys, clothing, colors, and hair would best suit his own tastes. Self-reflection, self-love, and empathy are shining elements in this story as Regina connects with Riley after thinking about her own past experiences and her father's advice to take care of herself and love what makes her unique. The bright watercolor and gouache illustrations reflect the transparency of the book's open message, as simple, exaggerated curving lines of the figures fluidly express how the characters' stillness, movement, happiness, or depression affect their overall composure and presence. VERDICT A poignant, purposeful depiction of a family learning to recognize, confront, and heal internal struggles with self-love and self-worth. Children in need of encouragement will find comforting revelations about the value of individuality.-Rachel Mulligan, Pennsylvania State Univ.

Copyright 2021 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2021
A family supports its youngest member. Regina's little brother, Riley, never stops crying. She and their dad try everything they can think of to cheer him up, but no matter what they do he slumps through the pages, blue tears waterfalling from his eyes. "We'd ask him, 'Riley, why are you crying?' / He'd answer, 'Don't know.' " Finally, after Riley draws a picture of himself and points to it, Regina realizes that "Riley is crying because he's not happy being Riley." Their dad--who is single--wonders if "such feelings were too complicated" for a young child, but Regina helps Riley pick out toys and clothes that make him happy. At the end, Riley's mostly stopped crying, has a trendy new haircut, and sports genderfluid outfits, and the family (all of whom present White) is much happier. Bright, stilted, studiedly childlike watercolors illustrate each scene. One weakness in this meandering story is that it positions a gender-normative older sister as a savior to her disempowered, almost speechless gender-creative sibling. Another is that in trim size and page count it appears to be an early chapter book, but lengthy, convoluted sentences ("I get that I'm just a kid, but with everything I did know, even if it isn't a whole lot, I thought I understood something about the things that are really important in life") make this best suited to reading aloud. A kind message clumsily delivered. (Picture book. 6-8)

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