The Tear Thiefby Carol Ann Duffy, Nicoletta Ceccoli
Each night, in the hours between supper and bedtime, the Tear Thief carries her waterproof, silvery sack as she steals the tears of every child who cries. But what does she do with all those tears? This warm, poignant, and beautifully illustrated story offers a thought-provoking message and a starting point to share children's emotional experiences. Book with CD edition features narration by Juliet Stevenson.
K-Gr 2- The Tear Thief, a ghostlike figure of a girl, is invisible except for her reflection in puddles. She slips into the homes of crying children during the time between supper and bed to steal their tears. The tears go into her sack, where they turn into jewels. Tears of rage become like rubies; those of jealousy are like emeralds. Soon a girl is spotted on a street corner, crying bitter tears of sadness-"the most precious...of all...worth more than diamonds"-for her lost dog. The Thief moves in to gather them, but the girl is standing by a puddle and sees the reflection, which forces The Thief to explain herself. Every night she takes her bag of jewels to the moon and empties her stash into its light. That is how the moon gets its glow. The acrylic illustrations are appropriately dreamy: the colors are all softened to depict the night, and The Tear Thief is transparent and ghostly. However, the static human faces and the unnerving message that the moon's glow is dependent on children who are sad or angry elevate the "creepy" factor to an uncomfortable level.-Ieva Bates, Ann Arbor District Library, MICopyright 2006 Reed Business Information.
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I checked out this book at the library and after reading it once to my kids I said this book is a keeper. Everytime my kids cry, I tell them I will collect tears for the tear thief so the moon will shine bright tonight. It has helped them regulate their emotions and identify different feelings associated with tears. I will be giving this book as a gift, as well. It is truly a gem and I wish I has it sooner.
The message behind this book is simple there are many reasons that people cry, and everyone does cry. The illustrations in this book are absolutely gorgeous and the way in which the different tears are colored, and valued is a lesson in itself. This could be a wonderful, gentle way to help children of all ages learn to identify their emotions and recognize the difference between cranky tears and genuine sadness.