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Michael Rosen's Sad Book

Michael Rosen explores sadness and grief in a picture book that validates the intensity and unpredictability of emotions that every child has known to some degree, for one reason or another. In his highly personal narrative, sensitively illustrated by Quentin Blake, Rosen shares how he felt after the death of his son, Eddie. Sadness makes him do crazy things sometimes, or bad things. Sometimes sadness makes him feel bad about himself. Sometimes he wants to talk about his sadness. “Sometimes I don’t want to talk about it. Not to anyone. No one. No one at all. I just want to think about it on my own. Because it’s mine. And no one else’s.” Rosen’s quietly charged text plumbs the depths of his sadness before turning less somber when he reflects on happier memories, like playing catch with his son. It is courageously honest, and children and teens will recognize that honesty, and find reassurance in knowing that others, too, have felt overwhelmed by the power of difficult emotions. © Cooperative Children's Book Center

Illustrated by Quentin Blake

CCBC Age Recommendation: Ages 6-15
Age Range: PreK-Early Elementary (Ages 4-7) Grades 3-5 (Ages 8-10) Grades 6-8 (Ages 11-13) Grades 9-12 (Age 14 and older)
Format: Picture book
Subjects: Death and Dying Feelings/Emotions Grief and Loss Hope and Healing

Publisher: Candlewick
Publish Year: 2005
Pages: 32
ISBN: 0763625973

CCBC Location: Picture Book, Rosen

Michael Rosen's Sad Book