Why cry?

Japanese author-illustrator Yonezu packs tremendous angst into a tiny package as he introduces a parade of sobbing animals and children, each more distraught than the last. Semicircular die-cuts form the characters' wailing mouths, and the jagged outlines and bold colors of the artwork all but shout peak tantrum. Comforting words are of no use ("Little pig, come have a hug!"), but the stacked-up die-cuts form a rainbow at book's end, which does the trick. "Dry your tears and smile!" Yonezu writes. "After rain comes sunshine." Luckily for parents, the sight of all of these crying creatures is more likely to produce knowing giggles than sympathetic sobs. Up to age 3. (Sept.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Die-cut, wide-open crying mouths build up to a happy surprise at the end.This whimsical board book aims to bring a smile to the face of a crying child. Starting with the cover, readers see a brightly colored purple mouse on a white background; its mouth is wide open, crying. On each successive right-hand page readers will encounter more crying creatures: a kitten, a rabbit, a monkey, a pig, a bear, and two children (perhaps a girl and a boy). Each one of them is brightly colored and boldly outlined in black, on a white background. The page at the back of the sequence of die-cut mouths is red, lending a dramatic effect to the wide-open mouths. The trick here lies in the perspective. Each successive creature looks closer, occupying more of the page, and the mouths growing larger, until the last face occupies the entire page. Meanwhile, each left-hand page has some consoling sentence: "Oh, little kitten, don't cry!" "Little pig, come have a hug!" But more importantly, each statement is set on a solid color: purple, indigo, blue, green, yellow, orange, and red. Yes! The colors of the rainbow. When readers turn the page on the last crying mouth, they will find the colors and the layered die cuts make a rainbow! Sure to encourage toddlers to smile. (Board book. 1-2) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.