Tough Guys Have Feelings, Too, by Keith Negley (Nov. 2015, Nobrow Ltd.), $17.95, ISBN: 9781909263666
Recommended for ages 3-6
Everybody’s got feelings – even ninjas, superheroes, and daddies! They’re allowed to feel sad, disappointed, and even embarrassed. Keith Negley uses strong, male figures – usually stereotyped as stoic, “walk it off” types – to help kids understand that feelings are perfectly natural, normal, and not something to be ashamed of. What you feel is what you feel, and there’s nothing wrong with that!
Ninjas cry when they argue with their friends. Cowboys are embarrassed when they fall off their horses. Wrestlers are nervous before a big match. Most importantly, daddies are proud to show how much they love their children. This book is phenomenal for taking male stereotypes and giving them powerful feelings – feelings that young kids will recognize in themselves, and hopefully, be encouraged to share. Tough Guys Have Feelings Too is a great read-aloud book, with its bright colors, bold shapes, and larger-than-life figures; it opens up the doors to discussions that parents can have with their children, teachers and educators can have with their students, and it allows kids to develop the tools to express their feelings to one another, too. There’s also an opportunity for a cause-and-effect lesson here, illustrating how events can influence our feelings, or how our own actions and feelings affect others.
I can’t wait to get this on my shelves and get it into storytime rotation. Get this one into your collections!
Author Keith Negley will be taking part in some reading events in the NYC area to promote the book in the next few weeks. Check out his schedule on Tumblr.
