Sometimes I Feel…: A Menagerie of Feelings Big and Small in many ways is not a children’s book. Or just not a children’s book. Sarah Maycock’s idea of the feelings we have (as timid as a mouse; brave as a lion) might seem simple on the surface but there is something deeper and that is where the adult book comes in. Therefore, this is for everyone and anyone. Maycock took something that feels easy and simple, feelings, and twists it on its head. Yes, you can be as big as a bear, but there are things bigger than a bear so you can feel small. And the lion roars loud, but the storm can range louder. And all of this is created in what looks like watercolor images also created by Maycock.
The artwork is what makes the story. The ideas are strong, and can hold themselves on the page, but it is the art that really glues it to the spot. These quiet, expressive images set the contemplative tone of the text. You can read images as well as text, but the two need each other to be complete.
I was not sure I was going to enjoy this book, but once read it was what was needed to end my group of picture book readings today. Due mid-July 2023 this is a must have for special events (a summer stocking stuffer if you will), or even for a loss, the end of a school year, or for the classroom in the fall. And in mid-June 2023 there will be Love Is…: A Celebration of Love in All Its Forms coming out. I was unable to read this, but the sample I saw (both online) makes it feel simple, but also complex ideas of the subject of love.
