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Michael Rosen's Sad Book
A heartbreakingly honest account of a father’s grief for his son.
31 pages, Paperback
First published September 28, 2004
About the author
Michael Rosen
522 books466 followersMichael Rosen, a recent British Children’s Laureate, has written many acclaimed books for children, including WE'RE GOING ON A BEAR HUNT, illustrated by Helen Oxenbury, and I’M NUMBER ONE and THIS IS OUR HOUSE, both illustrated by Bob Graham. Michael Rosen lives in London.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 546 reviews
August 19, 2023
I read this because I am reading books about fathers and sons, and sometimes books about grief. This one is really great, and powerful, in that it is written by a celebrated children's book author who lost his eighteen-year-old son. Not surprisingly, since the book deals with this loss, it's a book about grief, which seems to broaden to the extended, sometimes almost crippling depression Rosen experiences. This book is Rosen's attempt to speak to kids about the sadness they may also experience because of loss. It may also be written for a secondary audience, adults who have lost children. Families in grief. It's powerful and anguishing and comforting, and sort of sadly, quietly serious, of course. Rosen wants to speak directly to his readers, primarily kids, and respect them for having potentially deep and confusing feelings as he does.
Reviewer friends Patrick and Jamie have it right, though, in my opinion, that this would be hard just to share with many kids. Maybe grieving kids, sure. I have three elementary school aged kids who I elected not to share it with. How do you prepare young people for loss, for grief? But anyone dealing with grief or depression (my kids have not experienced these things, not yet), at any age, would be appropriate for this book. I found it unique, for a kid's book, and courageous, to write about it, an attempt to reach sad kids, as there surely are many. It's like he is saying: Listen, I write for you kids all the time about lots of fun and interesting things I think are deeply important, and I am glad you like my work, but if you really want to know who I am, you need to know this, this subject that is painfully personal for me. I want to let you in on this personal loss I have had, the worst thing I could imagine, but I hope you are comforted by it somewhat if you are also sad, or if you are not sad, I hope you care and have empathy at the very least as you read this. . . and I surely did.
Reviewer friends Patrick and Jamie have it right, though, in my opinion, that this would be hard just to share with many kids. Maybe grieving kids, sure. I have three elementary school aged kids who I elected not to share it with. How do you prepare young people for loss, for grief? But anyone dealing with grief or depression (my kids have not experienced these things, not yet), at any age, would be appropriate for this book. I found it unique, for a kid's book, and courageous, to write about it, an attempt to reach sad kids, as there surely are many. It's like he is saying: Listen, I write for you kids all the time about lots of fun and interesting things I think are deeply important, and I am glad you like my work, but if you really want to know who I am, you need to know this, this subject that is painfully personal for me. I want to let you in on this personal loss I have had, the worst thing I could imagine, but I hope you are comforted by it somewhat if you are also sad, or if you are not sad, I hope you care and have empathy at the very least as you read this. . . and I surely did.
December 29, 2014
This book is the best concrete example I have of why Goodreads needs to add an option for giving a book multiple reviews.
Many of us read books more than once. We read at different times in our lives. We read books in different ways.
Because of that, we have different opinions of the books we read as time passes.
When I first read this book, I was teaching a children's literature class. In that context, I loved it because it talked about emotions without pandering to kids, without being gooey or cutesy or saccharine.
I really liked seeing the message, "Sometimes people are sad. It happens all the time. That's okay. I admired the book for being rare and honest.
But that was years ago...
Just a couple days ago, I brought out this book to read it to my boy. Most of what I remembered about the book is that it was touching and honest. I thought it would be a good stepping off point that I could use to have a discussion with my boy.
What I didn't remember is that in this book, the author talks about the death of his son.
It's central to what he's talking about. He mentions it right at the beginning of the story, saying he's sad a lot because his boy is dead. He wishes he could talk to his mom about it, but she's dead too.
When I first read this book, I didn't have any kids. I was able to appreciate the frank honesty of the book.
This time when I read the book, I did so while sitting next to my own son. And the first page hit me like a bucket of cold water. Like I'd been punched in the gut.
I tried to read it to my boy on the fly, paraphrasing and skipping over the fact that the reason the man was sad is that his son had died. But it was too central to the story, eventually, I just gave up and suggested we read a different book.
I'm not opposed to talking to my son about death. But I wasn't ready for it right then. And I don't think at the age of 5 it's really productive to discuss it in terms of how badly his death would ruin me emotionally.
So... yeah. Is this a great book? Yes. Absolutely. It's honest and emotional. But reading it now, as a father, I don't enjoy it nearly as much, and I don't think it's a good book for young children, despite it being in picture book format.
I wish goodreads had some sort of mechanism for me to record my two different reviews of this book, both different, both equally valid, but from two different times in my life. This is something I've wanted to do on this site for a long time, but this book has made me pointedly aware of that desire again.
Good books are not simple things, and our responses to them are not simple either. They change over time. If goodreads is to be genuinely useful to people, I think it needs some way to reflect that.
Many of us read books more than once. We read at different times in our lives. We read books in different ways.
Because of that, we have different opinions of the books we read as time passes.
When I first read this book, I was teaching a children's literature class. In that context, I loved it because it talked about emotions without pandering to kids, without being gooey or cutesy or saccharine.
I really liked seeing the message, "Sometimes people are sad. It happens all the time. That's okay. I admired the book for being rare and honest.
But that was years ago...
Just a couple days ago, I brought out this book to read it to my boy. Most of what I remembered about the book is that it was touching and honest. I thought it would be a good stepping off point that I could use to have a discussion with my boy.
What I didn't remember is that in this book, the author talks about the death of his son.
It's central to what he's talking about. He mentions it right at the beginning of the story, saying he's sad a lot because his boy is dead. He wishes he could talk to his mom about it, but she's dead too.
When I first read this book, I didn't have any kids. I was able to appreciate the frank honesty of the book.
This time when I read the book, I did so while sitting next to my own son. And the first page hit me like a bucket of cold water. Like I'd been punched in the gut.
I tried to read it to my boy on the fly, paraphrasing and skipping over the fact that the reason the man was sad is that his son had died. But it was too central to the story, eventually, I just gave up and suggested we read a different book.
I'm not opposed to talking to my son about death. But I wasn't ready for it right then. And I don't think at the age of 5 it's really productive to discuss it in terms of how badly his death would ruin me emotionally.
So... yeah. Is this a great book? Yes. Absolutely. It's honest and emotional. But reading it now, as a father, I don't enjoy it nearly as much, and I don't think it's a good book for young children, despite it being in picture book format.
I wish goodreads had some sort of mechanism for me to record my two different reviews of this book, both different, both equally valid, but from two different times in my life. This is something I've wanted to do on this site for a long time, but this book has made me pointedly aware of that desire again.
Good books are not simple things, and our responses to them are not simple either. They change over time. If goodreads is to be genuinely useful to people, I think it needs some way to reflect that.
March 10, 2019
I almost made it through Michael Rosen's Sad Book without getting sad, but then I got to the part where he explains that he often isn't thinking about anything sad, but then his mind will shift:
And then I remember things. My mum in the rain.
Eddie walking along the street, laughing and laughing and laughing.
And then he's sad again. (Both Mum and son, Eddie, have passed on).
My daughters heard the tell-tale sob in my voice as I arrived at this point in the book. They were quiet and waited patiently for me to recover.
They're practically experts when it comes to their sometimes sad mother. They totally get it that sometimes she's upbeat and feels good, and sometimes she hears an Elvis Presley song and loses her shit. This is life.
What they haven't known is that I wasn't ever allowed to be sad as a child. Many of us weren't. In my household, I could be angry. I could be as angry as often as I needed to be, I just needed to be angry, alone, in my room.
But, sad? Hell, no.
Sad is for babies and sissies and wimps who are weak.
Sad makes people uncomfortable.
Sad means go somewhere, call your doctor, get a prescription or something, just go away with that nasty business.
But Michael Rosen says that when sad is “sometimes,” sometimes you just gotta roll with it.
My favorite part of this book is when he explains that he has found some ways to make “sad” feel better:
I tell myself that everyone has sad stuff.
Every day I try to do one thing I can be proud of. Then, when I go to bed, I think very, very hard about this one thing.
I tell myself that being sad isn't the same as being horrible. I'm sad, not bad.
Every day I try to do one thing that means I have a good time. It can be anything so long as it doesn't make anyone else unhappy.
Such simple and excellent advice, and my daughters and I jumped right on this last night:
What did you do today that made you feel proud?
What did you do today that was just for fun?
I'm so happy we found this book about sad.
And then I remember things. My mum in the rain.
Eddie walking along the street, laughing and laughing and laughing.
And then he's sad again. (Both Mum and son, Eddie, have passed on).
My daughters heard the tell-tale sob in my voice as I arrived at this point in the book. They were quiet and waited patiently for me to recover.
They're practically experts when it comes to their sometimes sad mother. They totally get it that sometimes she's upbeat and feels good, and sometimes she hears an Elvis Presley song and loses her shit. This is life.
What they haven't known is that I wasn't ever allowed to be sad as a child. Many of us weren't. In my household, I could be angry. I could be as angry as often as I needed to be, I just needed to be angry, alone, in my room.
But, sad? Hell, no.
Sad is for babies and sissies and wimps who are weak.
Sad makes people uncomfortable.
Sad means go somewhere, call your doctor, get a prescription or something, just go away with that nasty business.
But Michael Rosen says that when sad is “sometimes,” sometimes you just gotta roll with it.
My favorite part of this book is when he explains that he has found some ways to make “sad” feel better:
I tell myself that everyone has sad stuff.
Every day I try to do one thing I can be proud of. Then, when I go to bed, I think very, very hard about this one thing.
I tell myself that being sad isn't the same as being horrible. I'm sad, not bad.
Every day I try to do one thing that means I have a good time. It can be anything so long as it doesn't make anyone else unhappy.
Such simple and excellent advice, and my daughters and I jumped right on this last night:
What did you do today that made you feel proud?
What did you do today that was just for fun?
I'm so happy we found this book about sad.
July 20, 2019
The Nature of the Beast
Grief waxes and wanes.
It is a beast of many faces, many forms.
It cowers in the shadows, then tiptoes gently, bearing warm, sad, poignant memories.
Occasionally, it wanders off for two or three days.
Then it pounces, baring its teeth, and drawing blood and tears.
Some days I feel almost “normal”, and others, even three months later, I’m tearful all day. Most of the time, it’s somewhere in between, with a mask to cover the cracks, and spare others from dealing with my pain.
Losing my father, who was only 77 and in good health, with no warning at all, is my first encounter with raw grief of someone very close.
I’m not a spiritual person and have not sought solace in religion.
My pain is uniquely my own, and has reopened wider family complexities that go beyond what would be suitable for a bereavement group.
For weeks, I could barely read.
I talk: to myself, my family, my friends, and recently, a therapist, but mostly to myself.
But books call, speak, and soothe. Somehow I found my way to this short picture book.
Image: ”He doesn’t say anything, because he’s not there any more.” The empty cell says it all.
Why This Book?
This is only the second book explicitly tied to bereavement I’ve picked up. (The first, was Mary Oliver’s poetry collection, Thirst, which I reviewed HERE). I don’t normally read, let alone seek out children’s books (unless there’s a child around), but I’m glad I did.
Who’s This For?
I never had to face close bereavement in childhood: I lost my grandparents in my twenties and beyond: all reached a good age, ending with a period of decline. Nor did I have to help my own child through bereavement when small.
I’m not sure this book would be suitable for a sensitive child who had not lost a loved one, especially as Rosen is writing about the sudden death of his son, but for anyone in the early throes of grief, including young children, it’s beautiful, cathartic, and true.
As one who writes far too many words, I appreciate the power of Rosen’s brevity, enhanced by Blake’s sensitive artistry. (I’ve long loved both, and they’ve collaborated many times.)
This book is not about death itself. It simply and sensitively portrays and validates the fluctuating feelings experienced by those left behind after a death, admits to failings (taking it out on the cat, for example), and gently suggests coping mechanisms.
“Every day I try to do one thing I can be proud of. Then, when I go to bed, I think very, very hard about this one thing.”
“Every day I try to do one thing that means I have a good time. It can be anything so long as it doesn’t make anyone else unhappy.”
You think it’s ending on a happy, positive note (he loves birthdays, and “There must be candles”), and then you turn the final page: not a word, just this:
Grief waxes and wanes.
It is a beast of many faces, many forms.
It cowers in the shadows, then tiptoes gently, bearing warm, sad, poignant memories.
Occasionally, it wanders off for two or three days.
Then it pounces, baring its teeth, and drawing blood and tears.
Some days I feel almost “normal”, and others, even three months later, I’m tearful all day. Most of the time, it’s somewhere in between, with a mask to cover the cracks, and spare others from dealing with my pain.
Losing my father, who was only 77 and in good health, with no warning at all, is my first encounter with raw grief of someone very close.
I’m not a spiritual person and have not sought solace in religion.
My pain is uniquely my own, and has reopened wider family complexities that go beyond what would be suitable for a bereavement group.
For weeks, I could barely read.
I talk: to myself, my family, my friends, and recently, a therapist, but mostly to myself.
But books call, speak, and soothe. Somehow I found my way to this short picture book.
Image: ”He doesn’t say anything, because he’s not there any more.” The empty cell says it all.
Why This Book?
This is only the second book explicitly tied to bereavement I’ve picked up. (The first, was Mary Oliver’s poetry collection, Thirst, which I reviewed HERE). I don’t normally read, let alone seek out children’s books (unless there’s a child around), but I’m glad I did.
“Sad is a place
that is deep and dark
like the space
under the bed
sad is a place
that is high and light
like the sky
above my head
When it’s deep and dark
I don’t dare go there
When it’s high and light
I want to be thin air.”
Who’s This For?
I never had to face close bereavement in childhood: I lost my grandparents in my twenties and beyond: all reached a good age, ending with a period of decline. Nor did I have to help my own child through bereavement when small.
I’m not sure this book would be suitable for a sensitive child who had not lost a loved one, especially as Rosen is writing about the sudden death of his son, but for anyone in the early throes of grief, including young children, it’s beautiful, cathartic, and true.
As one who writes far too many words, I appreciate the power of Rosen’s brevity, enhanced by Blake’s sensitive artistry. (I’ve long loved both, and they’ve collaborated many times.)
This book is not about death itself. It simply and sensitively portrays and validates the fluctuating feelings experienced by those left behind after a death, admits to failings (taking it out on the cat, for example), and gently suggests coping mechanisms.
“Every day I try to do one thing I can be proud of. Then, when I go to bed, I think very, very hard about this one thing.”
“Every day I try to do one thing that means I have a good time. It can be anything so long as it doesn’t make anyone else unhappy.”
You think it’s ending on a happy, positive note (he loves birthdays, and “There must be candles”), and then you turn the final page: not a word, just this:
June 13, 2020
I've always found defining sadness difficult, as have most of us. It is very distressing to put it into words. What IS sad?
Is it a late night ride that brings back memories of people lost in time? Or is it a familiar drink or a dish that emanates nostalgia? Or is it something more, a constant brooding feeling of dread?
Here, in this short picture book, Michael Rosen writes about sad, about faking emotions and about living with grief and sadness as he walks through life.
He mentions his second son, Eddie, who died of meningitis aged 18 and how it has left a void never to be filled again. As I was reading this book, I was awaiting the news of my father's passing, which came two days later. The anxiety and the heartbreak that is illustrated in this book is something I found very relatable.
The book paints a very intimate portrait of these confusing emotions to a wide range of young readers, showing them, with respect to their innocence, a world most adults wouldn't want to let them explore, but one they will all face. I thought it was a wonderful read, for readers both young and old.
Is it a late night ride that brings back memories of people lost in time? Or is it a familiar drink or a dish that emanates nostalgia? Or is it something more, a constant brooding feeling of dread?
Here, in this short picture book, Michael Rosen writes about sad, about faking emotions and about living with grief and sadness as he walks through life.
He mentions his second son, Eddie, who died of meningitis aged 18 and how it has left a void never to be filled again. As I was reading this book, I was awaiting the news of my father's passing, which came two days later. The anxiety and the heartbreak that is illustrated in this book is something I found very relatable.
The book paints a very intimate portrait of these confusing emotions to a wide range of young readers, showing them, with respect to their innocence, a world most adults wouldn't want to let them explore, but one they will all face. I thought it was a wonderful read, for readers both young and old.
April 1, 2019
"Who is sad? Sad is everyone. It comes along and finds you."
Oh boy.......I couldn't help but quote this book overview; it is just so perfectly stated.
"We all have sad stuff - maybe you have some right now, as you read this. What makes Michael Rosen most sad is thinking about his son Eddie, who died. In this book, he writes about his sadness, how it affects him and some of the things he does to try to cope with it. This is a very personal story that speaks to everyone; whether or not you have known what it's like to feel really, deeply sad, it's truth will surely touch you."
I've been there, many times. Hope you have not. This very well illustrated book says it all, the smiling and pretending to be happy, the anger of them leaving, the memories, the photograph books, wanting to speak to them or about them to others that are gone too....or just wanting to keep it all private....and scream!
Things can never be the same, but some things help, says Rosen. Try to do one little good thing a day (perhaps cook a meal) or do some little thing you enjoy (perhaps catch a game on tv). Remember being sad is not being bad, but try not to make others unhappy.
BEING SAD - NOT JUST FOR CHILDREN! (may need tissue)
Ok, on to a book that can take me to another place and time.........
November 19, 2023
"Sometimes I'm sad and I don't know why. It's just a cloud that comes along and covers me up."
December 15, 2023
Really I’m being sad, but pretending I’m being happy. I’m doing that because I think people won’t like me if I look sad.
felt 💔
felt 💔
November 19, 2023
”Sometimes I’m sad and I don’t know why. It’s just a cloud that comes along and covers me up.”
“I've been trying to figure out ways of being sad that don't hurt so much. Here are some of them: I tell myself that everyone has sad stuff. I'm not the only one. Maybe you have some too. Every day I try to do one thing I can be proud of.”
3.5
This was super quick and about sadness which was expressed in a realistic way. Thanks rae for the rec 🫶🏼
“I've been trying to figure out ways of being sad that don't hurt so much. Here are some of them: I tell myself that everyone has sad stuff. I'm not the only one. Maybe you have some too. Every day I try to do one thing I can be proud of.”
3.5
This was super quick and about sadness which was expressed in a realistic way. Thanks rae for the rec 🫶🏼
January 23, 2018
Can't praise this enough. Whether you're grieving, or depressed, you'll feel at least a little bit better to know that somebody else gets it. No matter if you're 7, 17, or 77. Even if you're doing just fine, I bet you know somebody struggling... and this might help you to better understand them.
I've read it twice now. I really should own a copy.
Maybe shelve it with Hyperbole and a Half: Unfortunate Situations, Flawed Coping Mechanisms, Mayhem, and Other Things That Happened.
I've read it twice now. I really should own a copy.
Maybe shelve it with Hyperbole and a Half: Unfortunate Situations, Flawed Coping Mechanisms, Mayhem, and Other Things That Happened.
December 16, 2011
I knew about this book. I had even heard Michael Rosen talking about it on the radio and liked the idea. But I hadn't read it.
Then a friend died rather suddenly, leaving his wife and an amazing ten-year-old daughter who plans to be a writer, engineer, inventor and cartoonist. But it's not good when your dad dies. It's not good for your mum either, and so I remembered Michael Rosen's Sad Book, which they didn't have.
So I sent for it, to send to them. It's a big book -- a bit taller than A4 and quite a bit wider, and the marvellous illustrations by Quentin Blake (I love Quentin Blake) add immeasurably. In fact, it is an indivisible blend of picture and words. The opening page show Michael grinning slightly inanely -- and is IS undoubtedly him. I've talked to him and this is The Man. Underneath the picture:
"This is me being sad.
Maybe you think I'm happy in this picture.
Really I'm sad but pretending I'm happy.
I'm doing that because I think people won't
like me if I look sad."
The whole book is simply written, like that, though it doesn't purport to be poetry (Rosen is a poet) until the end.
What it does purport to be, what it does do is tell a bit of Rosen's own story: the fact that his son Eddie died, how he feels sad and angry about it. Sometimes he wants to talk. Sometimes he doesn't: he just wants "to think about it on my own". Why? "Because it's mine. And no one else's."
He describes his peculiar behaviour, and there's humour in here, well paced and funny. He tries to figure out "ways of being sad that don't hurt so much" and he shares them all. They're all worth trying. Then he writes about writing. He writes about writing about "sad".
"Where is sad?
Sad is anywhere.
It comes along and finds you.
When is sad?
Sad is any time.
It comes along and finds you."
There are beautiful illustrations to go along with this, elegiac illustrations.
Then he risks a whole poem, a beaut. And a comment on the poem which is really scary: "This last bit means that I don't want to be here. I just want to disappear." Which rhymes, so it's really still a part of the poem.
Amazingly, he lifts the book at the end, out of sadness into something else. He does it without sounding false or pretentious or sentimental. He ends with candles.
I wept when I read it. Then I read it again and wept again.
Then I ordered two more copies of this book. I aim never NOT to have one in the house.
Then a friend died rather suddenly, leaving his wife and an amazing ten-year-old daughter who plans to be a writer, engineer, inventor and cartoonist. But it's not good when your dad dies. It's not good for your mum either, and so I remembered Michael Rosen's Sad Book, which they didn't have.
So I sent for it, to send to them. It's a big book -- a bit taller than A4 and quite a bit wider, and the marvellous illustrations by Quentin Blake (I love Quentin Blake) add immeasurably. In fact, it is an indivisible blend of picture and words. The opening page show Michael grinning slightly inanely -- and is IS undoubtedly him. I've talked to him and this is The Man. Underneath the picture:
"This is me being sad.
Maybe you think I'm happy in this picture.
Really I'm sad but pretending I'm happy.
I'm doing that because I think people won't
like me if I look sad."
The whole book is simply written, like that, though it doesn't purport to be poetry (Rosen is a poet) until the end.
What it does purport to be, what it does do is tell a bit of Rosen's own story: the fact that his son Eddie died, how he feels sad and angry about it. Sometimes he wants to talk. Sometimes he doesn't: he just wants "to think about it on my own". Why? "Because it's mine. And no one else's."
He describes his peculiar behaviour, and there's humour in here, well paced and funny. He tries to figure out "ways of being sad that don't hurt so much" and he shares them all. They're all worth trying. Then he writes about writing. He writes about writing about "sad".
"Where is sad?
Sad is anywhere.
It comes along and finds you.
When is sad?
Sad is any time.
It comes along and finds you."
There are beautiful illustrations to go along with this, elegiac illustrations.
Then he risks a whole poem, a beaut. And a comment on the poem which is really scary: "This last bit means that I don't want to be here. I just want to disappear." Which rhymes, so it's really still a part of the poem.
Amazingly, he lifts the book at the end, out of sadness into something else. He does it without sounding false or pretentious or sentimental. He ends with candles.
I wept when I read it. Then I read it again and wept again.
Then I ordered two more copies of this book. I aim never NOT to have one in the house.
Read
April 14, 2019This is a tough book to review. It’s an honest and poignant look at grief, and it’s told in simple language, bit by bit, for children to read and understand. Inspired by the author’s grief at the death of his son, this story tells of a man struggling to pick up the pieces of his life. There is no overarching plot, but the book touches on different aspects of the man’s life in the time of sadness. Little things that were once simple are now impossible, and even the most mundane parts of life are changed and painful. Disturbing, raw, powerful, and vivid, this is the kind of book that stays with you long after you’ve read the last page.
November 5, 2019
Very important. My wife and I lost a son. This book is helpful to us and our surviving boys. Very kind of Michael Rosen to write it and share it.
December 5, 2015
I went into the book store asking for Micheal Rosen's books for young readers (for my son). The lady showed me 2 books but I found them too young for him. I thanked her but she said "wait a minute" and came back holding that book. I told her "Thanks, I am not looking for a picture book as I told you I want one for young readers, my son is 7 years old". "I know, it isn't for your son, it is for you" she said putting it near me. "But I won't buy a picture book" I replied. "Don't buy it, read it and put it back". Leaving me with the book, I did what she asked for and I can tell that this the best ever illustrated book I read that talks about loss and sadness. It doesn't try to figure it out or say how to control it. the book is trying to say that it is normal to be sad and how it is when people are sad for example they can do things that is obscure to others. It is not fair to be judge for this, as Micheal said " I'm sad, not bad".
November 19, 2013
Buongiorno, tristezza
Un libro sull'accettazione della tristezza come aspetto perdurante in una vita segnata da un grave lutto. Michael Rosen ci dice che è triste e che questo sentimento a volte scema, ma non lo abbandona mai del tutto. Ha perso suo figlio e una parte di sé e anche se canta, fa cose sciocche o mangia cibi strani, la tristezza all'improvviso riappare, nel quotidiano, nel banale, magari mentre sta guardando passare la metropolitana. La tristezza c'è e Rosen la espone senza pudori, senza ritrosie, senza vergogna. Sembra un urlo liberatorio verso quel sistema che vorrebbe da tutti noi sempre un sorriso e la massima si gira pagina, ma non è così, o almeno non per tutti. Tutti però abbiamo il bisogno di sentirci autentici e di trasmettere ciò che proviamo, anche se è quel lieve soffrire che ha nome tristezza.
Un libro sull'accettazione della tristezza come aspetto perdurante in una vita segnata da un grave lutto. Michael Rosen ci dice che è triste e che questo sentimento a volte scema, ma non lo abbandona mai del tutto. Ha perso suo figlio e una parte di sé e anche se canta, fa cose sciocche o mangia cibi strani, la tristezza all'improvviso riappare, nel quotidiano, nel banale, magari mentre sta guardando passare la metropolitana. La tristezza c'è e Rosen la espone senza pudori, senza ritrosie, senza vergogna. Sembra un urlo liberatorio verso quel sistema che vorrebbe da tutti noi sempre un sorriso e la massima si gira pagina, ma non è così, o almeno non per tutti. Tutti però abbiamo il bisogno di sentirci autentici e di trasmettere ciò che proviamo, anche se è quel lieve soffrire che ha nome tristezza.
September 18, 2013
An interesting little book. Actually, a sad little book, so the title is more than appropriate. Michael Rosen dopes something here that we do not often see in children's books - he touches upon coping with tragic events. Children, like adults, experience tragic events in their lives, and many times their feelings are not addressed in a reassuring way. This book addresses sadness, depression, even death of a child and a parent. For this reason, I decided to rate this book. It is rare to find such a book on the children's shelves at a library. Good job Mr. Rosen, and thank you for having the courage to share your personal tragedies. (it is written in an autobiographical style). The only reason why I'm giving it 4 stars is because the ending is somewhat abrupt.
As always, hats off to Candlewick Press for putting out beautifully executed, meaningful titles for the younger readers.
As always, hats off to Candlewick Press for putting out beautifully executed, meaningful titles for the younger readers.
September 13, 2018
In our life, all of us have probably gone through some situations where we had to pretend that we are happy though life was beating us down. We had to put a smile on our faces so that no one could understand what was actually going on inside. Because “All the world’s a stage….”
Life is the greatest teacher of all and the best thing it teaches us is how to fake emotions!
This little book represents that thing very intensely. Well, I won’t categorize this book as a children book. Because kids are the happiest soul on earth and I believe, the gloominess this book elucidates cannot easily touch them.
Michael Rosen has illustrated his grief on the pages of this sad book. Every day he has to pretend that he is happy. But inside, he is crumbled by the heavy burden of sadness! For me, it’s difficult to empathize myself with him because I really don’t know how does it feel to lose a close one forever!
Still, life goes on and we wake up every morning pretending nothing have happened and we are HAPPY!
Just like this photo!
Such a melancholic book it is and I adored this melancholy!
Life is the greatest teacher of all and the best thing it teaches us is how to fake emotions!
This little book represents that thing very intensely. Well, I won’t categorize this book as a children book. Because kids are the happiest soul on earth and I believe, the gloominess this book elucidates cannot easily touch them.
Michael Rosen has illustrated his grief on the pages of this sad book. Every day he has to pretend that he is happy. But inside, he is crumbled by the heavy burden of sadness! For me, it’s difficult to empathize myself with him because I really don’t know how does it feel to lose a close one forever!
Still, life goes on and we wake up every morning pretending nothing have happened and we are HAPPY!
Just like this photo!
Such a melancholic book it is and I adored this melancholy!
February 3, 2020
A questionable book for children because of its extreme sadness. Not sure there is much in it that can help a child to fathom death. There are better ways to handle it. The father in this book has lost a child, and he is terribly depressed. Personally, I saw nowhere that he recovered from it.
One way to help children with death is to show them nature. There are dead creatures in the forests. Let the child see death in its reality. Never give them fantasies.
Here is a site on helping children with grief:
https://kidsmatterinc.org/get-help/fo...
One way to help children with death is to show them nature. There are dead creatures in the forests. Let the child see death in its reality. Never give them fantasies.
Here is a site on helping children with grief:
https://kidsmatterinc.org/get-help/fo...
October 19, 2017
A beautiful book full of honesty. It’s a comfort to read and the illustrations provide a brutal truth which accompany the text in a way which allows you to really empathise with the author. Reading this with children would provide great opportunities to explore something that we sometimes fail to acknowledge- sadness. I would highly recommend this book.
September 19, 2020
This a beautiful book about Michael Rosen and the death of his son, Eddie. It is powerful and touching.
This is a great book on dealing with a loss, and the depression that can follow.
Its one that can help children but also help adults understand their feelings and emotions at such a sad time.
This is a great book on dealing with a loss, and the depression that can follow.
Its one that can help children but also help adults understand their feelings and emotions at such a sad time.
November 12, 2018
This is a beautifully haunting book of honesty from Rosen, with perfectly executed illustrations by Blake. I adored reading this despite its difficult themes and emotions it provoked, and I feel it should have a place in every classroom as it can show people (not just children) how everything is not always okay and bad things can happen. And that’s okay.
December 31, 2020
Where is sad?
Sad is everywhere.
It comes along and finds you.
When is sad?
Sad is anytime.
It comes along and finds you.
Who is sad?
Sad is anyone.
It comes along and finds you.
Sad is everywhere.
It comes along and finds you.
When is sad?
Sad is anytime.
It comes along and finds you.
Who is sad?
Sad is anyone.
It comes along and finds you.
November 20, 2023
”sometimes because i’m sad i do crazy things.”
us babe us
us babe us
February 8, 2017
This book hit me like a tonne of bricks.
Everyone has experienced loss. Personally, a close relative passing away when I was aged 9 is my only real experience. At the time I held an understanding of the extremities of death and how my life would be changed, but the emotions were a lot harder to comprehend. Reflecting as a 21 year old, I wish I had been given this book.
By page 3 I knew I was reading a hard-hitting story:
"What makes me most sad is when I think about my son Eddie. He died. I loved him very, very much but he died anyway."
Rosen deals with the subject of grief beautifully. He is entirely honest in his writing as he explains the complex nature of loss and grieving in a simplistic manner.
Quentin Blake's illustrations do not draw away from the text, rather they add to it and convey the emotions perfectly.
Sometimes he is angry, sometimes he does crazy things... but that is okay. This book teaches you that it is okay to react to death in however you please.
If a child is to *touch wood* experience loss in my class I will 100% be sharing this with them. It is such an important book and should be read by people of all ages.
I believe Rosen wrote this book for many reasons - but one that sticks out to me is the idea that he is trying to relieve some emotional weight from his shoulders. This book could inspire people to talk, and write about, their emotions. As difficult as it may seem.
Everyone has experienced loss. Personally, a close relative passing away when I was aged 9 is my only real experience. At the time I held an understanding of the extremities of death and how my life would be changed, but the emotions were a lot harder to comprehend. Reflecting as a 21 year old, I wish I had been given this book.
By page 3 I knew I was reading a hard-hitting story:
"What makes me most sad is when I think about my son Eddie. He died. I loved him very, very much but he died anyway."
Rosen deals with the subject of grief beautifully. He is entirely honest in his writing as he explains the complex nature of loss and grieving in a simplistic manner.
Quentin Blake's illustrations do not draw away from the text, rather they add to it and convey the emotions perfectly.
Sometimes he is angry, sometimes he does crazy things... but that is okay. This book teaches you that it is okay to react to death in however you please.
If a child is to *touch wood* experience loss in my class I will 100% be sharing this with them. It is such an important book and should be read by people of all ages.
I believe Rosen wrote this book for many reasons - but one that sticks out to me is the idea that he is trying to relieve some emotional weight from his shoulders. This book could inspire people to talk, and write about, their emotions. As difficult as it may seem.
October 13, 2017
This is a really beautiful book full of honesty around grief. This book deals with a common emotion in a concrete way. Rosen really captures the true emotions of sadness with the message that sometimes people are sad and it happens all the time but its's okay. Rosen talks explicitly of the loss of his son and therefore this book is a wonderful one to discuss grief with young children but also all children who also feel the deep and confusing feelings that he does. I think that this may be a difficult book to share with some children as nothing is sugar coated but overall it is a courageous topic to write about and a beautiful book to share with children suffering from grief and depression all the way through to secondary aged children. A very personal book to both the readers and the author.
May 22, 2014
What a powerful and honest book. It very nearly had me in tears at work today. Like Shaun Tan's the Red Tree, The Sad Book acknowledges that negative emotions like sadness, anger and depression are not solely an adult concern but something that happens to people of all ages.
What makes Michael Rosen's Sad Book special, and likely to resonate just as deeply with adults as with children, is the deeply personal way in which Rosen talks about his own sadness after his son's death. His straightforward honesty and generosity in sharing his experiences in struggling with his darker emotions are what make this book feel so intimate and ultimately so moving.
What makes Michael Rosen's Sad Book special, and likely to resonate just as deeply with adults as with children, is the deeply personal way in which Rosen talks about his own sadness after his son's death. His straightforward honesty and generosity in sharing his experiences in struggling with his darker emotions are what make this book feel so intimate and ultimately so moving.
September 11, 2017
' Who is sad?
Sad is anyone.
It comes along and finds you.'
Sad is anyone.
It comes along and finds you.'
March 19, 2020
This is a very moving book that explores the feeling of sadness through an honest and open account from a man who is dealing with the loss of his family. A book like this might provide some comfort to a child who may be experiencing something similar, as the message is that no matter how bad things may seem, you can always find happiness in the light (symbolised by the glow of the birthday candles lighting up the final pages).
October 15, 2020
This is a really moving story. The way Rosen has written it about his own struggles, I think would be inspiring to children to talk about and address their own. The book is beautifully written and something I would love to use for base to some PSHE discussions. I also really enjoyed the use of some poetry as well, adding to this book even more! Yes an emotional story, but one I think would be incredibly valuable to a classroom.
September 18, 2019
A beautiful and honest book about what it is like to feel sad. I think that both children and adults would benefit from reading this book. It’s thought provoking and brilliant. The illustrations are beautiful also, Quentin Blake does such a good job with this. The pictures in this book really support what Rosen is trying to convey. Would work wonderfully in a PSHE session- depending on your children’s backgrounds and past experiences.
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