Tough Guys (Have Feelings Too)
Flying Eye Books / Publishers Group Canada
By Keith Negley
48 pages
age 3-5, 5-8
Synopsis from Publishers Group Canada:
A boldly illustrated picture book read-aloud about how everyone gets sad-ninjas, wrestlers, knights, superheroes, everyone . . . even daddies have emotions! Did you know wrestlers have feelings? And knights. Even superheroes and ninjas feel sad sometimes. In fact everyone has feelings-especially dads who love their children! As parents we are often challenged with looking at things from a child’s perspective, both literally as well as figuratively.
We’re not surprised when girls show fear, sadness, anger, and happiness, but there’s an expectation on boys to tough it out. I know my son has often been told by adults and even other boys his age that sadness isn’t an emotion boys show, that it’s a sign of weakness, a feminine behaviour. Tough Guys Have Feelings Too (affiliate link) reminds us all that fear, disappointment and sadness aren’t just emotions reserved for females.
Tough Guys shows that even pirates get sad when they can’t find their treasure and astronauts get lonely when away from their family. These characters and role models of bravery and toughness also deal with the other spectrum of emotion, and that’s fine. It all ties back to a son and his dad and the bond they share. Love encompasses an array of emotions and only something like a robot doesn’t encounter.
Tough Guys (Have Feelings Too) is a great reminder for parents and children (boys and girls) that humans feel a wide assortment of emotions including sadness, fear, and disappointment. This doesn’t make boys less like boys but rather more human. A perfect book for Father’s Day bonding.
Additional Reading: My Dad. My Hero.
You can find a copy of Tough Guys Have Feelings Too (affiliate link) from Publishers Group Canada or your local bookstore. Visit our Kid’s Books section for other great book recommendations.
The lessons that the kids can learn from this book is the most important thing.