SuitabookTough Guys Have Feelings Too
Keith Negley
- Reading
- Pause at each character’s situation and name the feeling shown. Invite the child to interpret the pictures, then discuss whether “tough” and emotional can exist together without demanding personal disclosure.
- Themes
- Emotional expression beyond toughness: Stereotypically tough figures experience and visibly express several difficult feelings. The book clearly presents emotional experience as something that can belong to people associated with toughness, rather than something shameful.
- A sombre emotional landscape: The book addresses a sombre emotional landscape; the detail of how it is developed remains unclear. The book appears interested in validating difficult emotions, but its emotional balance may feel more sombre than celebratory.
- Connection through shared reading: The book ends with a boy and his dad curled up together reading, surrounded by toys from the scenes. The ending presents shared reading and paternal affection as a comforting form of connection.
- Worth knowing
- Pay particular attention to emotional intensity.