Sour Cakes - by Karen Krossing (Hardcover)

About the Book

"This is the simply told story of two siblings--one who wants to play, and the other who most certainly does not. The little sibling wakes up in a grumpy mood. The older sibling tries everything she can think of to cheer her sister up, but nothing seems to work: she won't go outside, won't sing, won't color a picture, and won't bake sweet treats. "Why sweet? I like sour." Like any good sibling story, we see some cajoling, attempts at negotiation, contrariness, petulance, and a flat-out fit. The older sibling attempts to listen, soothe, and conciliate--to help her sister find her way through messy feelings. But the little sibling unleashes the full force of her emotions: "I want fog to crash down on big monster feet. ... I want to disappear." The turning point arrives as the older sibling empathetically enters the fog with her sibling. No longer alone and sensing her sister's compassion, the little sibling can start to receive what her sister has to offer: a song to yell, a picture that's grey, a cake that's sour, if that's what the little sibling really wants. By the end, the older sibling has conveyed to the younger that she can be understood and loved--even when she's at her worst. The fog lifts and they can play."--

Book Synopsis

Heavy emotions meet a deep well of understanding in this uplifting sibling story



Two siblings wake up in two very different moods; the older one cheerful and lively, the younger feeling sad and irritable. The big sister negotiates and cajoles, tries everything she can think of to cheer her little sister up, but nothing works. She offers to go outside and play, but her sister refuses. She suggests they color a picture, but her little sister only likes the color gray. She proposes they bake sweet cakes, but her sister only wants sour ones.

It's only when little sister's gloomy mood reaches a boiling point that the older sibling tries a different tactic. She empathizes and enters the gloom with her sister, and offers up compassion along with a gray picture and a sour cake. Together, they navigate the little sister's grim, messy feelings until the siblings are able to play.

Told in striking, conceptual illustrations, this story explores empathy, emotional acceptance, mental health, and acknowledging difficult feelings in a warm, accessible way.

Review Quotes

"Sour Cakes, a sensitive story, presents a great opportunity for discussing feelings, how we can express them, and the importance of empathy."

-- "Canadian Review of Materials"

"A sensitive portrayal of acceptance and patience, accompanied by meaningful artwork that honors the feelings expressed by a little one on a bad day, as well as the loving acceptance of an older, tolerant sibling."

-- "Sal's Fiction Addiction"

"An ode to sibling relationships and how, in particular, a sibling can lift you up when you are in the stormiest, heaviest of moods."

-- "Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast"

"This sensitive narrative shows the significance of empathy in meeting people where they're at."

-- "Publishers Weekly"

"By accepting big, negative emotions without condemning them or dismissing them, this book is great for launching discussions about when and how to express moods and feelings."-- "School Library Journal"

"Empathetically acknowledges children's big feelings and engagingly models emotional health."-- "Kirkus Reviews"