Kids picture books that make you tear up

[BiscuitLover3678]

Stickman and Paper Dolls both by Julia Donaldson.

Also Bye Bye Baby by the Ahlbergs. Dear god! 😭

I also came on to say Love you for always by Robert Munsch.
He apparently wrote it when 2 of his babies were still stillborn.
Knowing this, I couldn't get to the end of reading it to my children without welling up
Sorry if someone else has already mentioned this

Daddy's Rainbow by Lucy Rowland. There is no way to get to the end of that book without being in tears.

Did you know there are two versions of this? One doesn't have the sob inducing last bit.
I was banging on about how sad it is to someone but turns out they have the other version.

Once There Were Giants

Glad others have said this-it makes me howl 😭

Wear your boots Ted by Rebecca Harding it's written for children with Talipes (club foot) who wear special boots and a bar to correct their feet. It's a lovely book.

100% Love you Forever.
I was bought it as a child and I've gone on to buy it for my children.

My Mum was a social worker and used Badger's Parting Gifts to help children who had been bereaved. When she knew she was dying from a brain tumour she insisted I have her copy ready to read to my DC after she died. It wasn't too bad when I did because I was prepared. It's when you're not expecting something and it catches you out. I read The Christmas Pig to DS shortly after and the climax got me all choked up because the pig sacrificed himself for the boy to be happy but didn't tell the boy he was going to. It made me think of all my Mum had done for me and how even in her illness she hadn't ever complained or asked for pity - just carried on caring about others and leaving her mark in a positive way right to the end.

John Burningham. Granpa.

Stickman every single time - he just wants to get home to the family tree 🥺.

Dogger
Paper Dolls
Goodbye Mog
Badger's Parting Gift
No matter what
The Selfish Giant
The little prince

Oh, don't.

Hope the rainbow fairy
It's about lockdown , and it was the works and it was as we was coming out of lockdown in 2020/2021 and I full blown cried in the shop! Was so embarrassed but just it was so lovely and sad ! 😔

Velveteen rabbit has me blubbing

The little match girl
Goodbye Mog
There's a story about dragonflies for explaining death to children that get me too.

I loved reading lost and found by Oliver Jeffers to my girls. The bit at the end when he leaves the penguin is so sad!

For slightly different reasons, I was choked up reading a book called The Suitcase. Without stating it explicitly, it's about a refugee and how the other animals don't understand him at first so aren't very nice but then they realise what he's been through and help him. It's so beautifully written x

Had forgotten the patchwork cat beautiful illustrations

Alfie - Annie Rose Is My Little Sister. Tbh all the Alfie books as my two really look liked them as infants. He's the one that can make his little sister laugh. He's 15.5 now so when clearing out the house recently (not that I get rid of the books), I was teary flipping through the books, it is the book but mainly the memories that come flooding back of their beauty and innocence when they were little.

The Wonderful Things You Will Be 😭

The snail and the whale is just the best.

Another one I've cried reading is called When I was born. I'm definitely planning on a massive cull of the kids' books in the next few months but those 2 will be staying with me in my room!

The Girls by Lauren Ace!

There’s a couple of different picture books of it out there, but any of them about Babouska make me cry.

The Empty Stocking by Richard Curtis. Guaranteed cry for me, such a lovely story.

"And the baby stood quite still, all alone, with the sleeping world around him."

From The Baby Who wouldn't go to bed always got me.

And Goodbye Mog

Then not a picture book, but a short chapter booked called something like Grandpa's bench. DD2 got it as a Santa present at the school fair. I assume they'd just got a job lot of books and that was one out of 10 in a set. There were quite a lot of complaints as it's clearly a book meant to help children dealing with bereavement. Dd2 didn't find it sad, but I did, because the grandpa was very like my Dad.

Once There Were Giants.
I am not sure I can do this book justice. I have read it to my daughter so many times and each time it feels more poignant than the last. It really details the circle of family life, the short and sweet details of childhood. A powerful reminder that they don’t stay young for long. Beautiful illustrations. I love it. It brings tears to my eyes every time.

Definitely Paper Dolls! ❤️

But also "The world made a rainbow" about a little girl during the pandemic. If I actually manage to hold in my sobs at: "But red makes me think of the chairs in my class..." Then "Violet... The loveliest person I know." will get me going.

I think it's extra raw because my DC were just a bit younger than the girl and her little brother at the time... (Though neither can remember anything much about it so have no idea why I always cry when we read it 🤣)