Smile Cry

A fun, flip-over picture book for children that reads from both front and back, Smile Cry is an innovative picture book for young kids, showcasing the full emotional range of their formative years. Readers follow three adorable characters – piglet, bunny and cat – as they react emotionally to a variety of events and circumstances from everyday life. From an ate-all-the-pies smile to an ice-cream-plopping-down cry, from a cosy-under-blanket smile to a need-a-band-aid-quick cry, children will empathise with the tear-jerking calamity of a popped balloon or lost toy, or feel the smiley warmth of being tickled. It's the little things that touch the hearts of children most, and Smile Cry typifies both the small joys and the challenges that are the essence of childhood.

Younger kids will respond to the soft, whimsical illustrations, while older readers will learn more about the range of their emotions – how it's possible to cry with happiness and also smile with trepidation. The clever 'flip-book' format means that the 'Smile' story reads from front to back, while the 'Cry' story reads from back to front, with both delicious narratives meeting in the middle.

A heartfelt picture book that will be treasured for years, Smile Cry is perfect for ages 3 and upwards.

About the author and illustrator:
Tania McCartney is an award-winning author, illustrator and editor, and the founder of literary website kids-bookreview.com and the 52-Week Illustration Challenge.

Jess Racklyeft was selected for Luerzer's Archive 200 Best Illustrators of the World 2013/2014. She works with card companies, US-based agency Astound, and sells prints of her artworks.