Tear Soup is an interesting book. It’s a large book, not thick, but just big in the way that a lot of picture books for children are. And it is for kids, I guess, but it’s about grief and the process of getting through grief, obviously built around the metaphor of making “tear soup.” Everyone’s recipe is different, some people like to share their soup, others like to eat it alone, etc. It’s an interesting idea and I think it’s a pretty good book. Obviously, an adult can read through the book in just a few minutes. I was surprised at how on point it is; it’s clearly a book that wants to not talk down to kids or give them any kind of BS. It's honest, I guess is what I’d say and that’s a rare thing even among books about grief written for adults. The question with very utilitarian books like this is whether or not they transcend their utilitarianism in the moment to become an actual work of art. A good example in the arena of “dealing with grief” is C.S. Lewis’ A Grief Observed which is a very helpful book to read during a period of grief, but also transcends that to become just a great, powerful work of literature on its own merits. I don’t think this one does. I’d class it with a lot of self-help books which are very good for particular moments, but they aren’t really something you’d read outside of a very particular set of circumstances. I think that’s perfectly fine; it’s not trying to be a great work of art, just a helpful resource for kids, and also adults really, going through tough times. Nothing wrong with that, for sure. 2 ½ stars.
tl;dr – children’s book about grief is honest and helpful; it isn’t great art, but it’s not really trying to be. 2 ½ stars.