Regina’s 4-year-old brother, Riley, cries all the time. Despite attempts to cheer Riley up, Regina and her father fail to console him. When her father becomes despondent, Regina takes action. She shows Riley drawings of things that make boys sad, hoping he will identify reasons for his tears, to no avail. Only when she starts asking Riley to express his preferences for interests, clothing, and toys does she realize he was crying because he was not happy with who he was, in the gender binary world he was living in. Riley’s crying stops when he begins making choices to express his individuality. Concepts of gender identity and gender stereotypes are presented for young readers. The story communicates that it is important to be true to who you are and have the courage to express your unique self. | The original French version of this book received the TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award.

80 pp., 6.5 × 8.5", colour illustrations

Source: Association of Book Publishers of BC - BC Books for Schools (2021-2022)

Author and singer-songwriter Stéphanie Boulay is half of the Quebecois folk group Les soeurs Boulay. When she’s not writing music, she’s writing award-winning books for readers of all ages that encourage them to be whatever makes them most happy. Stéphanie lives in Montreal.

 

Stéphanie Boulay's profile page

Born and raised in Montreal, Agathe Bray-Bourret studied cinema at Concordia University before her passion for drawing made her change floors and enrol in film animation instead, the perfect mix of her two passions. She uses watercolor and gouache to show the humor of everyday life. Currently Agathe is illustrating a graphic novel and an animated short movie. She lives in Montreal.

 

Agathe Bray-Bourret's profile page

Charles Simard is a Québécois editor and translator from Montréal, also known as Tiohtià:ke and Mooniyaang. He works as poetry, fiction, and non-fiction editor for Talonbooks in Vancouver on Coast Salish Territory. His published work includes the essay Littérature, analyse et forme: Herbert, Tolkien, Borges, Eco (EUE, 2010) and a number of translations for Orca Book Publishers, including Elise Gravel’s The Wrench and Myriam Daguzan Bernier’s dictionary of sexuality, Naked. As a lexicographer, he has collaborated on the making of the popular linguistic suite Antidote in its bilingual editions. He holds a Ph.D. and M.A. in comparative literature from Université de Montréal and was a postdoctoral fellow at the City University of New York’s Graduate
Center. His doctoral and postdoctoral publications focused on the poetics of avant-garde composer and writer John Cage. He lives in Montréal, Québec.

Charles Simard's profile page

• Commended, Ontario Library association (OLA) Best Bets - Honourable Mention
• Commended, BC Books for BC Schools

“Sensitive and nuanced...A beautiful combination of text and image, exploring gender expression, fluidity, and the power of being yourself when the world prioritizes conformity. Riley Can’t Stop Crying is a worthy addition to any home, school, or public library collection! Highly Recommended.”

CM: Canadian Review of Materials

“This is a book that perfectly captures in both words and pictures the struggle so many young children face to be themselves.”

The Globe and Mail

“Gentle-hued watercolor and gouache illustrations by Bray-Bourret...[create] a comedic effect...Boulay and Simard accessibly interrogate identity.”

Publishers Weekly

★“Boulay brings immense tenderness to both [Regina] and Riley’s journeys of discovery…Bray-Bourret’s quirky illustrations offer energy and lightness that balance the serious subject matter of gender identity…This picture book shows how we can give young children the freedom to be themselves.”

Quill & Quire, starred review

“A kind message.”

Kirkus Reviews

★“Insightfully emotional…A poignant, purposeful depiction of a ­family learning to recognize, confront, and heal internal struggles with self-love and self-worth. Children in need of encouragement will find comforting ­revelations about the value of individuality.”

School Library Journal, starred review