Ira Crumb Feels the Feelings

Ira Crumb Feels the Feelings is the latest Ira Crumb book from Naseem Hrab, a follow-up to Ira Crumb Makes a Pretty Good Friend. (http://www.umanitoba.ca/cm/vol24/no30/iracrumbmakesaprettygoodfriend.html) This tale is accompanied by illustrations by Josh Holinaty.

Ira Crumb Feels the Feelings is an overly-busy work that does not demonstrate well the importance of feelings and coping, especially in a young child’s life. Though the story is meant to be funny and engaging, the emphasis on dealing with feelings is lost in poor humor, like fart jokes. When Ira comes upon a group of friends who want to play a different game than he does, he decides not to join in, but then he struggles in dealing with the fact that he has no one to play with: “My tummy hurts. My chin is wibbling. My eyes are leaking” (p. 11). His friends admonish him to “Forget your problems and just feel the music!” (p. 13). When his friend Malcolm Cake comes to cheer him up, he suggests just being sad together; a fart cloud appears and makes some cringe-worthy puns (“I was just passing through and I got wind of your conversation and I can be silent no more!” p. 24). None of these interactions properly demonstrate to a young reader how a sadness should be dealt with.

Josh Holinaty’s illustrations are a saving grace to the story. Full of bright color and easy-to-follow visual storylines, they properly demonstrate the depth of frustration that Ira feels throughout the story. In the end, when Ira feels better, Holinaty’s illustrations are cheery and detailed (there are faces on the pickles!), sure to engage any reader.

Ira Crumb Feels the Feelings is a book that should be read to young readers with caution – discussions of how feelings should be properly dealt with should accompany this work. Despite the attempt at humor, Ira’s feelings are complex and relatable to children who will surely experience them in their own lives. Children should be admonished not to just “forget [their] problems” but rather encouraged to talk about them with trusted people in their lives.