Overview and Outcomes:

This is a three-week Writing Root for The Tear Thief by Carol Ann Duffy. After exploring the idea that emotions could be matched with tears (water beads), the children read the text The Tear Thief and then explore the figurative writing within. They create a shared poem, explore different verb forms and then write a letter in role using the present perfect form. Following this, the children explore the idea that tears are shed for different reasons and that crying is an inevitable part of being human. They explore the health benefits of crying and how crying is the body’s way of dealing with intense emotions or overwhelming situations. They receive a letter from an anonymous child who feels embarrassed about crying. The children explore using a range of different grammatical forms of sentence to create an information/ persuasive poster before writing a letter, in the style of an agony aunt, to this child, giving him/her advice. Children will spend the final few sessions planning and writing a newspaper article about the mystery of the stolen tears.

Synopsis of Text:

Each night, in the hours between supper and bedtime, the Tear Thief carries her waterproof, silvery sack as she steals the tears of every child who cries. But what does she do with all those tears? This warm, poignant and beautifully illustrated story offers a thought-provoking message and a starting point for sharing children's emotional responses.

Text Rationale:

The Tear Thief is a charming modern fairy tale by former poet laureate Carol Ann Duffy. The story is told using rich lyrical language and brought to life with luminous illustrations by Nicoletta Ceccoli from which children can infer parts of the story.  Children will be captivated by the magical concept of how we express our feelings and there are obvious links to the PSHE curriculum where children will be able to discuss their emotions and how to deal with them.

Links and themes:

Poetry, feelings, emotions, dreams, expressing yourself

Date written: January 2017

Updated: September 2022