A valuable tool for teaching children the important skill of recognizing and naming feelings.
Anger comes in many different forms.
Clenched fists, hunched shoulders, furrowed brows, and a downturned mouth—undoubtedly the young girl protagonist is angry. Her self-aware first-person narration reveals that anger can stem from many underlying emotions. The girl presents various scenarios. When sharing a stuffed animal gets thorny, she reflects: “Sometimes I get angry when I feel like people are being mean.” That is called “ ‘It’s my turn!’ angry.” Or if she finds a puzzle difficult and frustrating, that is called “ ‘I can’t do it!’ angry.” Anger can even spring from sadness; the girl refers to this as “ ‘But why?’ angry” as she looks at a photo of a man who is presumably her deceased grandfather. The second half of the book revisits each scenario, this time offering the possible solution of using words to help diffuse or understand anger. But that can be difficult, too: “Sometimes I can’t think of any words at all, just mad sounds.” Familiar coping mechanisms—such as counting or breathing exercises—aren’t mentioned, though the girl, who has straight black hair and tanned skin, does scribble on paper furiously and cathartically when “anger comes from deep inside and bursts out.” Readers of all ages will identify with the rush of this familiar emotion, explored so sensitively in the book’s thoughtful narrative and emotive, textured digital illustrations. The protagonist’s caregivers are an interracial couple; background characters are racially diverse. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A valuable tool for teaching children the important skill of recognizing and naming feelings. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: May 3, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-77306-338-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Groundwood
Review Posted Online: March 1, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2022
An accessible entrance into the world of social-emotional skills.
What do you do when the world turns upside down?
Freckled redhead Tilda is a happy only child with a rollicking personality. With lots of books and toys and a multiracial group of friends, life is perfect as far as she’s concerned…until her world undergoes a troubling change (a subtle hint in the illustrations suggests that Tilda’s parents have divorced). Suddenly, nothing feels right, everything seems hard, and she doesn’t want to play with her friends. To reflect this emotional disorientation, the artwork shows Tilda in spatially distorted settings, complete with upside-down objects. It’s not until she sees an upturned ladybug struggle persistently before getting back on its feet (despite Tilda’s desire to help, the ladybug needs to help itself) that Tilda gains the courage to start taking baby steps in order to cope with her new reality. There are still challenges, and she needs to persevere, but eventually, she regains her zest for life and reconnects with her friends. Despite this, the ending avoids an easy happily-ever-after, which feels just right for the subject matter. Though a trifle didactic, the story sends an important message about the roles of self-efficacy and persistence when it comes to overcoming challenges and building resilience. Percival’s digital illustrations use transitions from grayscale to color to create symbolic meaning and have psychological depth, deftly capturing a child’s experience of trauma.
An accessible entrance into the world of social-emotional skills. (author's note) (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: March 1, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-5476-0822-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: Dec. 26, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2022
A soothing, logical, and playful introduction to mindfulness for young listeners.
What can you do when things go wrong?
Two children contemplate different ways to calm themselves down in this straightforward introduction to breathing, relaxation, and mindfulness. The younger, White-presenting child follows suit when the older, brown-skinned child proposes imaginative calming techniques. They picture themselves as various animals (goldfish, elephants, dragons) and objects (pinwheels, dandelions, wind chimes, flowers), inhaling and exhaling, that make deep breathing and calming down concrete and easy to comprehend. Simplified, whimsical illustrations add a touch of humor and a wink to the 1970s while preventing the story from becoming cloying, as soft, gentle instructions help the characters (and listeners) to understand some of the mechanics behind how to intentionally breathe and decompress. While not necessarily something that children will pick up unless they are learning about practicing mindfulness, this informative title has charm and warmth and will give youngsters some ideas as to how to self-regulate and manage their feelings as they learn to be aware of their breathing. Endpapers feature a multiracial array of children’s faces expressing different emotions.
A soothing, logical, and playful introduction to mindfulness for young listeners. (author's note) (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: April 13, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-77164-637-6
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Greystone Kids
Review Posted Online: Jan. 26, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2021
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