Angry me

Sandra V. Feder

Book - 2022

"A young child tells us what makes her angry and how she tries to let the anger come and go. An artful starting point for conversations about strong feelings. "I get angry," says a little girl, looking fiercely in the mirror. Sometimes she gets angry when someone is mean and tries to take her toy away, when it feels unfair that there's not enough time to go swimming, when she's tired and just wants to go home, or when the kids at school leave her out, hurting her feelings. When she's angry, she tries to remember to use her words -- even though that doesn't always work. Sometimes she can't find the right words, or the words don't come out the way she intends. But sometimes words do help, and when ...her anger melts away a new feeling can blossom."--

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Children's Room Show me where

jE/Feder
2 / 2 copies available
Location Call Number   Status
Children's Room jE/Feder Checked In
Children's Room jE/Feder Checked In
Subjects
Genres
Picture books
Published
Toronto ; Berkeley : House of Anansi Press 2022.
Language
English
Main Author
Sandra V. Feder (author)
Other Authors
Rahele Jomepour Bell (illustrator)
Physical Description
1 volume (unpaged) : color illustrations ; 29 cm
Issued also in electronic format
ISBN
9781773063386
Contents unavailable.
Review by Booklist Review

An unnamed young narrator reels off the many, many sorts of incidents and situations that set her off. She's enraged when she's not getting a toy at share time, when she's seeing someone else eating the last cookie, when tussling over the TV remote with an older sib, and when seeing other children whispering together or walking away in a group. To be fair, her choleric reactions are nuanced: they include frustration when a jigsaw piece won't fit and a sad sort of anger when looking at a picture of a deceased grandparent. Sometimes the right words to explain her rage don't come out right. But when they do, or an adult offers understanding, the storm passes. Kitting her young subject out with a fierce scowl and glaring eyes, Bell places her in settings that include figures of different ages depicted with a realistic variety of skin tones. The combination of appealing art and a narrator with a hot temper--but also the self-awareness to acknowledge it--makes this a fresh addition to teeming "anger management" shelves.

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Kirkus Book Review

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) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.