The ugly place

Laura Deal

Book - 2022

"A child makes their way along the Arctic shoreline on a dark day. Everything around them seems as ugly as their mood, from the weather to the fish and mud. This is the place they come to whenever they feel ugly. But as the child closes their eyes and listens, the sound of the waves reminds them to breathe. The tiny krill flick their tails, and the brightly coloured sea stars seem to glow. What they once saw as an ugly landscape is now wonderful and vibrant, and alive with music and beauty. Building on concepts of social-emotional awareness, this book helps young readers see that they have the ability to control their own emotions."--

Saved in:

Children's Room Show me where

jE/Deal
1 / 1 copies available
Location Call Number   Status
Children's Room jE/Deal Checked In
Subjects
Genres
Children's stories Pictorial works
Picture books
Published
Iqaluit, Nunavut : Inhabit Media Inc 2022.
Language
English
Main Author
Laura Deal (author)
Other Authors
Emma Pedersen, 1988- (illustrator)
Physical Description
25 pages : color illustrations ; 23 cm
ISBN
9781772274325
Contents unavailable.
Review by Kirkus Book Review

Wearing a red hoodie and a big frown, a child in a foul mood walks through miserable weather on their way to the ugly place. The ugly place is where the protagonist goes when "things seem ugly and cloudy in my head and I feel a lot of feelings all at once." The blues and grays of the accompanying landscapes feel wet and dreary, while inanimate objects look on frowning, their expressions echoing the child's. The light brown--skinned child slops through the rain and mud, leaving a mucky trail across the wet tundra, to the rocky coast where even the fish in the water frown back. When the child finally looks up, however, they notice the sea gulls overhead, the gentle lapping of waves, and the taste of dried salt on their lips. And just like that, a smile appears on the child's face as well as on the creatures' in the water. The rain stops, and nature is now welcoming in its beauty. Text and images work together deftly, using sensory descriptions to evoke both the miserable mood and its transformation. Though this transition from inner turmoil to outer peace comes a bit quickly, the meaning is nevertheless clear: Nature heals the heart. And this child knows it. (This book was reviewed digitally.) A gentle tribute to the power of nature to help regulate difficult feelings. (Picture book. 4-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.