Angry Me

A small girl stares at her reflection and announces that she is an angry person. Her temper flares in familiar moments: when a classmate is unkind and grabs her toy, when a swim session is cut short and it seems unjust, when she is worn out and only wants to go home, or when schoolmates leave her out and her feelings are hurt. In each scene she tries to put her frustration into words, though this does not always go smoothly. Sometimes the right word slips away, and sometimes what comes out is not what she meant. Still, words can help, and once the anger fades, another feeling can take its place.

Sandra Feder builds the text around a series of different situations that might provoke anger, offering readers a layered look at the emotion and at the other feelings beneath it. The book makes a useful opening for talking with young children about big feelings.

Rahele Jomepour Bell's illustrations give the girl a lovable, spirited presence, and they follow her as she works through her emotions and learns to express herself.