Everyone gets angry from time to time. This book does a great job of explaining overwhelming and scary emotions to young children. Kids will relate to how Sophie feels when her sister takes the toy she was playing with. Children will understand that it's okay to feel occasional anger, and take comfort in knowing that there's always a calm following the storm. Sophie's anger is creatively conveyed through vibrant colors like raging reds, and calmness and serenity through brilliant blues.
After your children witness Sophie calming herself down, you might discuss what things they like to do to make themselves feel better when they're angry. Explain to them that it's okay to take a few minutes by themselves to let go of the anger. This is also a warm story about familial bonds and demonstrates that, despite the heated debates, your family is there for you.
When I shared this book with Emily, the three-year-old I babysit, our talk about handling anger turned into a discussion of all emotions and eventually culminated in our taking pictures of her mad, sad, happy and silly faces. This book gave us a chance to have some serious fun while pondering a sensitive issue.
--Abby