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Annie,
Bea, and Chi Chi Dolores by Donna Maurer. The letters
of the alphabet provide a humorous look at some of the activities of
young animals at school, including counting, erasing, making music,
painting, and snack time.
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Do
You Want to be My Friend by Eric Carle. A small mouse has a
hard time finding a friend.
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Guess
How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney Illustrated by Anita
Jeram. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press, 1994. During a bedtime game,
every time Little Nutbrown Hare demonstrates how much he loves his father,
Big Nutbrown Hare gently shows him that the love is returned even more.
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Lucky
Song by Vera Williams. Evie’s loving family supports her independence.
She wants a toy, so grandpa helps her make a kite. She wants it to fly,
and the wind obliges. She says “look” and her mother is there to admire.
At the end of the day, her father sings about a lucky little girl.
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Oh
My Baby, Little One by Kathi Appelt Illustrated by Jane Dyer.
San Diego, CA: Harcourt, Inc., 2000. A mother explains to her child
all the ways her love remains even while she’s away.
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Owl
Babies by Martin Woddell. Three little owls await their mother’s
return. The biggest one has comforting words, the middle one is not
sure, the smallest says, “I want my mommy!” Mommy returns and says she
will always come back.
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The
Temper Tantrum Book by Edna Mitchell Preston Illustrated by Rainey
Bennett. New York: Viking Press, 1969. A rhyming presentation of
issues that provoke tantrums between animal (and human) parents and
children. Pen-and-wash drawings portray first the angry wriggling of
the young beasts, then the toddler-like situations that have upset them.
The sometimes awkwardly phrased but comfortingly non-judgmental narration
concludes with the joyful, “I love it when you let me play in the mud.”
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Alexander
and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst.
Illustrated by Ray Cruz . New York, NY: Aladdin Paperbacks, an imprint
of Simon & Schuster, 1972. One day when everything goes wrong for him,
Alexander is consoled by the thought that other people have bad days,
too.
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And
My Mean Old Mother Will Be Sorry, Blackboard Bear by Martha Alexander
Illustrated by the author. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press, 1969
(text) and 2000 (illustrations). When his mother gets angry over the
mess he has made and he decides to run away to the woods with his friend,
Blackboard Bear, Anthony discovers that home isn’t such a bad place
after all. Also available on audiotape.
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Andrew’s
Angry Words by Dorothea Lachner Illustrated by ThE Tjong-Khing.
New York: North-South books, 1995. When Andrew spews a cloud of angry
words at his sister after she trips over him, the words travel from
one person to another until they’re captured, thrown away and replaced
with kind and happy words.
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Annabell
Swift, Kindergartner by Amy Schwartz. Although some of the things
her older sister taught her at home seem a little unusual at school,
other lessons help make Annabelle’s first day in kindergarten a success.
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Best
Friends by Miriam Cohen. Kindergarten classmates Jim and Paul
realize they are best friends.
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C
is for Curious, an ABC of Feelings/2 is for Dancing, A 123 of Actions
written and illustrated by Woodleigh Hubbard. Chronicle Books,
1990. One side of this jazzy, ingenious book offers a swing through
the alphabet; flipped upside-down, it becomes a counting book of cavorting
critters.
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Carousel
by Pat Cummings Illustrated by the author. New York: Bradbury
Press, 1994. Alex’s father misses her birthday party, and everything
is spoiled for her until the animals on his gift of a tiny carousel
come to life.
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Contrary
Bear by Phyllis Root. Dad’s patience is sorely tested by his
daughter’s “Contrary Bear.” The bear argues about putting on his shoes,
throws sand, and drops cake on the floor (his piece was too small).
His behavior, of course, has everything to do with the little girl’s
own contrariness.
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D.W.,
Go to Your Room! (an Aurthur story) by Marc Brown. Boston: Little,
Brown & Company, 1999. When D.W. is given a timeout in her room for
grabbing a toy from baby Kate, it is Kate who finally makes her feel
better.
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Franklin’s
Bad Day (a Franklin the Turtle story) by Paulette Bourgeois.
New York: Scholastic, 1997. Franklin feels grumpy and sad one day and
doesn’t know why until he realizes he is missing his friend Otter who
moved away.
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How
Do I Feel by Norma Simon. Morton Grove, IL: Albert Whitman &
Company, 1970. A young boy describes his feelings in different situations.
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I
Was So Mad by Mercer Mayer Illustrated by the author.
New York: Golden Books, 1985, 1999. Mayer’s trademark character Little
Critter decides to run away when he is not allowed to do anything he
wants.
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I
Was So Mad! by Norma Simon Illustrated by Dora Leder. Morton
Grove, IL: Albert Whitman & Company, 1974. Evocative drawings and children’s
voices describe situations that can provoke feelings of anger, frustration,
anxiety, humiliation, and loss of control.
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I’m
Gonna Like Me: Letting Off a Little Self-Esteem by Jamie Lee Curtis
Illustrated by Laura Cornell. Joanna Cotler books, an imprint of
HarperCollins Publishers, 2002. A young girl learns to like herself
every single day, no matter what.
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I’m
Mad by Elizabeth Crary Illustrated by Jean Whitney. From
the author’s Children’s Problem Solving collection, Dealing with Feelings
series. Seattle, WA: Parenting Press, 1992. In this “pick-what-happens”
story, Katie is terribly upset when a rainy day keeps her and her dad
from picnicking in the park. The format presents a variety of strategies
the two of them can use to help Katie sort out her feelings.
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Let’s
Be Enemies by Janice May Udry Illustrated by Maurice Sendak.
New York: HarperCollins, 1988. A friend who always wants to be the boss,
a friend who takes all the crayons, a friend you’d no longer consider
having the chicken pox with – this friend is an enemy…isn’t he?
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Let’s
Talk About…Feeling Angry by Joy Wilt Berry Illustrated by
Maggie Smith. New York: Scholastic Inc., 1995. From the author’s
“Let’s Talk About” series. Maria’s dog Max talks compassionately about
things that make Maria mad, and some of the ways (both less appropriate
and more appropriate) she has of dealing with her anger.
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Matthew
and Tilly by Rebecca C. Jones Illustrated by Beth Peck.
New York: Dutton, 1991. (Also available from Picture Puffins.) Like
all friends, Matthew and Tilly have an occasional tiff, but their friendship
prevails. Muted oil paintings convey the communal warmth of their diverse
city neighborhood.
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Mean
Soup by Betsy Everitt Illustrated by the author. San Diego:
Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1992. Horace feels really mean at the end
of a hard day…until he helps his mother make mean soup.
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Minerva
Louise at School by Janet Morgan. A hen leaves her barnyard
to explore another. Children know the red “barn” is a school, but she
sees cubbies as nesting boxes, the wastepaper basket as feed bucket,
and a ball resting in a glove as a nest. She returns home full of ideas.
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My
Many Colored Days by Seuss Steve Johnson (Illustrator).
Using a spectrum of colors and a menagerie of animals, Dr. Seuss presents
a completely new and different kind of book about feelings and moods.
Only one of five books written by Dr. Seuss that he didn't illustrate,
"My Many Colored Days" features large-scale paintings by Johnson and
Fancher which literally burst off the page, appealing to both the innocent
young reader and the most sophisticated senior. Full color.
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On
Monday When It Rained by Cherryl Kachenmeister Photographs by Tom
Berthiaume. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1989. A young boy describes,
in text and photographs of his facial expressions, the different emotions
he feels each day of the week.
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Riding
the School Bus with Mrs. Kramer by Christine Osinski. Follows
Mrs. Kramer, a safe and careful bus driver, as she gets the children
to school on time and brings them home again at the end of the day.
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School
Bus by Donald Crews. Brief text and illustrations trace the
journey of a school bus as it picks up children and takes them to school.
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Spence
and the Mean Old Bear by Christa Chevalier. Niles, IL: Albert
Whitman & Company, 1986. Angry at his mother, Spence draws a mean old
bear. Then the bear walks off the page and threatens to carry her off!
How will Spence stop him?
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Some
Days, Other Days by P.J. Petersen Illustrated by Diane de
Groat. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1994. Lying in bed, Jimmy
worries about the coming day – will it be full of good or bad happenings?
These familiar situations (rendered in warm watercolors, with a real
family serving as the illustrator’s models) do not deal directly with
anger, but some of them certainly could make Jimmy mad.
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Spinky
Sulks by William Steig Illustrated by the author.
A Sunburst Book, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1988. According to Spinky,
his family doesn't love or understand him and nothing he can say or
do will cure his blinding case of the sulks.
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That
Makes Me Mad! by Steven Kroll Illustrated by Hilary Knight.
New York: Pantheon Books, 1976. Uses comic scenes narrated by a young
girl to describe family situations that aggravate her (“wanting to help
and not being allowed,” “trying hard to do something right and it comes
out wrong”). The humorous text is gentle and effective.
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The
Grouchy Ladybug by Eric Carle Illustrated by the author.
New York: HarperCollins, 1977, 1996. A grouchy ladybug challenges everyone
she meets to fight, but dismisses all her prospective opponents as “not
big enough” – until she encounters a whale and decides that peaceful
cooperation isn’t so bad.
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The
Hating Book by Charlotte Zolotow Illustrated by Ben Schecter.
New York: HarperCollins, 1969. A little girl knows her friend hates
her, but finds it hard to overcome her own hurt feelings and ask why.
A video version (The Hating Movie) is also available.
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The
Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn. Chester Racoon is anxious about
going to school. His mother spreads open his paw and plants a kiss on
it. When he feels lonely he can put his paw to his cheek and be comforted.
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The
Quarreling Book by Charlotte Zolotow Illustrated by Arnold
Lobel. New York: HarperCollins, 1963. In this small picture book
(familiar to many parents today from their own childhoods), a gray rainy
day sets off a chain reaction of upsetting encounters between family
members and friends. But one friendly act reverses the chain, restoring
all of the relationships. Caution: Shows dated gender roles and attitudes
as well as the brother pointing a cannon at the dolls.
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The
Rat and the Tiger by Keika Kasza. Rat and Tiger are best friends,
but Tiger always gets his way. When Tiger knocks down his blocks by
accident, Rat has had enough. They make up after Tiger mends his ways.
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Three
Star Billy by Pat Hutchins. Billy, a reluctant preschooler,
does what any good monster would do – throws paint and a tantrum, makes
horrid noises instead of singing, and is disruptive during dancing.
How does the teacher reward his monstrous behavior? With stars and praise,
of course!
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Toot
& Puddle, You Are My Sunshine by Holly Hobbie Illustrated
by the author. New York, NY: Little, Brown and Company, 1999. Puddle
cannot make his friend Toot stop moping until a huge thunderstorm clears
the air.
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We
Are Best Friends by Aliki . Robert and Peter are sad when Peter
moves, but both make new friends.
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When
I Feel Angry by Cornelia Maude Spelman Illustrated by Nancy
Cote. Morton Grove, IL: Albert Whitman & Company, 2000. A young
rabbit describes what makes her angry and the different ways she can
control her anger. Warm colored-pencil illustrations depict situations
at school and home that produce that “strong, hot feeling,” and shows
how the narrator deals with some of them.
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When
I’m Angry by Jane Aaron. New York: Golden Books, 1998. Published
with A Parent’s Guide to Anger (Language of Parenting: 2) by Barbara
Gardino. In a child’s voice, explains anger as a normal part of life
and discusses how to deal with it. Accompanying parents’ guide uses
a question-and-answer format, providing examples and suggestions.
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The following list is made up of wonderful books
that are comprised from all three reading list sources.
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Ann Gets Ready for School by Cynthia Jabar. Alice Ann experiences
both fun and anxiety as she gets ready for the biggest event in her
life. Asa Goes to School by Gail Feldman. A story tape
to help children prepare for school.
Dinah’s Mad, Bad Wishes by Barbara M. Joose Illustrated
by Emily Arnold McCully. New York: Harper & Row, 1989. When Dinah
and her mom fight over Dinah’s doodles on the wall, each of them needs
time alone to work out their “mad, bad” feelings.
Emily Umily by Kathy Corrigan Illustrated by Vlasta
van Kampen. Toronto: Annick Press, 1984. Teased by classmates because
of her stutter, Emily hates going to kindergarten – until something
she hears at her mother’s exercise class changes everything.
Frog in the Middle by Susanna Gretz. New York: Macmillan
Four Winds Press, 1991. Frog can’t help feeling jealous of the new friendship
between her buddies Duck and Rabbit. A surprise party lifts her spirits,
and she has new insight into others’ feelings.
It Happens to Everyone by Bernice Myers. Both Michael
and a new teacher nervously prepare for the first day of school.
Katharine’s Doll by Elizabeth Winthrop Illustrated
by Marylin Hafner. New York: Unicorn (E.P. Dutton), 1983. After
quarreling over a doll, two girls come to realize that people make the
best friends.
Lizzie and Her Friend by David Martin. Lizzie
and a friend have fun playing with water.
Meg and Jack’s New Friends by Paul Dowling. Sister
and brother Meg and Jack, new in their neighborhood, experience feelings
about making friends.
My First Days of School by Jane Hamilton. Five-year-old
Kate relates the experience of her first days in kindergarten.
Red Day, Green Day by Edith Kunhardt. Andrew and his
classmates in Mrs. Halsey’s kindergarten class learn about colors in
a unique way.
Sometimes I Get Angry by Jane Werner Watson, Robert E.
Switzer, and J. Cotter Hirschberg. Illustrated by Irene Trivas.
(A Read-Together Book for Parents and Children.) New York: Crown Publishers/Menninger
Foundation, 1986. A little boy describes, in rhyme, some of the things
that make him angry and what he does about it. Starts and ends by affirming
the child’s need for individuality as the reason for some of the situations:
“Look at me! / I want you to see / I’m growing up. / I’m me, me, ME!”
When Emily Woke Up Angry by Riana Duncan Illustrated
by the author. New York: Barron’s, 1989. Emerging from bed in a
terrible humor, Emily is sent outside to work off her anger. The scowling
girl encounters different animals who suggest their own ways of dealing
with the feeling. On trying them all, she finds that the frog’s method
works best. The book proposes several useful strategies for coping with
anger, and the frustrations of trying and not succeeding are well depicted.
Glowing illustrations help keep the book’s mood light.
Willy Bear by Mildred Kantrowitz. On the eve
of his first day of school, a child projects some of his uneasiness
onto his teddy bear, Willy.
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