New books to help kids grasp emotions D
ragons can be slain. Wildernesses can be conquered. But emotions — complex, mysterious and powerful — are a different story. Four new picture books take these abstract ideas and bring them to vivid, concrete life with dogs, dragons, mementos, humor and tenderness.
“The Happy Book” by Andy Rash. (Ages 3 to 7. Penguin Young Readers. $17.99.)
When (happy) Camper and (happy as a) Clam begin their cheerful adventure, the sun is shining, flowers are blooming and cake is on the menu. But when things go awry, they cross the threshold into “The Sad Book,” complete with a blue trombone blowing its nose and playing a mournful “bwah bwah.” Frustrations build, sending them into “The Angry Book” (complete with a furious wet hen) and then to a spider-filled “Scared Book.” Author/illustrator Andy Rash strikes a delicate balance, packing his book with puns and visual jokes, but also with earnest, straightforward discussions of how unsettling powerful emotions can be. At the end, Clam asks, “Camper, is this book going to have a happy ending?” Indeed, Rash’s nearly wordless ending is a brilliant take on emotion — a sunny landscape complete with the occasional scary spider, prickly cactus and droopy weeping willow, a picture of emotional balance.
“I Am a Wolf” by Leigh Miller. (Ages 4 to 8. Dial. $17.99. Due late May.)
Leigh Miller’s ode to an illtempered, unloved stray dog — based on her own canine foundling — takes a sympathetic look at the pain of feeling unloved. Wolf is a ridiculous little meanie, barking frantically and choking down clumps of dog food, but he doesn’t fool the rescue workers, or the little girl who sees through his tough-guy act and knows he just wants to be loved.
“Fergal and the Bad Temper” by Robert Starling. (Ages 3 to 6. Imprint. $17.99.)
Fergal might be a “friendly little fellow,” but the young dragon has a fiery temper. His explosive outbursts result in charred dinners, scorched soccer balls and frayed friendships. “We all get fiery,” his mother says, “but we find a way to cool down.” With help from parents and friends, Fergal learns better ways to corral his fiery emotions, whether he howls like Wolf, stretches like Cat, or finds his own way to douse the flames.
“Grandpa’s Stories: A Book of Remembering” by Joseph Coelho, illustrated by Allison Colpoys. (Ages 4 to 8. Abrams Books for Young Readers. $16.99.)
When a little girl loses her grandfather, she looks back through her treasured memories of walks, stories and art. “If all the world were dreams, I would mix my bright Grandpa feelings and paint them over sad places,” she thinks. As she helps clean out his room, she finds toys they played with, rainbow pencils, foil candy wrappers, “a kaleidoscope of memories” — and rather than hiding them away, she finds a way to remember, mourn and continue to love her grandfather, despite his absence. Caroline Luzzatto teaches fourth grade at Nansemond-Suffolk Academy.luzzatto.bookworms @gmail.com