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HOW TO TANTRUM LIKE A CHAMPION

Name: HOW TO TANTRUM LIKE A CHAMPION
Author: Allan Wolf
ISBN: 9781536223477

TEN SMALL WAYS TO TEMPER BIG FEELINGS

by Allan Wolf ; illustrated by Keisha Morris ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 10, 2024

Books teaching kids to be champs are always welcome. This one goes a long way toward that goal.

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Learn how to release big feelings like a pro.

Everyone’s felt big, even overwhelming, emotions at times. We know we should let them go, but we don’t always know how. This book shows kids how to let off steam productively. Some of the soothing strategies may work well for grown-ups, too. The result? Improved mental health, equanimity, a better sense of perspective, and maybe even a laugh or two—some of the 10 ideas demonstrated herein will elicit giggles, such as hanging upside down like a bat, lying flat like a cat, playing a game of tic-tac-toe (solo, so you can win), and doing a silly dance and singing “Ooh la la!” In gentle, conversational verse, the author lists some of the physical symptoms kids might experience pre-tantrum: breath that “becomes a hurricane,” a “hot and red” face, hands turning to fists. He also sympathizes with reasons for children’s explosive feelings: not getting something they want, having a bad day, or feeling disturbed by loud noises or bright lights. Before blowing your top, he says, breathe deeply and launch into some of these champion tantrum blockers. The colorful, textured illustrations, created with tissue-paper collage and finished digitally, depict racially diverse characters.

Books teaching kids to be champs are always welcome. This one goes a long way toward that goal. (Picture book. 4-7)

Pub Date: Sept. 10, 2024

ISBN: 9781536223477

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Candlewick

Review Posted Online: June 15, 2024

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2024

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

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THE BLANKET WHERE VIOLET SITS
by Allan Wolf ; illustrated by Lauren Tobia

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BEHOLD OUR MAGICAL GARDEN
by Allan Wolf ; illustrated by Daniel Duncan

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NO BUDDY LIKE A BOOK
by Allan Wolf ; illustrated by Brianne Farley

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ON THE FIRST DAY OF KINDERGARTEN

by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Laura Hughes ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 21, 2016

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...

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Rabe follows a young girl through her first 12 days of kindergarten in this book based on the familiar Christmas carol.

The typical firsts of school are here: riding the bus, making friends, sliding on the playground slide, counting, sorting shapes, laughing at lunch, painting, singing, reading, running, jumping rope, and going on a field trip. While the days are given ordinal numbers, the song skips the cardinal numbers in the verses, and the rhythm is sometimes off: “On the second day of kindergarten / I thought it was so cool / making lots of friends / and riding the bus to my school!” The narrator is a white brunette who wears either a tunic or a dress each day, making her pretty easy to differentiate from her classmates, a nice mix in terms of race; two students even sport glasses. The children in the ink, paint, and collage digital spreads show a variety of emotions, but most are happy to be at school, and the surroundings will be familiar to those who have made an orientation visit to their own schools.

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of Kindergarten (2003), it basically gets the job done. (Picture book. 4-7)

Pub Date: June 21, 2016

ISBN: 978-0-06-234834-0

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: May 3, 2016

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2016

Categories:

CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
ON THE FIRST DAY OF FIRST GRADE
by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Sarah Jennings

- BOOK REVIEW
FIVE LITTLE BUNNIES
by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Dan Yaccarino

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IT'S NOT EASY BEING A GHOST

From the It's Not Easy Being series

by Marilyn Sadler ; illustrated by Stephanie Laberis ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 13, 2024

Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet.

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A ghost longs to be scary, but none of the creepy personas she tries on fit.

Misty, a feline ghost with big green eyes and long whiskers, wants to be the frightening presence that her haunted house calls for, but sadly, she’s “too cute to be spooky.” She dons toilet paper to resemble a mummy, attempts to fly on a broom like a witch, and howls at the moon like a werewolf. Nothing works. She heads to a Halloween party dressed reluctantly as herself. When she arrives, her friends’ joyful screams reassure her that she’s great just as she is. Sadler’s message, though a familiar one, is delivered effectively in a charming, ghostly package. Misty truly is too precious to be frightening. Laberis depicts an endearingly spooky, all-animal cast—a frog witch, for instance, and a crocodilian mummy. Misty’s sidekick, a cheery little bat who lends support throughout, might be even more adorable than she is. Though Misty’s haunted house is filled with cobwebs and surrounded by jagged, leafless trees, the charming characters keep things from ever getting too frightening. The images will encourage lingering looks. Clearly, there’s plenty that makes Misty special just as she is—a takeaway that adults sharing the book with their little ones should be sure to drive home.

Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet. (Picture book. 4-6)