A young child tells us what makes her angry and how she tries to let the anger come and go. An artful starting point for conversations about strong feelings.

“I get angry,” says a little girl, looking fiercely in the mirror. Sometimes she gets angry when someone is mean and tries to take her toy away, when it feels unfair that there’s not enough time to go swimming, when she’s tired and just wants to go home, or when the kids at school leave her out, hurting her feelings.

When she’s angry, she tries to remember to use her words — even though that doesn’t always work. Sometimes she can’t find the right words, or the words don’t come out the way she intends. But sometimes words do help, and when her anger melts away a new feeling can blossom.

Sandra Feder’s cleverly constructed text presents different situations in which a child might feel angry, creating a nuanced look at anger and its many underlying emotions. Rahele Jomepour Bell’s illustrations show a loveable, angry little girl, brimming with personality, who learns how to express herself as she moves through her feelings.

Key Text Features

dialogue

explanation

illustrations

vignettes

Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.K.7
With prompting and support, describe the relationship between illustrations and the story in which they appear (e.g., what moment in a story an illustration depicts).

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.2
Retell stories, including key details, and demonstrate understanding of their central message or lesson.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.4
Identify words and phrases in stories or poems that suggest feelings or appeal to the senses.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.7
Use illustrations and details in a story to describe its characters, setting, or events.

SANDRA V. FEDER is the author of two acclaimed picture books. Bitter and Sweet, illustrated by Kyrsten Brooker, was a PJ Library selection, and The Moon Inside, illustrated by Aimée Sicuro, has been translated into French, Chinese and Korean. She’s also the author of three early chapter books — Daisy’s Perfect Word, Daisy’s Defining Day and Daisy’s Big Night, illustrated by Susan Mitchell. Sandra lives in Northern California.

Sandra V. Feder's profile page

RAHELE JOMEPOUR BELL’s rich, textured illustrations have appeared in Angry Me by Sandra V. Feder, To Change a Planet by Christina Soontornvat (Green Earth Book Award), The Treasure Box (Bologna Illustration Exhibition award) and Our Favorite Day of the Year by A. E. Ali (Kirkus Best Picture Books of the Year), among many others. She is an assistant professor in the illustration department at Kansas City Art Institute and has her studio in Kansas state.

Rahele Jomepour Bell's profile page

Artfully captures the nuances of anger. STARRED REVIEW

Shelf Awareness

An effective springboard for discussing a topic that may be hard for young children to verbalize.

School Library Connection

A fresh addition to teeming 'anger management' shelves.

Booklist

A valuable tool for teaching children the important skill of recognizing and naming feelings.

Kirkus Reviews