I'm Mad

This book is simple to read and interactive. It is useful for teaching kids about their feelings of anger and offers some suggestions on how to express themselves safely. I have used this book in the past in my counseling practice and at a K-8 charter school. I recommend this book if you would like to open discussions with children about anger.

I use this book regularly in my private counseling practice - what is interesting is that often the parents find it as educational as the kids do, because it models for everyone the kind of language they can use to start the conversation about difficult emotions.

This is a fantastic book for your 3+ year old children. My daughter, who is 3.5, had trouble labeling and expressing her emotions. Basically, this book is about a girl who is is mad after her picnic plans change. In an interactive format you and your child get to pick from the 6 choices Katie has to "get her mads out;" ranging from squishing playdough to doing a mad dance to calling a friend for advice. After reading this book a few times, my daughter started to have logical reactions to her frustrations, voicing them and then (thankfully) moving on.

A girl is mad when a promised picnic is canceled due to rain. Her father helps her think of ways to manage her anger and feel better. The reader gets to pick a page to turn to depending on which idea she will try: pounding clay, taking a bath, singing an un-mad song, etc. We see her try many ideas and eventually begin to feel better. This is a great book to teach kids that we are in control of how we manage our emotions. We can even be creative about it!