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I'm Angry! Teaching Coping Skills to the Pre-K Set

By Emily Compton-Dzak

Children can have big feelings, and when they are sad or angry life can get overwhelming pretty fast. My oldest had a particularly hard time when she turned three, and we often turned to books to help us talk about scary, out-of-control emotions.

  • When the Anger Ogre Visits

    2015 by Andree Salom

    The Anger Ogre visits everyone at some point. You just have to know what to do when he gets there--namely, breathe and think calm thoughts. This book not only taught my daughter some coping mechanisms, it also taught her that getting really really mad sometimes is normal. We loved it so much we donated a copy to her classroom, where it quickly became a student favorite.

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  • Little Bird Takes a Bath

    2015 by Marisabina Russo

    Little Bird doesn't like the rain, but he does appreciate a good bath. The trouble is, every time he finds the right puddle to bathe in someone or something interrupts him! While this book isn't exactly about anger, it does subtly teach children about managing disappointment and expectations.

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  • A Perfectly Messed-up Story

    2014 by Patrick McDonnell

    All Louie wants to do is tell a story, but some slob keeps messing up the pages with dirt and jelly. After a while, he gets so mad he decides to quit. This is a great book for the very particular or woe-is-me type. Even poor Louie, who reaches a point of serious little-kid despair, turns things around and triumphs in the end.

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  • When Sophie Gets Angry--really, Really Angry...

    1999 by Molly Bang

    My daughter's preschool teacher introduced When Sophie Gets Angry to her class and inspired many kids (including mine) to make a cooling off center in their own homes. Sophie's story may be the classic angry-kid story.

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  • My Teacher Is a Monster! (no, I Am Not)

    2014 by Peter Brown

    Have you ever run into a teacher outside of school? Blew your mind, didn't it? Bobby ends up spending time with his most hated teacher at the park one day, and realizes she's actually not that bad. While Bobby's story isn't specifically about anger, it does teach kids about perspective, which can help when things get emotional. We also enjoyed how the illustrations of the monstrous teacher slowly turned more human as the story reached its end.

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  • The Elephant Who Liked to Smash Small Cars

    2015 by Jean Merrill

    Ok, so there's not much of a lesson here other than: if you smash someone's stuff they might get you back. It's funny, though, and can provide much needed comic relief on an emotional day.

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  • Sometimes I'm Bombaloo

    2002 by Rachel Vail

    Katie is a good kid, but when her little brother messes with her stuff even she can get super angry. That's when she becomes Bombaloo, who uses her fists instead of her words. After she calms down Katie feels both sorry and frightened. Like When the Anger Ogre Visits, this book helps children realize that everyone loses it sometimes, and that it's going to be ok.

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