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Books to Read When... Your Toddler Is MAD!

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The wrath of a toddler can be astounding! They can conjure full body, full volume reactions to things you and I might find insignificant. There are a lot of great books in our collection about anger (we list sixty-two in our RX Literature binder,) but I’m focusing on picture books that speak to the fury that very young children deal with as they navigate this big, tricky world. Anger can be intense, but all feelings are temporary and manageable. 

Mad at Dad
By Janie Hao
Toronto: Kids Can Press, 2024. Picture Book.

Dynamic, expressive, and universal, Mad at Dad is light on words, but heavy with truth, including the pitfalls of calming techniques and the toll anger takes on our bodies. The flaps in this book expand with the little girl's strong, uncontainable feelings. And I love her eyebrow.

Written by Nadine Brun-Cosme
Illustrated by Marion Cocklico
New York: Little Simon, 2021. Board Book.

Here's a board book for audiences with short fuses and even shorter attention spans. Little One turns into Little Mad when she has to stop playing. The chunky pages go from pale pink to bubblegum, to scarlet, then back down again to pale pink when she finds a way to feel better. 

By Polly Dunbar
London: Walker Books Ltd., 2019. Picture Book. 

My own fiery toddler loves this book. She likes to mimic the bold, angry facial expressions and she laughs when the child and his mom take a deep breath together at the climax of the story: "Phew-eeeeeeeee!" The visual language is expressed clearly through colors, scribbles, and bold lettering. Rhyming text gives a voice to the frustrated little kid and his reassuring mother. 

Written by Ame Dyckman
Illustrated by Abhi Alwar
New York: Orchard Books, 2023. Picture Book.

Little Volcano throws a temper tantrum when a coconut falls on their crater, then learns some emotional regulation skills that help Big Volcano in the end, too. This book has tropical, cartoony illustrations with big expressive onomatopoeia that will appeal to little kids. No one likes to get bonked, and we all KABOOOOM sometimes. 
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