Howard B. Wigglebottom Learns It's OK to Back Away

February 1, 2011

PreS-Gr 2-A bunny has trouble managing his anger. He frequently acts impulsively and gets in trouble. His friend Ali teaches him to listen to his tummy to figure out if he's feeling scared, hungry, or irritated, and helps him practice techniques for defusing anger like counting, yelling on the playground, and engaging in physical activity. The story is followed by tips on recognizing and coping with anger. This is the fifth "Howard B. Wigglebottom" book from the We Do Listen Foundation, whose mission is "to help children enjoy inner peace and communicate in a more effective way." Unfortunately, the awkward text, heavily didactic storytelling, and condescending back matter make the lesson difficult to swallow. The illustrations are colorful but busy, and are dominated by unhappy and furious facial expressions. There are many, many picture books on the topic of anger management; libraries can afford to give this one a miss.-Heidi Estrin, Feldman Children's Library at Congregation B'nai Israel, Boca Raton, FL

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