What I Look like when I Am Angry

Children's Literature - Naomi Butler

Johansen describes what different parts of the face look like in children when one is angry, describing the emotions and the facial expressions as a result. Large photos of children on one page and text on the opposite pages are used to give a clear indication of feelings. The text talks about their eyebrows, eyes, mouth, nose, and teeth in describing the ways that anger can be expressed. Readers will see the different faces and the variety of comments describing what happens when each child is angry. A clever parent or teacher can capitalize on this book to explain a concern, teach a lesson, discuss an appropriate response, and to help rectify a bad situation. It is part of the "Let's Look at Feelings" series that also covers Confusion, Happiness, Sadness, Fear, and Surprise. Reviewer: Naomi Butler

School Library Journal

K-Gr 3-Each volume contains full-page photos of children's faces that illustrate the emotion noted in the title. The accompanying text directs attention to the features that indicate that sentiment, e.g., "When I am angry my eyebrows go down" or "I get lines on my nose when I am confused." However, no explanation is offered for the cause of the particular reaction or the internal feelings that give rise to the outward expression. Nor is there any discussion of ways to deal with the emotion aside from showing it on your face. The child models vary in their ability to convey the targeted states of mind. Some seem genuinely angry, confused, or scared while others appear to be taking part in a drama exercise. Aliki's Feelings (Greenwillow, 1984) provides a classic examination of the subject and books such as Rachel Vail's Sometimes I'm Bombaloo (2000) are more effective at revealing the impact of an emotion on interactions with others. The expressions in Saxon Freymann and Joost Effers's How Are You Peeling? (1999, both Scholastic) are more compelling even though they're found on fruits and vegetables.-Kathy Piehl, Minnesota State University, Mankato Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.