Angry Me

A young child tells us what makes her angry and how she tries to let the anger come and go, in this nuanced look at what may underlie angry feelings.

Book Genre:

Picture Books

Audience:

ages 3 to 6 / grades P to 1

Mental Health

Written by

Sandra V. Feder

Illustrated by

Rahele Jomepour Bell

Book Description
A young child tells us what makes her angry — when someone is mean and tries to take her toy away, when it feels unfair that there’s no time to go swimming, or when the kids at school leave her out, hurting her feelings . . . When she’s angry, she tries to remember to use her words, even though that doesn’t always work. But sometimes words do help, and when her anger melts away a new feeling can blossom.

Sandra V. Feder’s cleverly constructed text provides a nuanced look at anger and its many underlying emotions. Rahele Jomepour Bell’s illustrations show a loveable, angry little girl, brimming with personality. Together, they have created an artful starting point for conversations about strong feelings.
Pre-Reading Activities/ Comprehension Strategies
A Look at the Cover
What do you notice about the illustration on the front cover? Look closely at the girl. How do you think she feels? What makes you think that? Tell me more about why you think that.
Pre-Reading Activities/ Comprehension Strategies
What Does the Title Tell Us?
Ask students to explain what the title of the book means. Ask: What is anger? Record student responses on chart paper.
Pre-Reading Activities/ Comprehension Strategies
Predictions
Make a prediction on what you think the book will be about.
Pre-Reading Activities/ Critical Thinking in Literacy
Relating to the Main Idea
Lead a discussion using the following three questions: (1) What are some things that make you angry? (2) Is it okay to get angry sometimes? When? (3) How do people act when they are angry?
Pre-Reading Activities/ Comprehension Strategies
Take a Walk Through the Pictures
Take students through the book on a picture walk as you discuss what some things are that make the girl feel angry.
Post-Reading Activities/ Key Ideas & Details
Consider the Title Again
After reading the story, discuss the meaning of the title again. What do you think that the author means when she says Angry Me? Discuss the illustrator’s choice of using paint in the illustration on the cover. Ask students if their opinion changed after reading the story.
Post-Reading Activities/ Comprehension Strategies
Use of Paint on the Cover
Why do you think the illustrator might have chosen to include spilled paint on the cover? Why do you think the illustrator painted the letters of the title?
Post-Reading Activities/ Critical Thinking in Literacy
Class Discussion Questions
As a class, discuss what is happening on each page. Ask students to think about if they have had any of the same experiences. Ask students to discuss how the girl behaved when she was angry. How could you tell she was angry? What did others do when she became angry? Did everyone respond the same way to her anger? Who do you think responded to her anger in the best way? Why do you think that? Can you be specific in what they did? Ask students how that example could help them when they are angry or when someone is angry with them.
Post-Reading Activities/ Critical Thinking in Literacy
Text Meaning – Making Room for a New Feeling
Encourage students to think of ways to handle other people’s anger.

Turn to page 12 and read the page aloud. Discuss the importance of using words when you are angry. How does using words help when you are angry?

Turn to page 18 in the book. Read the text aloud.

Anger comes from deep inside and bursts out. But then it is gone. And then, I have room for a new feeling. One that feels much better.

Ask students to discuss what the author meant when writing the text above. Ask students if they agree with the author. Why or why not?

Ask students the following question: What is one way that the girl releases her anger to make room for a new feeling?
Post-Reading Activities/ Oral Language
Balloon Demonstration
Blow up a balloon to the stress point as you discuss with children how it feels inside when you start to get angry or upset. Ask what will happen if you keep blowing air into the balloon. Compare the popping of the balloon to what happens if we get so angry that we can’t control our actions. (We could hit someone, yell at someone or throw something.)

Next, ask children about ways to calm down when we get upset or angry. With each response, let air out of the balloon. Share the idea that we can manage our feelings in many ways.
Post-Reading Activities/ Critical Thinking in Literacy
Expressing Anger in Appropriate Ways
Have students identify ways in which they handle their anger in positive ways to calm themselves down. List these on a chart. Post the chart in the classroom and refer to it when situations arise.
Post-Reading Activities/ Integrated Learning
Role-Play
Role-play situations that could possibly make someone feel angry. Have students show how they would react in each situation. Discuss how controlling their anger can change the situation, and role-play the situation again.

Examples of some situations are:
1. Your friend teases you about the clothes you are wearing.
2. You find out that your best friend got an invite to a classmate’s birthday party and you did not get one.
3. Your sibling borrows your favorite toy that you saved your money for without asking.
Post-Reading Activities/ Developing & Creating Texts
Creating “How to Calm Down” Books
Have children cut out pictures from magazines, draw pictures, and write down words and phrases that can help people to relax and get rid of anger. These books can be bound and kept in the classroom for students to look at or read.
Post-Reading Activities/ Integrated Learning
Calming Down Choices Wheel
Teach children how to handle their anger in positive ways. Create various wheels that children can spin to choose a way to calm down when they feel angry. Have children spin the wheel and practice ways of calming down through role-playing. Make various wheels with different ways for children to learn how to self-regulate their emotions.
Post-Reading Activities/ Oral Language
Speak Your Feelings
As a class, share examples of ways to speak feelings in a positive way. For example, create a fill-in-the-blank chart like the one below:

I feel_____________ when you__________.

Have students practice speaking their feelings to one another using the above sentence frame.