Anh's Anger

November 1, 2009
Gr 1-3-This story, based on the teachings of Buddha, is similar to Maurice Sendak's "Where the Wild Things Are" (Harper & Row, 1963) in its trajectory, but anger is personified by a single wild creature. Sent to his room just before dinner for losing control, Anh is told by Grandfather to sit with his anger. "I'll come in when you're calm," he says. Alone, the five-year-old discovers the embodiment of his emotion in the form of a fuchsia-legged, red-faced, green-tongued monster. The child questions the creature about how it appeared. "Don't worry, Anh, I'm not a stranger. I'm the part of you that comes out when things don't go your way." They dance together, and then Anh sits and breathes, and quiets himself. A brief introduction to meditation is given: "With each in-breath, Anh's anger got a little bit smaller and with each out-breath, Anh felt a little better." In the resolution, Grandfather responds to the boy's apology simply by accepting him: "Thank you for your kind words." The mixed-media artwork includes paper and silk collages with realistic brush and pencil drawings of a child and his grandfather. With the guidance of loving adults, this gentle book may help children to acknowledge, accept, and work through their anger."Teresa Pfeifer, Alfred Zanetti Montessori Magnet School, Springfield, MA"

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