I Want to Be Mad for a While!

PreS-Gr 1--In this appealing tale told in first-person rhyming verse, a parent and child (here cast as cats) find themselves at a familiar emotional impasse. The adult, hoping to curtail a bad mood, tries a variety of tactics--reasoning, cajoling, bribery--only to have them all rebuffed. Why? Well, the child simply needs time to feel mad. Finally, the bad mood passes, and the time for laughter and hugs returns. With his clever text and cartoon-style illustrations, Saltzberg hits upon an uncommonly stated but critically important point: sometimes negative emotions cannot be wished away or hastened to completion. Sometimes the only way out is through them, at the child's pace. An easy-to-grasp lesson, this is a book for educators to hand parents, while children will delight over being understood. VERDICT This enjoyable title provides crucial opportunities for discussion and deep insight into children's emotional truths.--Jonah Dragan