A Different Kind of Picture Book- Helping Children Deal with Anger

Are you a parent who is struggling with a way to get your child’s anger under control? Or perhaps you know a child whose parent might benefit from help on the topic. If so, you may want to take a look at Josh’s Smiley Faces by Gina Ditta-Donahue and illustrated by Anne Catharine Blake. This book is written specifically to help parents teach their children about controlling anger. When you first look at the book, it looks like any other picture book. It is the story of a boy who gets angry, but the twist comes quickly when the mom in the story tells him the consequences of his actions and then comes up with a plan of how to help him remember to use words when angry.

The last three pages of the book include notes to parents about controlling anger and how to implement the same Smiley Face Program at home.The Smiley Face Program is a way to reward children when they use words. After earning a predetermined number of smiley faces, the child gets a special treat. The treat was also decided beforehand so there are no surprises and the child knows what he or she is working towards.

The book is available in through the Franklin County Library System.