Customer Reviews

Don't Rant & Rave on Wednesdays!: The Children's Anger-Control Book

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This 61-page picture book contains simple language easily read by first and second graders (on a par with Dr. Suess), but its sophistication about children's anger will keep them coming back until they are approaching middle school.

The premise is simple: Everyone gets angry--young people, old people, tall people, short people, fat people, thin people, nice people, mean people, men people, women people, boy and girl people. Including, of course, kids reading this book. When people get angry they do silly things--shake their fists, jump up and down, rant and rave, call bad names, throw things.

The book explains anger as the feeling we have when we are really annoyed or really mad. Anger, children learn here, affects their thinking, excites emotions, makes muscles tense. Kids learn why people get angry (it happens more easily when they don't fell well, or are in a grumpy mood, when someone calls a bad name, makes fun, pushes, hits or breaks a favorite toy). People can get mad at themselves, too--because they stub a toe, bump their head, dent their new bike, lose their lunch money or forget their homework. It also happens often--up to 12 times a day.

When people are angry, they do funny things. If someone laughs at them, they get angrier, lose control, hit and sometimes become so enraged, they even kill another person. Being so angry can actually make people sick.

About halfway through this book, the author notes that in order to become productive and happy, kids should avoid being angry. This section begins with the recognition that anger is often inappropriate. No one would consider it funny, for example, for the President of the U.S. to get so angry that he started screaming and yelling on national television. Feeling angry can be harmful. People who rant and rave get into more fights, are more apt to lie, cheat and steal, drop out of school and get sick or use drugs.

It's not good, either, to blame oneself for others' anger. They are responsible for themselves. We are responsible for ourselves. And we can quickly change from feeling okay to feeling angry, which in turn produces physical reactions, including tense muscles. It's like "speeding down the highway at one hundred miles per hour" in a car without a steering wheel.

The book's final 18 pages provide anger-control methods. "Before you race out of control," Moser writes, "put on the brakes. Give yourself time to calm down by counting to ten slowly. If you still feel upset, keep on counting." Staying calm, the book tells kids, will help them to think more clearly, listen to their thoughts and control their behavior. Reading a joke book can kids laugh, which creates good brain chemicals, which in turn kill pain. The author also advises kids to channel their anger to good uses: draw a picture, write something, clean a room, wash dishes, straighten a closet, take a walk or a hot bath. These exercises can reduce anger. (But hitting a punching bag, playing football or other violent activities won't.)

This book teaches kids how to develop self-control. Alyssa A. Lappen

This book is very helpful on discussing anger management w/ children. I have a son that has ADHD and this is a great tool to use. I would recommend this book for elemetary children, 5 and up.

This book has only the most common of suggestions for anger management (ex: count to 10). It has very little text since each page is mostly a cartoon-like drawing. Should be targetted at a younger audience, not 9 to 12 year olds.

I'm a therapist in private practice. I send this book home with elementary school age children and they love it so much that they don't want to bring it back! They are relieved to know that they are not the only ones who get angry. The book gives them great tips on how to calm down. Moser knows children and has a sense of humor. Enjoyable pictures.

This book is easy to read and understand. It has basic anger control ideas that children can use. I beleive that it should be geared towards a younger age group such as 7 to 11 year olds. It was a bit low end for my 12 year old. Good graphics and good ideas. Have the child read it and then have the child read it out loud to the parent.

I'm a school counselor and use this one with my middle elementary aged kids (3-4 grade). They enjoy it and it's easier for them to understand. I really recommend this one.

This was practically magic. My daughter is 5.5 years old with ODD and Conduct Disorder. Her temper has been out of control practically since birth. We have been working with her fairly intensely for the last 6 months on her behavior. With us working with her and her school in the last 6 months, we've gone over concepts and techniques with her on how to handle her anger, but she only used them intermittently - showing some progress, but not enough, so we boutht this book at the recomendation of the school psychologist.

This book was able to speak her language and give her parents and teachers an amazing amount of credibility. It was almost like her mind clicked and said, "It must be true. It's in the book." Her behavior turned around in a matter of DAYS!

It's been 4 weeks since we began reading the book to her. She enjoys reading it and we read it a couple of times a week at bed time. She has consistently continued her improved behavior.

The only reason for not giving 5 stars is that we felt a couple of the phrases/wording in the book were overly harsh. However, our easy fix is: my husband and I use our own wording in those areas.

I hope it helps you as much as it has us!

I think this is a very good book. I'm teaching my kids not to get mad so many times. I tried everything, I read this book to my kids and now they are much better controling thier anger.

This book is just right for children who struggle with controlling their anger. My 5 year old son is so engaged with the book, he carries it around and asks everyone to read it with him. I think it's reassuring to him that he is not the only one who struggles with anger. We also bought "Don't feed the monster on Tuesdays" He really enjoys that book as well, he is a little perfectionist and the book helps him to have a more relaxed approach to things going wrong and making mistakes. I love the books and can see me ordering the others soon.

Excellent book for young children on anger management. Great Pictures. Easy Language. To be used with other activities.