Double-Dip Feelings: Stories to Help Children Understand Emotions [Hardcover]

Barbara S. Cain (Author), Anne Patterson (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up

Now available in a second edition with all new illustrations, Double-Dip Feelings is a delightful and engaging book that helps children understand that it's possible to experience two contrasting feelings at the same time, such as feeling both proud and scared on the first day of school. Questions are raised throughout the book to help them cope with the tugs and pulls of emotions that simultaneous and dissimilar feelings can produce.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

While the intent of these two books is admirable, the execution is dreadful. In Double-Dip Feelings, the text is plodding, didactic, and stiff. The idea is to let children know that we often experience two emotions at the same time, but any self-respecting child listening to the book would have only a single-dip feeling: boredom. The illustrations show a wide range of emotions, but they simply can't rescue the text or carry the book on their own merits. In Jessica and the Wolf, the illustrations alone are enough to give good sleepers nightmares. The sappy parents (who take the time to put on bathrobes before going to see why Jessica is screaming) come up with a solution for her--waving a magic wand at the wolf and making him disappear. Not only is this an improbable solution, it completely ignores why the child is having nightmares in the first place. The trend to Donahue-ize children's "issue" books by having experts appear on the horizon to write them creates problems. Grammar and plot development aside, social workers are out of their element, children are ill served, and purchasing these books only helps the publishers. --Christine A. Moesch, Buffalo and Erie County Pub . Lib . , Buffalo, NY
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Magination Press; 2 Revised edition (January 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1557988129
• ISBN-13: 978-1557988126
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 8.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.3 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,877,403 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Has potential, April 5, 2000

By 

Jocelyn - See all my reviews

This review is from: Double-Dip Feelings: Stories to Help Children Understand Emotions (Paperback)

The concept that people can have different feelings--even conflicting ones--at the same time is important for children to understand. Children will appreciate the reassurance of their feelings' worth. For each set of contrasting emotions, there are two illustrations of the child-one for each emotion. This helps the readers realize that facial expressions and body language can often indicate feelings.

After examining the pictures, I realize that Patterson has created a somewhat diverse world: out of the four main characters, two are male and two are female; two are white, one is African American, and one appears to be Asian American. There is an African American teacher, a sibling who uses crutches, and fathers (as well as mothers) are de-picted as having positive relationships with children. By portraying characters who seem so similar in the text as a physically diverse group, readers get the sense that no matter what someone looks like, he or she has feelings like everyone else.

In short, this book should not be used alone to explain the concept of conflicting emo-tions. In my experience, children--especially younger ones--benefit much more from re-alistic fiction stories than they do from books "to help parents help their children" which is what this book claims to do. In fact, it seems that this book was written more for adults to use as a guide for talking about emotions with children than for the children themselves.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book for children, September 12, 2007

By 

E. B. Miller (Ann Arbor, Michigan) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Double-Dip Feelings: Stories to Help Children Understand Emotions (Paperback)

Double Dip Feelings is a wonderful book to help children understand the concept of ambivalence. It is clearly written with engaging illustrations & situations. It can be read by parents to their children to initiate a dialog about mixed feelings & the common situations that may elicit these feelings. As a child psychotherapist for 36 years, Double Dip is a staple in my waiting room & has been valued by parents and children alike. It is perfect for children dealing with normal developmental issues or with challenging situations.

5.0 out of 5 stars more than one..., January 17, 2011

By 

Denise Armendariz "denise armendariz" (garland, TX, US) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Double-Dip Feelings: Stories to Help Children Understand Emotions (Hardcover)

Delightfully done book for anyone actually who has trouble with emotions. In a simple childlike way the book illustrates how to handle more than one emotion at a time. It is comforting and reassuring to the reader that it is ok to have more than one emotion about the same thing....very helpful....