Allie All Along

PreS-Gr 2—When Allie's crayon snaps in half, the toddler goes into a red-monster rage, smashing and screaming, until her brother calmly coaches her to punch a pillow. When her rage simmers down to an fiery orange, he offers her favorite toy to squeeze; and then, even when she can't remember what she was angry about, he has her take a deep breath and pretend his fingers are candles to blow out one by one. Finally, counting backward reveals an abashed brown-skinned child asking for a hug from a wise older brother who "knew she was in there all along." The artistic rendering of Allie as a color-changing monster is a multidimensional way of visually representing anger to young children while giving them skills to cope and eventually learn to calm themselves. Reul uses language economically, making this ideal for the audience but still powerful enough for discussing emotions at any age.