Hallee Adelman | Children's Books Heal

Way Past Mad

Hallee Adelman, Author

Sandra de la Prada, Illustrator

Albert Whitman & Company, Fiction, Mar. 1, 2020

Suitable for Ages: 5-7

Themes: Anger, Emotions and feelings, Families, Friendship

Opening: Nate messed up my room. It made me mad.

Publisher’s Synopsis:

Keya is mad. Way past mad. The kind of mad that starts and swells and spreads like a rash. She kicks, rocks and yells at her best friend and says things that hurts.

Now Keya doesn’t like what her mad made her do. Can she find a way past mad?

Why I like this book:

Hallee Adelman’s entertaining picture book opens a lot of opportunities to talk about emotions and feelings. The cover on the book is priceless and hints at what’s to come. Sandra de la Prada’s illustrations are bold, colorful and perfectly express Keya’s emotions and compliment the entire story.

There are many books that deal with childhood anger, but there is a parent in place to guide the child. In Way Past Mad, Keya finds her own way to deal with her anger even if it means making big mistakes. First she kicks rocks as she walks, runs off pent up energy, trips and falls on the sidewalk, and says hurtful things to her best friend. Do they help her feel less angry? No! But hurting her best friend wakes her up to what her anger can do to someone else. You’ll have to read the story to find out how Keya resolves her anger. Kids will laugh when they see and hear themselves in similar situations. There are many teachable moments in this story.

Resources: This is a wonderful opportunity to talk with children about how they deal with their emotions. Encourage them to draw a picture of what their anger looks like. Ask them what they do when they feel angry — yell, throw things, leave the room? Is it fun feeling angry? Help children make a list of things that will help them face their anger in the future. Then ask kids to draw a picture of when they feel happy, peaceful, surprised and excited. Which picture do they like better — angry or happy?

Hallee Adelman tries not to stomp or yell when she’s mad. Most days, she uses her PhD in education, works on documentary films, and eats sour gummies (which make her face look extra mad). She lives near Philadelphia, where he funny family and two dogs make her smile. Visit Hallee at her website.

Every Friday, authors and KidLit bloggers post a favorite picture book. To see a complete listing of all the Perfect Picture Books (PPB) with resources, please visit author Susanna Leonard Hill’s website.

*Review copy provided by author.

My Quiet Ship

Hallee Adelman, Author

Sonia Sánchez, Illustrator

Albert Whitman & Company, Fiction, Oct. 1, 2018

Suitable for Ages: 3-5

Themes: Conflict, Yelling, Anger, Coping skills, Family relationships, Imagination

Opening: Whenever I hear the yelling, I run to the spot.

Synopsis:

When the arguments begin between his parents gets bad, Quinn escapes to his special place, the Quiet Ship, where he’s the commander. Together with his faithful stuffed animal crew, Quinn can shut out the yelling that makes him sad and scared, and travel somewhere else — his imagination. His Quiet Ship takes him far away from the yelling.

But one day, the ship breaks. Quinn must be brave and find a way to tell his parents how their fighting makes him feel.

Why I like this book:

Hallee Adelman has written a sensitive and heartfelt story about a boy, Quinn, who builds a safe haven for himself when his parents start arguing. When their yelling escalates, Quinn’s quiet spaceship allows him to blast off and travel through the clouds, stars and universe to a place that is peaceful. “Far, far away / from here… / From there… / From that yelling.”

The narrative is simple and imaginative and speaks a language children will easily understand. Through Quinn, children will learn coping skills to help them share their fears, sadness and worries. Quinn bravely works through his anger towards his parents, finds his voice and confronts his parents.

Resources: This powerful book is an excellent conversation starter for both children and parents about handling conflict. Is yelling necessary? Are there more effective ways of dealing with anger? It is important that a children feels safe to discuss their feelings.

Sonia Sánchez’s illustrations are magnificent and really give this story life. The are bold and the yelling takes the form of angry, jagged streaks or heavy clouds that suffocate Quinn. Quinn’s desperate expressions are priceless as they communicate his anguish. She uses both traditional and digital media in her artwork.

Every Friday, authors and KidLit bloggers post a favorite picture book. To see a complete listing of all the Perfect Picture Books (PPB) with resources, please visit author Susanna Leonard Hill’s website.

*Review copy provided by the publisher.