Anger. It’s one of those emotions that can overwhelm a kid, one of those things he just isn’t quite sure how to control. Impulsive behaviors are common for our young children, and even more common are the questions and regrets that overwhelm little ones after their anger takes hold of them and causes them to act in problematic ways. How do we address such issues with our kids? How do we teach them to work through their powerful emotions– or, perhaps more importantly, that these emotions are ones that can overtake all of us at times, even mom and dad?
Enter The Snurtch, a brilliant new picture book by Sean Ferrell, with illustrations by Charles Santoso. In The Snurtch, little Ruthie has problems at school– problems that arise from a grabby, burpy and flat out rude demon. But this demon, who Ruthie calls her “Snurtch,” seems to be a part of her, making her act in quite unseemly ways. Will Ruthie ever learn how to vanquish her Snurtch and take control of her overwhelming emotions?
Ruthie’s challenges with controlling her behavior will provoke much discussion with children. We all may feel like we have our own snurtch to battle with- and the final illustrations so perfectly depict that Ruthie is not alone in this sentiment- but recognizing that our snurtches do not control us is an important talking point. We are not our inner demons, even when we feel our most upset and overwhelmed. And we can all find ways to tame our inner beasts, we just have to present our kids with the tools they need to talk about and understand them. For those of you who use When Sophie Gets Angry, Really Really Angry as a teaching tool, you will want this fabulous book in your arsenal too. And for those of you looking for ways to talk about challenging and often times scary emotions with your kiddos, this is the book for you. Order it now- you will not be disappointed!
RELATED: We’ve got all the best children’s books for you on Happily Ever Elephants, so be sure to check them out!
Want the book? Order it here! The Snurtch, by Sean Ferrell. *This is an affiliate link.
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