Anh's Anger

Published by Plum Blossom Books, the children's book imprint of Parallax Press (the publishing wing of the Unified Buddhist Church), and recommended on the back cover by Thich Nhat Hanh], Anh's Anger offers a Buddhist approach to dealing with a common childhood problem. When Anh's grandfather asks him to leave the block tower he is building, and come to dinner, the young boy becomes terribly angry, eventually destroying his own creation. Seeing that his grandson is overcome, Grandfather sends Anh to his room, to "sit with" his anger. And so begins an unexpected encounter, as Anh and his anger interact and come to an understanding...

I really liked the fact that being angry is not condemned in this story, but is seen as a natural (and show more inevitable) part of the human experience, something to be understood and accepted. Part of that understanding is the recognition that anger, when unleashed against others, is hurtful, and that withdrawing, when in such a state, to think things over and reach a calmer frame of mind, is a good strategy. I've often regretted speaking or acting in anger, but I've never regretted waiting to speak, until my anger had cooled, so although I am not a Buddhist myself, I really identified with the behavioral practice advocated here. I also greatly appreciated Christiane Kromer's vivid collage artwork, with its bright colors and dramatic shapes. Ahn's anger is actually pretty awesome!

All in all, this picture-book is an engaging look at an emotional state we have all experienced, at one point or another, and offers an intelligent, thoughtful course of action to take, in response to that state. Recommended to anyone looking for children's stories that address anger, mindfulness, or Buddhist practice. show less

This wonderful and engaging 1st book in a trilogy that includes Steps and Stones and Peace, and Bugs and Understanding, gives children and caregivers a concrete practice for dealing with anger and other difficult emotions.

In Anh’s Anger, five-year-old Anh becomes enraged when his grandfather asks him to stop playing and come to the dinner table. The grandfather helps Anh fully experience all stages of anger by suggesting that he go to his room and, "sit with his anger." The story unfolds when Anh discovers what it means to sit with his anger. He comes to know his anger in the first person as his anger comes to life in full color and personality. Anh and his anger work through feelings together with humor and honesty to find a way to show more constructively release their thoughts and emotions and to reach resolve with Anh’s grandfather.

The story is beautifully illustrated with handmade collages by New York artist and childrens book illustrator Christiane Kromer. Each collage is a mix of paper, acrylic, and cardboard, and found materials. The materials reflect the connection between the characters and their environment and are indicative of the wide range of emotions that come together in the story.

Anh’s Anger teaches children that it is okay to feel angry, and shows the technique, often used by child therapists, of externalizing the emotion. Through taking time to "sit’ with his anger, a young child is able to see his anger and talk to it and together they move through the journey of experiencing the different stages of anger until the feeling subsides and finally resolve. Anh’s Anger differs significantly from other books on anger resolution techniques in showing that the child is able to talk about what transpired and accept responsibility for hurtful things that he may have said or done.

The author’s intention is to help parents understand that there is an alternative to "time out’s" as a means of helping children to express themselves when feeling angry, while providing children with a mechanism for internal dialogue during a "time out" or when "sitting" with their anger.

Through reading the story, children will learn to acknowledge anger when it arises, understand the cause of their anger, and ultimately feel safe expressing themselves and accepting accountability for their actions when appropriate. By learning these skills, children, will grow comfortable with them and carry them into adulthood with ease and confidence.

-Amazon description show less

Summary- This book is about a boy named Anh who gets angry when his grandfather tells him to stop playing for dinner. Anh goes into his bedroom after yelling at his grandfather and then a creature appears telling Anh that he is his anger. Anh and his anger work through what being angry is like and ways to help calm anger down. Eventually Anh's anger goes away and Anh apologizes to his grandfather for how he acted.
Genre- This book is fantasy because Anh's anger comes to live in a creature which doesn't happen in real life.
Age- K-3
Media- Paper and silk collages combined with brush and pencil drawings.

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