When angry, little squirrel misbehaves
Basic emotions: ANGER
| Author | Tatjana Gjurković, Tea Knežević |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | Jelena Brezovec |
| Original Title | Kad je ljuta, vjeverica ne sluša |
| ISBN | 978-953-8008-65-8 |
| Format | softcover |
| Pages | 24 |
| Size | 22x22 cm |
| Age range | Early learning (2 – 6), Beginning readers (5 – 7) |
| Category | Anger |
|---|---|
| Tag | Basic emotions: ANGER |
WRITTEN BY EXPERTS IN CHILD PSYCHOLOGY
Little squirrel happily jumped on the branches of an old oak tree and collected acorns. Her friends kept warning her not to jump on dry branches because it was very dangerous. The squirrel was angry that they were telling her that she was not allowed to do something and decided not to listen to them. However, when she was climbing to the top, she broke a dry branch and knocked down a little nest. Then she was overwhelmed with guilt. Fortunately, a wise owl saw everything and helped her deal with these unpleasant feelings.
This story is part of therapeutic picture book series about anger in children. It deals with the problem of expressing anger at set boundaries in children.
Anger belongs to so-called – basic emotions. Basic emotions appear in all cultures and can be seen in babies from birth. By the end of the 6th month of life, child expresses all four basic emotions (anger, fear, happiness and sadness).
Anger is an emotion extremely focused on others, it can be very strong and intense, and it seeks to be expressed “outwardly”. It manifests itself through changes in the body which encourage tension and more impulsive behaviors. As it is much easier to notice a child’s behavior than his emotions, adults are often not aware that behind unwanted behavior are a child’s unfulfilled emotional needs.
Very often, children express the emotion of anger or frustration by resisting set boundaries, or by refusing to cooperate and ignoring instructions given by adults. These children can be quickly and easily perceived as “naughty” or “bad” and adults find it very difficult to remain calm in situations in which they cannot reach the child to correct undesirable behaviors.
The story helps children to recognize and name their own emotions, work through stressful situations and satisfy the need behind the emotion of anger.
Book also contains guidelines and advice for parents and caretakers that will help them better understand child’s behaviour, teach him to manage his behaviour and self-regulate unpleasant emotions.
Author: Tatjana Gjurković
Tatjana Gjurković has a master’s degree in psychology, she is certified psychotherapist, certified child play therapist (RPT), Certified Transactional Analyst (CTA), Teacher and Supervisor of Transactional Analysis (TSTA). She works individually with children and adults and holds educational programs for specialists in fields of child play therapy and transaction analysis. She is author of a book “Play Therapy with children” and 28 therapeutic picture books. She continuously promotes the importance of mental health in children and adults through Centar Proventus which she co-founded with her colleague Tea Knežević.
Author: Tea Knežević
Tea Knežević has master’s degree in psychology, she is certified psychotherapist, certified child play therapist (RPT) and Certified Transactional Analyst (CTA). She provides play therapy with children, psychotherapy with adults, parent consultations, and conducts numerous training courses for professionals in Centar Proventus which she co-founded with her colleague Tatjana Gjurković. She has written 28 picture books with therapeutic stories for children. In addition, she is the author of several manuals related to psychological resilience, gifted children, and anger management.
Illustrator: Jelena Brezovec
Jelena Brezovec has a master’s degree in social studies. For a long time, drawing was just a hobby, until 2008 when she became a co-founder of the publishing house Evenio and decided to study digital illustration, with the focus on children’s illustration. So far, she has illustrated more than 40 picture books and many other publications. She is the winner of the Grigor Vitez “Bird” Award, a special praise from the children’s jury. She has illustrated the most popular children’s book series in Croatia – Mrljek & Prljek. Her illustrations have been part of many exhibitions throughout Croatia. She lives and works in Varaždin, Croatia.
