cover image Simon and the Big, Bad, Angry Beasts: A Book About Anger

Simon and the Big, Bad, Angry Beasts: A Book About Anger

Ian De Haes. Flyaway Books, $16 (40p) ISBN 978-0-664-26355-3

For a child named Simon, if his v-slanted eyebrows aren’t an indication that he’s angry, the wild beasts he rides on sure are: “The third time he got very angry, it was because his mother had told him no. Suddenly his alligator transformed into a terrifying lion!” When he’s forced to eat all of his soup, his anger is a glowering rhinoceros, and a “frightening” red dragon earns him the title “Simon the Terrible” as other children flee. Soon, though, Simon feels alone. Belgian author-illustrator De Haes’s creatures are about as menacing as pint-size Simon himself (despite their bared teeth, it’s not hard to picture them rolling over for belly rubs). De Haes conveys emotion through contrasting red and blue tones and brings the story to a gentle close as Simon’s anger transforms again, this time into “pretty butterflies.” Back matter offers tips for parents on handling anger. Ages 4–8. (Apr.)