Sam’s Pet Temper by Sangeeta Bhadra and Marion Arbona (Kids Can Press; September 1, 2014) is a picture book for kids who lose their tempers and need some help learning to control it. In this amusing picture book, Sam tends to lose his temper, first on the playground, and later elsewhere. His temper becomes a “pet” that follows him around, even when he sees the negative consequences.
At first, Sam likes having his new “pet” Temper. He can get what he want! But when his “pet temper” begins to make things more difficult, Sam starts to realize that maybe having a bad temper is not such a good thing. Maybe his mom is right, and he should learn to control it.
The pencil and mixed media illustrations give Sam’s Temper an amusing tangled-up, and confused appearance, just right for this kid. I love how Sam’s ultimate solution for controlling his temper requires him to thinking of various strategies for settling down: he remembers those his parents have taught and those his teacher taught him.
The familiar situations (waiting!, annoying siblings, etc.) are ones that my kids related to. They loved watching Sam’s mischievous temper spin him out of control, and the loved seeing a happy resolution. Sam’s Pet Temper is a great addition to the “control your temper” literature available for children.
Note: I received a digital review copy.