When Sophie Gets Angry Really Really Angry

Description

Winner of the Caldecott Honor, Charlotte Zolotow Award, and Jane Addams Peace Award

When Sophie gets angry, she runs outside.
I climb my favorite tree,
People deal with anger in different ways.
What do you do when you get angry?

There are so many things in life that make you angry. It's hard to believe a single day goes by without a moment of anger. Children are no different. They get angry because their parents seem to take their siblings' side, they get angry because they can't get what they want, they get angry because it feels like no one understands their feelings...
Sophie's upset today is because of her sister and her mother. While Sophie is playing, her sister approaches and grabs a gorilla doll. "It's my turn!" she says. That's enough to make her angry, but her mother adds to her sister's anger by taking her sister's side and saying, "It's your turn, Sophie." As soon as her sister says that, she snatches the doll away, causing Sophie to fall over onto the toy truck. That's when her anger explodes.
Sophie's blue eyes grew even bluer, and she stamped her feet, swung her fists, and screamed. "Eww!" She screamed until she was a bloody red. Then she ran out of the house and ran, and ran, and ran until her legs gave out and she collapsed. Sophie ran like that until she reached the forest near her house.
Sophie lets out a brief, fleeting sob as she walks along the forest path. As anger subsides, sadness inevitably creeps in. Then, trees, rocks, and ferns she'd never seen before begin to appear, and the sounds of birds she'd never heard before reach her ears. Sophie slowly walks along the forest path toward a beautiful beech tree. Sitting atop the beech tree, feeling the breeze caressing her hair and gazing at the rippling waves, her anger seems to wash away, and happiness overtakes her.
No one can live without anger. Holding on to anger can lead to illness. So what should we do with it? Anger is like a tantrum, so pretending not to notice it or trying to suppress it only causes bigger problems. Like Sophie, we need to acknowledge our angry feelings, soothe them, and let them go. Then, we can reclaim the small joys that anger obscured. Just as Sophie returned home feeling happy, seeing trees, rocks, and ferns that were initially invisible, and hearing the sounds of birds and squirrels that were initially inaudible.
One of the greatest charms of "When Sophie Gets Angry, Really, Really Angry" is its vivid depiction of children's anger, with bold lines and colors that even children who can't read can instantly recognize. While the text is concise, unfussy, and calm, the illustrations vividly express Sophie's emotions. But if you let yourself be captivated by the illustrations, and turn the pages, you'll find that by the time you close the book, your anger, like Sophie's, has subsided. This is because the book understands your feelings. Anger, whether it's your own, someone else's, or even the book's, simply vanishes when someone acknowledges it. For this reason alone, this book deserves to be called one of the most outstanding picture books of this century.
Many of Molly Bang's picture books are said to have been inspired by her daughter, Monica (Monica Bang Campbell is said to have been influenced by her mother to become a children's author). "When Sophie Gets Angry, Really, Really Angry" is a prime example. The reason this book has resonated with so many children over the years is likely because it was written and illustrated with close observation of children and an effort to understand their emotions.