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Title: Get angry, run away?
Review: When Sophie gets angry, she runs away. Far away into the woods she goes, alone, and then climbs high into a tree. Is this how a parent wants their toddler or pre-schooler to handle anger? An author's note on the very last page says that Sophie runs out and climbs a tree, then asks what the reader does to handle anger. Learning to deal with anger is an vital skill for little ones, and I applaud the author's efforts to convey the soothing powers of going outside to calm oneself. I just wish it had been clear that Sophie had gone out into her own yard. Rather than climbing a huge tree alone, perhaps she could have swung on her swing set or climbed a tree she was familiar with in her yard. I understand why the illustrations won the Caldecott Honor Award, but because of the worrisome message, I won't be reading this one to my young grandchildren.
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