31 Engaging Children’s Books About Anger

This collection of children’s books about anger features relatable characters, effective emotional regulation strategies, and plenty of interesting scenarios to teach kids how to manage their anger in a mindful and effective manner.

1. How to Take the GRRRR Out of Anger by Elizabeth Verdick & Marjorie Lisovskis

While affirming that anger is normal and healthy, this book provides strategies for dealing with this challenging emotion through a humourous and lighthearted tone.

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2. When Miles Got Mad by Sam Kurtzman-Counter

When Miles gets angry at his younger brother, his emotion suddenly becomes personified as a big scary monster. It turns out the monster is not just frightening, but wise and encourages Miles to express his anger in a healthy way.

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3. Llama Llama Mad at Mama by Anna Dewdney

The premise of this rhyming story is all too familiar: Llama llama gets dragged along on a long shopping trip and ends up throwing a tantrum out of frustration. While he learns the importance of regulating his emotions, his mother also realizes that she needs to make her shopping trips more enjoyable for her children.

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4. My No No No Day by Rebecca Patterson

Bella has a case of the terrible twos and it seems that nothing can go right all day. Her angry outbursts finally lead to a comforting bedtime as she realizes a better day is awaiting her tomorrow.

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5. How Do Dinosaurs Say I’m Mad by Jane Yolen

This popular book from the prolific children’s book author, Jane Yolen, features a cast of silly and relatable dinosaurs who learn to go from stomping to learning to calm down and taking a time out. It teaches mindful emotional self-control by showing young readers that even big dinosaurs can express their emotions in a gentle way.

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6. Angry Cookie by Laura Dockrill

Sometimes the best way to deal with an angry child is not by finding a solution to their problem, but by lending a caring ear. This lovely picture book features frustrating situations that every child can relate to including a store running out of their favorite snack, having to listen to music they can’t stand, or getting a bad haircut.

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7. When I Am Angry by Michael Gordon

This short and punchy book is great for kindergarteners as it frames anger as a normal emotion that is a part of being disappointed. It offers solutions to help kids handle their anger in more mindful ways while getting a few giggles out of them in the meantime.

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8. Ravi’s Roar by Tom Percival

Ravi is the smallest in his family which means he can’t reach the monkey bars or ride the big slide. One day, he becomes so upset that he turns into a roaring tiger. Unfortunately, pretending to be a tiger has its repercussions and Ravi learns the hard way to express his emotions, deal with his worries and make friends.

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9. The Color Monster: A Story About Emotions by Anna Llenas

This wildly popular bestseller connects emotions with different colors, helping kids to categorize their mixed feelings and gain greater self-awareness in the process. This is a great choice for teaching the Zones of Regulation, a popular curriculum designed to develop emotional self-regulation through a similar form of color coding.

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10. When I Feel Angry by Cornelia Maude Spelman

This charming book features an adorable bunny rabbit who learns all about managing her anger from her loving family. The book also provides plenty of practical strategies which make a great springboard for an educational discussion.

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11. I Am Stronger Than Anger by Elizabeth Cole

Anger can lead to poor behavior so it’s important to intervene before emotions get out of hand. With a rhyming zoo-themed storyline, colorful illustrations, and a series of kid-friendly activities, this book is sure to become a reader favorite.

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12. When Sophie Gets Angry by Molly Bang

This fun read-aloud favorite features an angry little girl named Sophie who learns to manage her frustrations all on her own. It’s not only a great way to encourage independent problem solving but also empowers kids to think for themselves.

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13. Angry Octopus by Lori Lite

Angry Octopus cleverly weaves breathing and calm-down strategies into its storyline, teaching children to unwind and manage their anger in a fun and engaging way.

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14. My Way to Keep Anger Away by Elizabeth Cole

This social-emotional learning-based title teaches children calming techniques and included a mindful coloring page as a bonus. It encourages children to express their emotions through art and creativity and to take responsibility for improving their emotional state.

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17. Allie All Along by Sarah Lynne Reul

This whimsically illustrated and charming story explores the relationship between a big brother and his angry little sister. By helping her to calm down after a tantrum, they both learn the importance of empathy, emotional support, and talking about their frustrations.

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18. The Angry Dragon by Michael Gordon

This award-winning book teaches children that anger can be a positive emotion when expressed in the appropriate manner. The fiery dragon turns emotional learning into a fun adventure and captures preschoolers’ attention with ease.

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19. I Was So Mad by Ron Miller

Little Critter may be mad at the world and ready to run away, but that’s before his friends invite him to play baseball to help shift his mood. Children will surely relate to his quickly passing storms and discover social ways to cope with their own heated emotions.

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20. Mouse Was Mad by Linda Urban

By comparing how different animals express their emotions, this charming book teaches children to find their own unique form of self-expression and managing anger.

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21. A Little Spot of Anger by Diane Alber

This clever book personifies the emotion of anger as a big troublesome spot that kids can visualize and also learn to transform into a calm, peaceful one. It also differentials between ‘big and little’ problems’ and encourages kids to self-regulate their emotions.

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22. A Volcano in My Tummy by Eliane Whitehouse

This well-organized book offers a whole host of anger management strategies for children as well as caretakers. It features stories, articles, games, and tools to ensure students will enjoy learning how to manage this at-times explosive and destructive emotion.

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23. Anh’s Anger by Gail Silver

When five-year-old Anh’s grandfather asks him to stop playing with his toys and come down for dinner, Anh has an outburst that he can’t control. His grandfather lovingly helps him work through his difficult emotions step by step as he comes to life as a big scary monster.

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24. Mad Isn’t Mad by Michaelene Mundy

This adorable story, told through the eyes of an upset elf, makes a great launching pad for a discussion about dealing with anger and improving the classroom or home dynamic.

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25. The Very Frustrated Monster by Andri Green

Twitch is a perfectionist who easily gets upset when things don’t go his way. This humorous story with a memorable protagonist is just the right choice for exploring the tricky emotion of anger in an entertaining and thoughtful way.

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26. Roaring Mad Riley by Allison Szczecinski

This colorful story features simple exercises for kids to learn how to turn their dinosaur’s roar into a peaceful calm. Strategies such as counting 10, shaking it out, and deep breathing are all featured along with crafts and games to extend student learning.

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27. I Choose to Calm my Anger by Elizabeth Estrada

Developed by counselors and educators, this thoughtful book is told from the viewpoint of Jackson who is easily upset until he learns helpful coping mechanisms for dealing with his big emotions.

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28. Zach Gets Frustrated by William Mulcahy

Zach is a relatable young boy who has a hard time on a family beach trip. Instead of kicking up sand and screaming, he learns to name, tame, and reframe his emotions in a clever three-part strategy that is sure to help many readers.

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29. I Hate Everything by Sue Graves

Sam hates the sound of babies crying and dealing with busy adults who don’t have time to play with him. instead of screaming that he hates everything, he learns to deal with his anger with the help of his wise and loving aunt.

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30. The Anger Volcano by Amanda Greenslade

This clever book uses an evocative volcano analogy for anger. It is also full of memorable rhymes and addresses the principles of neuroplasticity by teaching kids how to train their own brains.

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31. When I’m Feeling Angry by Tracey Moroney

This simple and easy-to-read book features a little rabbit who learns how to cope with his anger by taking big, deep breaths and calming down his body.

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