Emotions can run high for the young. Competitions for best friendships, crankiness resulting from late nights, and sibling hassles all contribute to the drama. Those who work with preschoolers and early elementary kids need to have resources that allow their patrons to discover themselves and see that their feelings are perfectly normal. There is always room for improvement, and these titles provide options for conflict resolution.

CASPER, Matt & Ted Dorsey. Cant Loses His Cool. (Emotes! Series). Evergrow. 2008. PLB $9.99. ISBN 978-988-17-3422-8.

PreS-Gr 2-Developed by a family therapist, this title focuses on Cant's inability to handle a very disappointing situation, resulting in a full-blown tantrum. Using Pokemon-like images and words ("digiball," "cyber-pong"), the text leads to Cant getting some anger-management tips from his friends, which help calm him down. This might be just the ticket for the time-out corner! Other titles in the series cover going to camp, bullying, and sleep issues.

REIDY, Jean. Too Purpley! illus. by Genevieve Leloup. Bloomsbury. 2010. Tr $11.99. ISBN 978-1-59990-307-1; RTE $12.89. ISBN 978-1-59990-437-5.

PreS-Gr 2-Just a couple words on each page is plenty when paired with Leloup's eye-popping illustrations in this story about a little girl who can't decide what to wear. When her mother approaches her with a large stack of clothing options, she yells, "Not these clothes!" and then the fun begins: "too itchy... too feathery... too dancey." She finally winds down and is able to make a practical and comfortable selection. Challenge listeners to come up with their own "too" statements for a fun vocabulary-building exercise.

SILVER, Gail. Anh's Anger. illus. by Christiane Kromer. Plum Blossom Bks. 2009. Tr $16.95. ISBN 978-1-888375-94-7.

Gr 1-3-Anh acts out when called to dinner, so his grandfather asks him to go to his room and sit with his anger. Much to Anh's surprise, anger shows up and explains how he works: "I can make you cry and want to hit things." By working through his frustration and then calming himself, Ahn finds his anger growing smaller and smaller until it just disappears. Based on the teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh about mindfulness and Buddhism, this beautifully illustrated book gives children and adults an alternative method for dealing with anger.

WAGENBACH, Debbie. The Grouchies. illus. by Steve Mack. Magination. 2009. Tr $14.95. ISBN 978-1-4338-0543-1; pap. $9.95. ISBN 978-1-4338-0553-0.

PreS-Gr 2-Dark clouds hover over a youngster from the minute he gets out of bed. These "grouchies" encourage him to be grumpy all day and suggest that he will get his way if he follows their suggestions. As a result, he snaps at his little sister, is mean to his friends, and sends his new puzzle flying. After talking with his parents at bedtime and getting some good tips for chasing away the grouchies, the boy wakes the next morning with a new attitude, and instead of dark clouds, he is followed by smiles. A helpful and informative note to parents is included.

Remarkable Reads are produced by the editors at NoveList, the leader in readers' advisory electronic resources. For more information, visit NoveList.