Badgie & Ming and the Angry Tent
Author: Julia Inserro Illustrator: Miro Tartan
Three Beans, LLC 2022
Hardcover, 32 Page picture book, Ages 3-6
Badgie is having a rough day. He’s building a tent, an angry tent, so that he has a place to go and calm down until his feelings get smaller. However, his friend Ming is very interested in this tent and asks many questions, then wishes for a sad tent.
It’s alright to have emotions of all sizes. It’s how you handle them that matters and this book is extremely helpful in explaining some ways to help with those big emotions young children have a difficult time controlling.
The tent represents a safe place to just sit until the feelings get smaller and Badgie can then talk about them. Slow breathing in and out are also demonstrated all through the book because despite Badgie’s efforts to control his emotions, Ming continues to ask questions, try to cheer him up, and irritate him. In the end Badgie seems to be happier until Ming knocks down half the tent. Badgie is still slowly breathing in and out on the last page.
Young children have a difficult time with emotions. It doesn’t seem to matter whether those emotions are happy, sad, or angry, they’re a big deal to try to navigate. Books like The Angry Tent give kids and adults a way to cope that’s acceptable. Badgie wants a safe place, so makes a tent. He’s slowly breathing in and out as well, another way to help calm. Not every calming method will work for every child, and in the back of this book there is a list of other ways to try to calm down and then be able to express those feelings. Socio-emotional books that are well organized and easy for kids to understand are valuable tools both at home, in the classroom and counseling office as well. It’s also a great easy reader book!
Badgie and Ming and the Angry Tent gets 5 stars from this reviewer.