Books to Help a Frustrated Student

Enjoy these very simple stories that teach hard-to-explain emotions, such as disappointment, that are so challenging for toddlers and preschoolers to control.

Marvin is very unhappy and it's all Molly's fault. She had no right to eat his apple. He saw it first. Now he's mad! He's grown mad teeth and mad horns and a mad tail. He's stomping on flowers and knocking over the chicken shed! Molly apologizes.  But Marvin is out of control! Then he stamps the ground so hard, the earth cracks open and he drops down into a deep, dark hole. How will Marvin find his way out of the hole he's made for himself? The answers are pages away in this wild and woolly drama.

Discover a universally relatable story about one little cat who just wants to be MAD... at least for a little while! With gentle text and bold, vibrant illustrations, Barney Saltzberg encourages readers to "feel what they feel" and express their emotions, helping young ones develop key tools for social-emotional literacy.

Have you ever had a grumpy day and not known why? Penguin is having a grumpy day like that. No matter what he does, he just can't shake it! Sometimes the only thing left to do is wash the grumpy day away and start over. The simple text and lively illustrations are the perfect cure for even the grumpiest of days.

Moose, Lion, Zebra, and Sheep take shelter in a cave on a cold and rainy day, only to realize that a bear is there. The bear roars loudly and says that he is trying to sleep. Not understanding why the bear is so cranky, the other animals come up with ways to cheer up the bear. Moose finds antlers for him, Lion gives him a mane, and Zebra paints on stripes. Is there anything the four well-meaning friends can do to help the bear sleep?

Why is Baby Unicorn so grumpy? Is it because his blocks fell down? Maybe the rain has him wearing a frown? Find out in this hilarious and cute board book that kids and parents alike won't want to put down.

Gus is a little rhino who loves to play in the sandbox. But when the other kids don't want to do things his way on the playground, he gets angry. The simple text features only a few easy-to-read words per page and the delightfully humorous pictures are by the illustrator of the best-selling Froggy series.

This fun-to-read follow-up to the popular Llama Llama Red Pajama finds Llama Llama and Mama heading to Shop-O-Rama, where shopping soon becomes a drama. Illustrations.

Everybody gets angry sometimes. And for children, anger can be very upsetting. In this Caldecott-honor book, children will see what Sophie does when she gets angry.

Brimming with humor, this sparkling new book handles a timeless children's topic with wit and wisdom. Romp and stomp! Roar and slam! Almost everyone gets angry. But how can young dinosaurs also learn to calm down, take a time out, and behave?

After a squabble, best friends walk the up-and-down road to reconciliation. 

What's Little Critter to do when he can't get his way? He could pack up his toys and cookies and leave home for good. But will he? Or is a yes waiting for him just outside the door? Find out in this delightfully grumpy read.

Spend a day in paradise with Little Volcano and Big Volcano. Everything is beautiful and calm until an out-of-control bird drops a coconut on Little Volcano's crater. Will Little Volcano blow their top? Can Big Volcano help?

Unicorn wants to write the most fabulous story in the world. He has a fancy notebook. A special fluffy pen. He has everything just perfect. But Unicorn has NO IDEA what to write!

Bird wakes up feeling grumpy. Too grumpy to eat or play—too grumpy even to fly. He walks past Sheep, who offers to keep him company. He walks past Rabbit, who also could use a walk. Before he knows it, a little exercise and companionship help Bird shake his bad mood.  

This STEM-focused romp about pupation will tickle little ones who know how hard it is to wait.

Ravi's short arms can't reach the monkey bars, he can't find anyone during hide-and-seek, and he's too little to ride the big slide. Ravi is so mad that he can't control his temper anymore. He becomes a ferocious, roaring tiger! Being a tiger is great. Tigers can do anything they want! But who wants to play with a growling, wild tiger who won't share or behave? Ravi is about to discover something very important about voicing his feelings.

This comforting and direct story will help children cope with their anger and, at the same time, help them understand that anger is a normal feeling.

All kids have trouble getting a grip on their emotions sometimes, even young superheroes. What do superheroes do when they're sad, mad, frustrated, lonely, or afraid? What if they're having a bad day or don't get their way?

It's just another day in the ocean for Crabby and Plankton -- until they find themselves INSIDE a school of fish! This gives Plankton a fabulous idea -- he and Crabby should play school! But Crabby does not want to play. In four hilarious stories, Crabby uses funny wordplay to distract Plankton from teaching!

Not all unicorns are rainbows and sunshine. Meet one unicorn that isn't a sparkly, magical creature. In fact, he's downright grouchy. From party planning to looking tough, this grumpy guy will make you smile with all his frowning.

To start, Judy Moody doesn't have high hopes for third grade. Her new desk won't have an armadillo sticker with her name on it. Her new classroom will not have a porcupine named Roger. And with her luck, she'll get stuck sitting in the first row, where Mr. Todd will notice every time she tries to pass a note to her best friend, Rocky.