Little Monkey Calms Down

By Capstone Young Readers
Price $7.99
Age 2-4 yrs.

Self-soothing is one of the most valuable things a child can learn. Little Monkey Calms Down has a bold, humorous style that captivates readers from the very first page and makes it easy for them to absorb this lesson. Little Monkey's response to dropping his ice cream on the floor is one that kids can easily relate to. His brief, sad-eyed expression is followed by a meltdown of epic proportions (wailing, flailing, fists beating the floor) depicted through images and text that manage to be both hilarious and sympathetic. It's natural, and perfectly fine to have feelings, and the story wisely conveys this. But after experiencing those intense feelings, Little Monkey does a number of things to calm himself down. He cuddles with his blankie. He takes a nice, deep breath. He sings himself a little song. He relaxes and begins to enjoy himself again. Every page of this book is a pleasure to behold - each line of text, the boldly colored backgrounds, and especially, the wonderfully varied illustrations that show Little Monkey nurturing himself back into a state of contentment.