Official Review: Puffy Gets Angry

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bookowlie
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Official Review: Puffy Gets Angry

Post by bookowlie »

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Puffy Gets Angry" by Rich Pfeiffer and Susie Post Roberts.]
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3 out of 4 stars
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Puffy Gets Angry is a children’s picture book by Rich Pfeiffer and Susie Post Roberts. Puffy is a young puffer fish who finds it difficult to control himself when he gets angry. He lashes out at his classmates, which causes the teacher to label him a “problem maker.” Will the young fish be able to deal with his anger management issues?

I thoroughly enjoyed this entertaining story. The plot contains an easy-to-understand conflict and stays on track to a clear resolution. In addition to the main theme, there are interesting details in the story – for example, the teacher’s fish-related lessons and Puffy’s skill at building intricate sandcastles. The author is adept at showing “the big picture,” as the teacher explains to Puffy how his behavior affects everyone in the classroom. I liked this scene, since teachers can often reprimand students without adequately explaining the full impact of their actions.

Puffy is a sympathetic character who displays a relatable flaw. His mother is an absolute standout. She provides useful suggestions and consistent reminders of these tips. I like that the information can be easily practiced by parents and children at home. It’s also nice to see positive reinforcement, rather than strict punishment, in a book geared toward young kids.

The story is enhanced by colorful, detailed artwork. The pictures accurately reflect the changing emotions of the characters. The illustrator does an excellent job of depicting Puffy during an angry outburst; the prickles on his body become more prominent, and his entire body expands. The illustrations are shown on the top half of each page, with several sentences below. While the artwork ties closely with each step of the plot, I think children would prefer full-length pictures.

I would recommend this story for parents and teachers to read aloud to children ages 4-8. It would likely appeal to children who have trouble controlling their emotions. The book would be a perfect choice for storytime in school, since it could jump-start a discussion about anger management. Older children within this age range might be able to read the book on their own. However, the long sentences might be challenging for beginning readers, even though there are no overly sophisticated words.

There are four noticeable errors in this story. Normally, four errors wouldn’t be a big deal. However, these errors stick out like a sore thumb in such a short book. Also, it is especially important for a children’s book to be error-free since young readers learn by example.

I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars due to the aforementioned errors. It is an interesting and educational tale with a universal theme. It is never too early to teach children to control their anger. A picture book with a cute main character is certainly a fun way for children to learn about this important issue.

******
Puffy Gets Angry
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Post by Ellylion »

Sounds like a very good educational read for children if not the errors. A puffer fish is an apt main character in the children's book about anger control, in my opinion. I love the cover, it's so vivid! Thank you for this review! :)
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Post by Bianka Walter »

I love the pufferfish character idea! It's so smart, seeing as pufferfish literally blow up.
This seems very sweet, with a great message.
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Post by kandscreeley »

I completely agree with you about the errors. Children don't know the difference, and we must be perfect for them. This sounds like a cute story, though. Thanks!
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Post by bookowlie »

Thanks everyone for the feedback! In a short picture book, errors stand out a lot more than in a long book with the typical 250 words per page. I think the author will be able to easily correct these errors, especially on the Kindle version.
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Post by Nisha Ward »

I've often found myself wishing for something like this when dealing with little children who lash out. It sounds like an excellent book that helps both adults and children deal with children's anger, as they often need help in managing their emotion at such a young age.
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Post by bookowlie »

Nisha Ward wrote: 20 Apr 2019, 08:44 I've often found myself wishing for something like this when dealing with little children who lash out. It sounds like an excellent book that helps both adults and children deal with children's anger, as they often need help in managing their emotion at such a young age.
I agree that the book would be a helpful tool for parents and children to deal with anger issues.
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Post by bookowlie »

Ellylion wrote: 20 Apr 2019, 05:43 Sounds like a very good educational read for children if not the errors. A puffer fish is an apt main character in the children's book about anger control, in my opinion. I love the cover, it's so vivid! Thank you for this review! :)
I also loved the artwork on the cover. The vibrant illustrations through the book really enchance the story.
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Post by Julie Petitbon »

This sounds like an entertaining and educational book. Teaching kids how to manage emotions like anger in a positive and healthy way is so important! Hopefully the author will fix the errors that you noticed because it sounds like it could be really helpful to kids and parents alike.
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Post by gen_g »

This sounds like great read for kids, especially when the story teaches important skills like problem-solving and emotion management. Thanks for the review!
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Post by kdstrack »

This book is an important tool that teachers and parents can use to help children learn emotional control. The children would relate to the cute puffer fish and his struggles with anger. Thanks for the lovely review.
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Post by Nyambura Githui »

It sounds like a great read for kids. My nephew would love it! This Puffy character sounds interesting. Great review.
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Post by kislany »

I'm usually not reading books for kids, but I always read your reviews; they're entertaining and informative, just like this very review.
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Post by Samy Lax »

I think this book could be really useful to for those parents who want to give their children a good lesson on emotional control. However, I don't see why the author would think writing in long sentences could help her target audience. Does sound like an excellent book otherwise!
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Post by T_stone »

A good children's book that teaches kids good character and learn how to control their emotions. Even parents will learn from this too.
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