| ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. | |
| PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. | |
| OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. | |
| NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Parents need to know that this book does a great job of showing just how fleeting, yet all-absorbing, a kid's fit can be. It includes a nice message for kids that parents will love you no matter how bad a fit can get.
When Finn has a fit, his parents are at their wits' end trying to figure out what is wrong. This is one of those days though when the cranky toddler is just out of sorts. His tantrum storms through the household and then subsides as quickly, and mysteriously, as it came.
Most parents who have raised a toddler have had days like this. In the heat of the moment, the toddler seems impossible, and harried parents grasp for solutions, none of which seem to work. Then suddenly, all is back to nomal. And though such fits happen at all ages, this is what some people commonly call "the terrible two's."
In playful artwork that is a perfect partner to the simplicity of the tale, FINN THROWS A FIT captures just such a raging toddler-driven storm while giving a humourous spin to the whole experience. Importantly, the first image is of the angelic, smiling toddler before the tantrum begins. And, the ending again shows the happy loving family, together again after having weathered the whole experience.
Readers will love these illustrations. Drawn with dark grease pencil lines and charcoal, and painted in oils, the faces, and body positions, of the Mom, Dad, and Finn are so expressive that only a few words are needed to tell the story. Even the dog adds to the mood. The toddler, with his yellow boots, comfy-looking blue onesie, and cuddly blanket is adorable even when upsetting the household. Throughout the pages small details add energy and humor. Just enough is shown, and just enough is said.
Families can talk about how they know that a fit is about to start in the book. How does Finn change from the first page when he is sitting in his green chair, holding peaches, to the next page when he has his blanket pulled around him, and a dark cloud is hovering overhead? How about throughout the rest of the book? And then on the last page...
What do you think made him feel that way? Why was he so cranky? What made him happy again?
Have you ever felt like Finn did? Do you always know why you feel cranky? What makes you happy again?
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| Author: | David Elliott |
| Illustrator: | Timothy Basil Ering |
| Book type: | Fiction |
| Genre: | Picture Book |
| Publisher: | Candlewick Press |
| Publication date: | August 25, 2009 |
| Number of pages: | 32 |
| Hardcover price: | $16.99 |
| Read aloud: | 3 |
| Read alone: | 5 |
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