Emotions can be hard. Whether you are dealing with your own or someone else's they can be difficult to navigate and often bad emotions can spread. Today I am sharing a book about one of the hardest ones to deal with--anger. It is called Small Knight and the Angry Prince by Manka Kasha. It is recommended for ages 3 to 6 and deals with some gender issues.
From the Publisher:
Our favorite small knight must find a way to deal with big emotions during a royal visit in Small Knight and the Angry Prince, Manka Kasha's newest magical, heartfelt picture book.The angry red grows and it spreads and it hurts Cousin and everyone around him.
We can’t leave it like that! We need to find some way to help.
When Small Knight’s family shows up for an unexpected visit, they are excited to make a new friend. But their cousin the Prince is jealous of their skill as a knight and his anger quickly sours the visit. Can Small Knight find a way to help the Prince calm their contagious anger, or is their Knight’s Tournament doomed?
Heartfelt, whimsical, and real, Manka Kasha’s Small Knight picture books are beautiful, deep stories about understanding your feelings and finding the courage and strength to deal with them.
From Me:
Let's begin with Small Knight is a princess who uses they/them. In this story her father's sister is coming for a visit and bringing her son. Small Knight's aunt is a famous warrior, so Small Knight is excited to meet her. However when they arrive Small Knight's cousin, the prince, is not very friendly or kind. Small Knight tries to understand and be friendly. They invite him to do various activities including a knight tournament with his mother. Since the prince does not want to be around Small Knight, Small Knight finds their aunt practicing and joins her. This angers the prince even more.
Small Knight discovers that the Angry Prince's anger makes them angry. With the help of their friend, Tiny Bear, they release the anger and realize how miserable Angry Prince must be. Small Knight decides to help Angry Prince release his anger. At first the anger starts to overtake Small Knight again, but they fight it and break through to the prince.
One thing I love about this book besides it has princesses and queens who are knights and warriors, is how it describes the visual part of anger. In the book their is a red aurora around the angry prince, but it also describes the red face and shaking. It helps young kids understand whether they are experiencing anger or witnessing someone else angry. It also shows the Angry Prince angry at Small Knight when Small Knight is not the actual cause of the anger. Let's face it, in life often a person seems angry with someone who is not the actual cause of the anger. It also shows Small Knight controlling their anger and breaking through the prince's anger to help him. I just love the message of the book!
In the end the two become friends and find things they enjoy together. It is a sweet book that really leads to discussions about how to deal with one's own anger as well as someone else's. I hope you will check it out!
