Bibliography: 

Willems, M. (2022). The Frustrating Book! Hyperion Books for Children. ISBN 9781368074827

Plot Summary:

Zoom Squirrel wants to feel some new feelings and his friends Zip and Zap Squirrel help him experience them. Zoom Squirrel first experiences joy, then disappointment, then frustration, and finally love. Research Squirrel investigates how to deal with frustration and disappointment with his squirrel friends. The book also includes some “Acorn-y jokes” for some reader giggles.

Critical Analysis:

Mo Willems’ Unlimited Squirrels are a cast of characters that each have a distinct personality associated with its name. In this simple generic setting, the characters know they are presenting information and it seems they are doing a variety show similar to the some I’d watch as a child, i.e. You Can’t Do That On Television. The squirrels help identify and explain the more complex feelings like disappointment and frustration. Mo Willems’ illustration style is simple with lots of white space, a colored frame on each page (different colors for each vignette), and strong lines with exaggerated facial expressions. There are “Emote-acorns” on pages where the squirrels are feeling strong emotions so that the reader can identify those emotions. On one page, Zoom Squirrel is shown as “seeing red” when extremely frustrated. The addition of the tools to deal with frustration helps the reader to not only identify the emotion, but to deal with it in a positive manner. Overall, this book is an enjoyable read. 

Review Excerpts:

School Library Journal – “A masterly blending of relevant childhood themes with nuanced humor that will make both kids and their grown-ups giggle. A masterly blending of relevant childhood themes with nuanced humor that will make both kids and their grown-ups giggle.”

Kirkus Reviews – “Little wonder that this book is one of the more enjoyable outings with the Willems squirrels.”

Connections:

*Lead a discussion on learning to deal with big emotions.

*Help young children identify emotions.

*Read other books about identifying emotions

Dragon, D. (2021). Little Red Fox Has Feelings. Ill by Mau, M. Aha! Press. ISBN 9798985321319

The School of Life. (2023). What Are You Feeling?: A picture book of your emotions. School of Life Press. ISBN 9781915087270