Does your child know what to do when they feel bad or mean? Help teach them a healthy way to express negative feelings with Mean Soup. The font is large with one sentence per page, so children can follow along. The pictures consist of simple cartoon characters filled with bold primary colors and a fun border, so they seem full of action. The pictures have a slight abstract quality to them; for instance, the bushes have only triangular points, the poodles are yellow and pink, and the water boils in swirls that look like snail shells. There is humor your child will recognize such the number two reason Horace gives for why he is having a bad day - because Zelda gave him a love note.

 

This story can help your child begin to understand some harder feelings; Horace has a bad day so he "felt so mean he stepped on a flower." This is a great opportunity to speak with your child about how to identify feelings, healthy ways to express them, and how to begin moving past them. Horace's mom makes Mean Soup to help him get past his angry feelings, but you may have a different method to share with your child. You can ask your child if they've had a bad day recently, and if they could describe why. Then, you two could brainstorm together about the best way to handle it and try to make the day better next time.