Petal the Angry Cow

K-Gr 2–Petal the cow has lots of good qualities, and the other animals on the farm like her, but she has a temper. And when she doesn’t get her way, things get ugly. When the farmer threatens to leave Petal behind if she cannot control her anger, a swan offers to help. Kids will enjoy seeing the swan’s methods for “coping”—screaming and revenge—as Petal realizes the appropriate way to react. The universal lesson taught in an unconventional way makes for a fun read, and young readers will see themselves in the animals’ activities, like story time and crafts, or reflected in Petal’s body language during a time out. The bright illustrations vary from page to page. Sometimes they are clustered together on a page to demonstrate a point, and sometimes they are given a full spread to appreciate the outsized emotions of being angry and frustrated. Caregivers might not appreciate the name-calling, such as “stupid dummy,” but kids will definitely relate to Petal’s plight. Words and concepts, such as “consequences,” go unexplained in the text, so adults might have to pause to define.