AN EMOTIONAL MENAGERIE

An assortment of verses attempts to explain emotions to young readers.

The introductory six-stanza poem, written in an abcb rhyme scheme, sets the stage, announcing the 26 uncredited poems to follow that will describe each emotion in alphabetical order. Its opening stanza introduces the concept of likening emotions to animals, and this concept is carried throughout, with anger represented by a roaring lion, fear as a timid rabbit, and so forth. All the poems speak directly to readers, with details of situations in which they might feel these emotions along with instructions for understanding and dealing with them. The poems are presented in double-page spreads in carefully selected color palettes. The work does not succeed, however, in spite of all good intentions. The introductory poem presents the work as a kind of textbook for establishing the “useful skill” of “mastering emotions” in order to grow up “calm, wise and fulfilled” while also expanding readers’ vocabularies. (In support of the latter goal, key words are underlined, but there is no glossary to turn to for definitions.) The poems shed some light on the complexity of emotions, but concluding advice is often preachy and off-putting, telling readers to make better use of their time or to “move on,” for instance. Tortured rhymes abound, and the underlined vocabulary ranges wildly in difficulty (calm versus ambivalent).

Emotional literacy is important, but this does nothing to help youngsters to achieve it.