Mouse finds it difficult to express his anger. He tries to copy some of the animals in the forest, but he just can’t get it right. Then he finds that his own way, being still and taking deep breaths, is the best way of all!
Mouse was Mad can be used to help children identify when they are feeling mad, as well as teach them strategies for expressing and managing angry feelings. This can also lead to a discussion on techniques that work for individual children - “what helps you to calm down when you are feeling angry?” Referring to Mouse’s behaviour in the book can be used as a prompt to help children when they are having difficulty managing their emotions - “what would Mouse do?”
The story starts off with Mouse being very angry, but we never really know what caused these feelings. This is great for working on inferencing skills - “what do you think made Mouse so mad?”
For further speech and language targets, see the list below.
Narrative Structure: Abbreviated Episode
Story Plot: Character Flaw
Published by Sandpiper in 2009 (ISBN: 9780547727509)