Come Home, Angus

From the second Angus wakes up, he is angry, and exaggerated mixed-media illustrations broadcast his feeling of disorientation: objects in Angus's room are upside-down, and he is too large for his bed and drawn in muted colors that contrast with the vibrant objects and people around him. After Angus expresses his frustration by yelling at his pets, his mother reminds him, "In this house, being angry doesn't let you be rude." So Angus packs a backpack and heads to the city. As he walks, he shrinks and becomes brighter in hue as the city grows around him: "busier, noisier, wider, darker." Just when Angus realizes that he's hungry and begins to be afraid, his mother appears with his beloved pets in tow and a sandwich in hand. The text is superbly paced, with repetition that reflects growing tension as Angus ventures beyond his comfort zone: "More strangers walked to and fro, to and fro, fast, fast, fast." Like previous picture books dealing with anger (Molly Bang's When Sophie Gets Angry -- Really, Really Angry; Samantha Berger and Dan Santat's Crankenstein), this serves to validate and normalize children's emotions. It also mirrors the unconditional love between children and their trusted adults: though Angus doesn't know it, we can see his mother shadowing his journey the whole time. Generous white space brings into focus small moments, both tough and tender, between child and parent. elisa gall

Angus wakes up angry. After he yells at his pets, Angus packs a backpack and heads to the city. Just when Angus realizes that he's hungry and afraid, his mother appears with his beloved pets and a sandwich. The text is superbly paced, with repetition that reflects growing tension. Generous white space brings into focus small moments, both tough and tender, between child and parent.