Sometimes My Mommy Gets Angry

by Bebe Moore Campbell

Book Overview

Some mornings, Annie's mother's smiles are as bright as sunshine as she makes pancakes for breakfast and helps Annie get ready for school. But other days, her mother doesn't smile at all and gets very angry. Those days Annie has to be a big girl and make her own breakfast, and even put herself to bed at night. But Annie's grandma helps her remember what to do when her mommy isn't well, and her silly friends are there to cheer her up. And no matter...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0399239723
• ISBN13: 9780399239724
• Release Date: September 2003
• Publisher: Putnam Publishing Group
• Length: 1 Pages
• Weight: 0.93 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 8.9" x 10.8"
• Age Range: 4 to 8 years
• Grade Range: Preschool to Grade 3

Customer Reviews

Children with mentally ill parents

This is an excellent resource to use with children who have mentally ill parents. I am a child and family therapist. I have already used the book a couple of times, and it was fascinating to see the children's reactions to the angry mother. Even boys can identify with the main character, Annie. The book helps children to see they are not alone, identify their own emotions, and allows the therapist to discuss how they cope. Nice illustrations!

Helps introduce complicated subject

This book is helpful as a tool for introducing bipolar disorder to young children. I read the story to my six year old and we discussed the child's life, the good and the bad. I explained that the mother had a mental illness which affected her behavior in negative ways. The book clearly states that the mother refuses treatment and how it affects the lives of her loved ones. This presents an opportunity to clarify the difference between a person seeking treatment versus one who refuses trestment. It also does a good job of describing a back-up plan for the child when mom is not well. This plan gives the little girl a sense of control and security when her mother's behavior is chaotic or frightening. Overall, this book is very good for a lead-in to this issue for young children. However, do your homework before reading the story aloud as it lacks even a simple definition of bipolar or any guidance for a discussion afterwards.

Bipolar Disorder simplified for young children

I am the mother of an adult bipolar daughter and have read this book to my grandson who is seven years old. It's right on the money. Mental illness is difficult for most adults to truly understnd let alone a child. It's vital for children to understand that their mentally ill parent still loves them even though they do "strange" things. This book provided a path for my grandson to talk about his mother and for me to try (again and again) to help him understand her illness.

Touching and effective.

An encouraging book for young children who have a mother prone to angry outbursts. This book was created to be read by children whose mother's have some sort of emotional disability, dependence or life circumstance, which can affect their children. It is gently encouraging and could easily be incorporated into any classroom or crises center. It has a very touching ending.

EXCELLENT BOOK - HAS HELPED MY CHILD

I'm a person who has BPD (Borderline Personality Disorder) and my house is chaotic -- screaming, shouting, but then there are times when I'm the good mom I want to be. My child and I read this book together just because we grabbed it from the library with a stack of other books. After reading the book, I very much recognized myself and my child in it and began to question her about it. I asked if the mommy in the book reminded her of anyone and she said it reminded her of me. I put the book in a stack of books to be returned to the library, but my daughter retrieved it and took it back to her room and re-reads it constantly, so I've decided to purchase it for her. She's 7 years old and says the books makes her feel better when I'm not in control of my anger. I would recommend this book to any parent who is suffering from Personality Disorder or any other mental illness that causes moodiness and displays of anger. Your children deserve this book as much as they deserve your going to therapy for treatment, which I myself am doing.