SECOND STEP E-Newsletter
February 2011
Howard B. Wigglebottom Learns It's OK to Back Away
By Howard Binkow. Illustrated by Susan F. Cornelison.
Reading Level: Preschool–Grade 2
Uh-oh. Howard B. Wigglebottom is back, and he’s not listening again! This time the young rabbit is not “listening,” or paying attention, to his tummy. When Howard does not get his way, he has a hard time doing the right thing. He cuts in line, he performs Ninja kicks, and he “TOTALLY [loses] HIS COOL!” Now he has to suffer the consequences of his behavior: cleaning up his mess and visiting the principal’s office. When he gets home, his mother gives him a time-out.
It’s not until his friend Ali stops by that Howard begins to get an understanding of what’s been going on all day. Ali tells him that her tummy feels tight when she doesn’t get her way. But before she does the wrong thing (kicking a friend’s lunch tray out of his hands, for example), she says to herself: “Stop; it’s OK to back away.” Then she goes outside and does something to feel good again.
With Ali’s support, Howard practices recognizing if his tummy is scared, hungry, or angry; backing away if he is angry; and doing things to help his body feel better, such as jumping, counting, kicking balls, and yelling “Ninja.”
Social and Emotional Lessons
In earlier books by Howard Binkow, our floppy-eared hero learns to be a good listener to friends, family, and teachers. He also learns to listen to his heart. In Howard B. Wigglebottom Learns It's OK to Back Away, Howard learns important anger-management steps. As in Binkow’s other books, the picture book concludes with some “Lessons and Reflections.” Readers learn what anger is, how it can be different for different people and at different times, what makes us angry, how we look when we’re angry, and what we can do about it. The author then elaborates on the three-pronged approach to handling anger: listening to our tummy, saying “it’s OK to back away," and finding things to do to feel good again.
It’s OK to Back Away will be a very handy tool in your SECOND STEP toolbox when working with kids on the emotion- or anger-management unit. It addresses the same core strategies of identifying feelings, calming down, and dealing with the situation that triggered the anger (in Howard’s case, not getting what he wants).
After reading the book, teachers can discuss with students what it meant when Howard “saw RED” after Bob teased him. Ask students to either draw a picture or write a few sentences about a time when they were very disappointed about something, and lost their cool:
- What happened?
- How did they calm down?
- What could they do next time they don’t get what they want?
- What are some of their favorite things to do outside that make them feel good?
If possible, after the discussion, get up and go outside to reinforce the good feeling!
