'Slaan doet pijn' kartonboek

My toddler actually paused mid-tantrum and pointed at the page where the kid uses words instead of fists—that alone was worth it. The sturdy board book format holds up to his grabs and I love that each spread gives us a phrase to try when he's frustrated.

The pages are thick enough that my son can't tear them, which is a huge win. He actually pointed to the sad face and said "mad" after we read it together, so it's already helping us name those big feelings.

Our toddler was so frustrated yesterday that she raised her hand, then paused and said "I'm mad" instead. The simple animal illustrations showing different feelings really click with her, and the sturdy pages have survived plenty of dramatic page-turns. It's rare to find a book that turns a meltdown