When They Fight
PreSchool-Grade 3-When his parents fight, a young badger feels like "a ship in stormy seas" or "a kite, blown away in a breeze." He leaves the house to wait it out, lonely and sad, unwilling to remain where beasts "roar and beat on the door." When his parents make up, he feels once again in control, "strong as a lion," "fast as a tiger," and is safe in his parents' arms. Small frames depicting the little creature running from the house to survive alone in a dark, scary world are superimposed on double-page spreads of the adult badgers quarrelling. The parents, colored in soft shades of gray-green much like shadows that cast a pall over the little one's life, loom large across each spread, mouths open, teeth bared, claws extended. When they reconcile, the adults resume their normal coloring. The world once again becomes a sunny place and their child is assured of their love. This story may, as psychologist Barbara Kezur suggests in her introduction, serve as a jumping-off point for discussion for those children who experience domestic unrest. The fact that the protagonists are badgers makes the situation easier for youngsters to face and talk about, and the happy ending, while a bit simplistic, will offer some reassurance.Marianne Saccardi, Norwalk Community College, CTCopyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.