Calm Your Roar Like a Dinosaur: How to Relax Muscle by Muscle

A playful, rhyming picture book that teaches kids a calming technique through fun dinosaur characters they'll love

Feeling frustrated, frenzied, or full of roar? Every little dinosaur has big feelings sometimes, whether it's anger bubbling up, stress taking over, or frustration that just won't quit. Calm Your Roar Like a Dinosaur turns those overwhelming moments into something kids can manage by teaching progressive muscle relaxation, a mind-body technique used by therapists and proven to reduce stress, through a catchy rhyming mantra that kids will want to repeat again and again.

With playful illustrations and an irresistible dinosaur theme, this book walks children step by step through tensing and releasing their muscles, helping them feel the difference between tight and relaxed in their own bodies. The technique is simple enough for the youngest readers to learn and powerful enough for kids of all ages to use whenever they need it. Whether your little one is mid-meltdown, winding down before bed, or just learning how their body holds onto big feelings, Calm Your Roar Like a Dinosaur gives them a skill they can carry with them everywhere, no grown-up needed.

Key features:

• teaches a real calming technique: introduces progressive muscle relaxation, a therapist-recommended method proven to reduce stress, anxiety, and tension in the body
• catchy rhyming text kids remember: a fun, repeatable mantra makes the technique easy to learn and easy to use in real moments of frustration, anger, or overwhelm
• dinosaur theme kids love: playful dinosaur characters make learning a coping skill feel like an adventure, not a lesson
• works for everyday big feelings: helps children manage frustration, anger, stress, and overstimulation at home, at school, or on the go
• perfect for parents, teachers, and therapists: ideal for bedtime routines, classroom calm-down corners, counseling sessions, and anywhere kids need help going from full roar to relaxed
• trusted publisher: from Magination Press®, the children’s imprint of the American Psychological Association, dedicated to emotional well-being and healthy development

Brenda S. Miles, PhD is a clinical pediatric neuropsychologist who works with children and teens. She blends brain science with creativity to create resources that support learning and mental health. She is the author of Avocado Feels a Pit Worried, Taco Falls Apart, and Waffle Can't Decide.  

Colleen A. Patterson, MA, is a psychologist who has worked with children of all ages in hospital and school settings. She is the co-author of 1-2-3 A Calmer Me, How I Learn: A Kid's Guide to Learning Disability, and Move Your Mood!

John Joseph is the illustrator of multiple #1 New York Times bestselling books. When he is not illustrating books for children, John is teaching Visual Arts at a local Elementary school. John lives in Colorado. Visit johnjosephillustration.com and @John_Joseph_Art on Instagram.