Red String : Exploring the Energy of Anger and Other Strong Emotions

To get the full Being With Our Feelings experience, this book can be purchased alongside the guidebook. All books can be purchased together as a set, Being With Our Feelings: Guidebook and Four Storybooks Set, 978-0-367-77231-4.

Using a red string as a metaphor for the energy of strong feelings, this beautifully written storybook is a journey of the physical sensations of anger as it runs through the character’s body - making them want to punch as it gets into their arms, kick and stomp as it travels down their legs and scream out hateful things as it wraps itself around their heart.

Full of relatable and easy to understand scenarios, The Red String:

• has a gender neutral central character
• helps children to identify powerful feelings like anger and recognise their possible effects
• introduces the strategy of allowing the energy of strong feelings to ‘dance’ in our body, instead of letting them control our thoughts and behaviour
• enables children to begin to accept strong feelings such as anger, without shame or judgment
• ends with a mindful reflection, to help children explore and be with their feelings.

Strong feelings can be overwhelming and consuming. This book is essential reading for teachers, parents, or anyone working with young people who wishes to help children understand, embrace and cope with powerful feelings such as anger, in a healthy way.

Anita Kate Garai is a teacher, poet and mindfulness wellbeing consultant and facilitator, with a BEd Hons from Cambridge University and an Advanced Diploma in the Therapeutic and Educational Application of the Arts. She has been a primary school classroom teacher for over 25 years, leading on personal, social and emotional development, and has worked with local authorities as a specialist in behaviour, emotional wellbeing and creativity, developing programmes for pupils and delivering training to school communities. Anita can be found on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook at @AnitaKateG.