Hammerhead, Mad's Not Bad Board Book

The colorful illustrations really helped my son understand the concept of taking turns when he's upset. It's been a go-to for calming down after arguments with his sister, and he asks for it almost every night now.

My 3-year-old immediately connected with Hammerhead's grumpy expressions on each page. The sturdy board book construction handles his excited page-turns perfectly. It's already sparked better conversations when he's feeling frustrated.

My 4-year-old had a huge meltdown the other day, and this book actually helped us talk through "mad" feelings using the simple examples. The illustrations are engaging enough to hold her attention, and it's already sparked better conversations.

The sturdy pages have held up well during our nightly reading sessions, and the colorful illustrations really hold my child’s attention. The simple story about learning to pause before reacting is a great starting point for talking about feelings.

My toddler actually paused and thought about it after we read the "taking turns" page together. The simple, direct language made the concept click for him in a way other books haven't.

My little guy used to shove his brother whenever they disagreed, but this book’s “take a turtle breath” tip actually got him to pause—the sturdy pages and simple illustrations make it easy for him to follow along during story time.

The pages are thick enough that my kid can’t easily tear them, which is a huge win for us. This book handles the topic of conflict without being preachy, and we’ve already had a couple of real conversations about taking turns after reading it.

My three-year-old actually asks to read this one at bedtime, which is a first for a book about feelings. The page where Hammerhead uses his counting trick to calm down before a fight has already helped my kid do the same with his little brother.

We bought this to help with the constant sibling tiffs, and the direct language about using words actually clicked with my daughter. The board pages are sturdy enough for her to flip through alone without tearing. It's a practical tool, though I wish it had a bit more story to keep her engaged longer.

The rhyming text in this book about being mad actually made my kid giggle, which is a nice twist for the topic. I do wish the ending offered a few more concrete ways to calm down beyond just saying sorry.