"Mom and Dad showed Laverne lots of things
that helped them with their own sad, and mad,
and disappointed feelings.
At home, she could master them all.
But when she was out ...
nothing seemed to
calm Laverne's thunderstorms."
The red endpapers offer a clue to some of the emotions shared in this book about a very young girl who has not yet learned to control her temper tantrums. Readers will quickly learn that Laverne can be a ray of sunshine when she arrives at the library for storytime. She greets all with a smile, and joins right in. She is attentive, happy to be there, and responsive to the experience. The scene changes dramatically when she is told that the time has come to leave.
Mom and Dad do their best to help stem the outburst, reminding Laverne that throwing things is unacceptable, while deep breathing might give her a chance to calm down. Laverne hears nothing because of the noise she is making. At home, where life is comfortable and she has her stuffies to soothe her, she settles. A trip to the park has the same outcome when time's up; also, in a restaurant or at a birthday party. Laverne rages uncontrollably.
Her parents offer outlets, those things they try when they are upset. To no avail. It is exhausting for all. When a rainstorm keeps them home, Laverne uses her time to imagine various scenarios where she and her stuffies brave a number of storms. It gives her an idea to share with her interested and attentive parents - it's a solution that works most of the time.
Ms. Kang fills her appealing spreads with many details and frequent changes in perspective. Readers will feel the emotions felt by Laverne as she deals with the joys and sorrows of everyday visits to common destinations. Moving from full-page spreads to panels and close-up facial expressions holds attention at every turn of the page and offers a chance for discussion between reader and listener. Bravo, Laverne!
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