Hurty Feelings would be a great book for teaching students about feelings. The main character, Fragility, has fragile feelings; thus, she cries no matter the compliment or insult. The other animals avoid saying much of anything to her in fear that she will cry. One day an Elephant insults, and through her sobs, she points out that he is the same. The elephant begins to cry and Fragility comforts him. This book uses inference to get the point across. The text creates a platform for teaching students to accept compliments, and to deflect insults. Students will be able to make connections, empathizes, and learn how to interact with others. I would use this book if students are having a difficult time socializing.

Poor Fragility is a hippo who can't take a compliment. She misunderstands everything which leads to her feelings always being hurt. The book takes several pages to describe Fragility and discuss how she is quite fragile even though she is quite solid (large). The illustrations show a rather large hippo who cries. A LOT. The pictures show expression on the animals' faces and show Fragility's emotions. The plot unfolds as Fragility gets her feelings hurt so much by compliments, that the animals are afraid to talk to her. The text and illustrations describe a lonely hippo. But then enter Rudy the Elephant who is, by name, quite rude. He picks at Fragility and she begins to realize that his words aren't about her, but himself and she then unintentionally hurts his feelings. The use of language in the book focuses on precise vocabulary. The author gives students alternative words they probably haven't heard or aren't familiar with. Instead of soft, she is squishy. Descriptive language like this provides a deeper understanding for children as to how Fragility views herself. The vocabulary works with the illustrations to provide children with sensory details like sadness, anger, confusion. The book establishes a character that children can feel compassion for and then want to see how she resolves the problem she's having as tension is introduced when Rudy arrives. Fragility's character grows at the end of the book as the conflict is solved after she sees how she hurt Rudy by using comparisons and therefore she learns to accept compliments.
Genre: Animal fantasy; Contemporary realistic fiction ( )

This is a cute book about a hippo that doesn't know how to take a compliment. This book can be used build self confidence for students and it also can be used for giving and receiving compliments. The students will love this book because of the illustrations and characters. ( )

I've been reading some of Helen Lester's picture books....and I just don't get it.

These two selections feature sensitive hippos and fashion-challenged sheep

In Hurty Feelings, Fragility, a large and sensitive hippo, cries over everything...until she unintentionally insults a bullying elephant. The elephant promptly bursts into tears and Fragility knows just what to do to comfort him. Which... mysteriously... cures her?

The Sheep in Wolf's Clothing is the story of Ewetopia, who "isn't comfortable in her own wool." She is constantly looking for the perfect outfit. But her choice of a wolf suit for a costume party turns out to be a mistake when a hungry wolf mistakes her for his mother. Ewetopia goes along with the mistake and manages to scare him away. Everyone is happy and thinks she is cool, and she feels "entirely comfortable in her own wool." But....wearing a wolf skin was still an incredibly stupid/crass thing to do - as the sheep originally pointed out to her. Is Ewetopia feeling comfortable more important than the feelings of the other sheep, many of whom probably had family members eaten by wolves? Apparently so.

I can't decide if there's some subtle message to these books that I'm missing, or if they're misguided attempts at didacticism.

Verdict: Parents will occasionally ask for Hurty Feelings - apparently under the impression that it will cure their children of excessive sensitivity. Lester and Munsinger have many other titles that are more popular than these two, especially the Tacky the Penguin series. Thankfully, their works aren't so popular that I feel it necessary to purchase them. Purchase if you have a lot of parents looking for the issues Lester and Munsinger tackle - I personally don't really believe in bibliotherapy, but these books will at least make the parents feel like they're doing something.

Hurty Feelings
ISBN: 978-0618410828; Published September 2004 by Houghton Mifflin; Borrowed from the library; Purchased for the library (not by me)

The Sheep in Wolf's Clothing
ISBN: 0618868445; Published September 2007 by Houghton Mifflin; Borrowed from the library

It looks like trouble when Fragility, a hippopotamus whose feelings are easily hurt, meets Rudy, a rude elephant, on the soccer field. ( )