Welcome New Users!

$5 Off First Order + 5% Off After

Become a free registered member and get access to exclusive discounts, resources, and a community of like-minded educators.

Not sure yet? See what you’ll get: Member benefits

When Sophie Gets Angry emotion recognition with self-regulation emotional regulation big feelings health and physical education

When Sophie Gets Angry — Really, Really Angry

Written & illustrated by Molly Bang

Published by Scholastic Press

Theme/topic: Emotion recognition and Emotional regulation

The picture book explores the intense feelings that come with anger and how children can learn to manage them. When Sophie feels overwhelmed, her body reacts in strong and noticeable ways: her face gets hot, her fists clench, and she feels like exploding. This allows students to describe what anger looks and feels like physically (AC9HPFP03 – Foundation Year, Health and Physical Education), helping them recognise emotional cues in themselves and others.

As Sophie removes herself from the situation, takes time to cool down in nature, and eventually returns feeling calm, the story models simple and effective emotional regulation strategies (AC9HP2P03 – Years 1 and 2, Health and Physical Education). These moments provide powerful prompts for children to reflect on their own ways of calming down and regaining control during emotionally charged moments.

When Sophie Gets Angry — Really, Really Angry is a gentle yet impactful resource for developing emotional literacy, supporting children in identifying and managing their big emotions in healthy ways.

Stay up to date about The Shouting Girl our latest publication!

Sign up to receive activity freebies, teaching ideas & resources, and a heads-up when the book is launched.

We don’t spam! Read our privacy policy for more info.

Curriculum Alignment:

  • These AC codes are suggested purely based on the book’s content and are provided for reference only.

AC9HP2P03 9.0 (Health and Physical Education Year 1,Year 2): Identify how different situations influence emotional responses

• recognising own emotions and demonstrating ways to manage how they express their emotions in different situations
• exploring self-regulation strategies to manage emotional responses
• identifying situations that may trigger strong emotional responses in themselves and others, and recognising the impact the responses can have on others
• identifying how someone might feel, think and act during an emergency through role-play and imaginative play
• predicting how a person or character might be feeling based on the words they use, their facial expressions and body language
• recognising how self and others are feeling in a range of situations

AC9HPFP03 9.0 (Health and Physical Education Foundation): Express and describe emotions they experience

• identifying and describing the emotions of people who are happy, sad, excited, tired, angry, scared or confused
• learning and using appropriate language and actions to communicate their feelings in different situations
• recalling and sharing emotional responses to different situations and representing these in a variety of ways
• reading and viewing stories about adventures, and talking about how characters feel and react when taking risks or responding to emergencies
• talking about connections between feelings, body reactions and body language
• expressing a variety of emotions, thoughts and views in a range of situations


When Sophie Gets Angry – Really, Really Angry is a vivid and emotionally honest picture book that helps children recognise the physical and emotional signs of anger. Through bold illustrations and relatable storytelling, it opens up valuable conversations about emotional regulation and mindful strategies for calming down.

Health and Physical Education

  • AC9HPFP03: This book powerfully supports students to recognise how emotions influence their behaviour and how they can identify emotional responses in themselves and others. Through Sophie’s intense reactions—kicking, screaming, and slamming doors—and the book’s use of bold colours, particularly the red colour zone, students are guided to understand what anger looks and feels like in the body. Teachers can use these scenes to discuss the physical signs of anger, how emotions can escalate, and what it means to be in the “red zone”. It also encourages students to read body language and develop awareness of strong emotions in themselves and peers.
  • AC9HP2P03: The story also introduces a calming strategy that aligns closely with exploring personal strategies to manage emotions and support wellbeing. When Sophie runs into the bush, she sits on rocks, listens to birds, and watches the waves, gradually regaining her sense of calm. This beautifully models the use of nature and mindfulness to regulate emotions—helping students explore how being in a quiet, sensory-rich space can reduce emotional intensity. Teachers can guide students in identifying what calms them, encouraging reflection and self-awareness in emotional self-management.

Resources

Single Activities

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *