Taming Anger with The Red Beast

The Book

The Red Beast

Written by K.i. Al-Ghani, illustrated by Haitham Al-Ghani, published by Jessica Kingsley Publishers

This powerful story helps children understand and manage anger through the metaphor of a ‘red beast’ that awakens when feelings become overwhelming. The book offers a safe and engaging way for students to explore what anger looks and feels like in the body (AC9HPFP03 – Foundation Year, Health and Physical Education), using clear language to describe both the emotional and physical signs of big feelings.

As the main character learns how to calm the red beast, readers are introduced to strategies for emotional regulation (AC9HP2P03 – Years 1 and 2, Health and Physical Education). The narrative also opens up conversations about how certain behaviours and language can cause hurt and harm to others (AC9HPFP02, AC9HP2P02 – Foundation to Year 2, Health and Physical Education). Through reflection and discussion, children are encouraged to build empathy and make respectful choices in how they express emotions.

The Red Beast is an essential resource for supporting social-emotional learning in early years classrooms, offering practical tools to help children recognise, name, and regulate big emotions in themselves and others.

View all resources

Resource creator

Kristina Wood

Subject

Emotional regulation (Health and Physical Education), Producing (Design and Technologies),

Level

Year 1, Year 2,

Description

Support emotional regulation with The Red Beast in a fun and meaningful Health and Physical Education lesson for Years 1/2. Aligned with the Australian Curriculum, students explore calming strategies through story, discussion, and a creative origami Regulation Helper. This hands-on resource helps young learners recognise anger and practise ways to calm down using strategies from the book or their own lived experiences.

Learning Intentions

• We are learning how to recognise and manage anger using strategies from a story

Successful Criteria

• I can talk about what makes people feel angry.
• I can name and explain different calming strategies.
• I can make a Regulation Helper to support emotional regulation.

Curriculum Alignment

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

AC9TDE2P02 9.0 (Design and Technologies Year 1,Year 2): Use materials, components, tools, equipment and techniques to safely make designed solutions

• exploring how available materials can be used or re-used in construction play, for example using used wrapping paper and gift cards to design and make decorations or signage for the classroom or a school event to minimise waste
• practising a range of technical skills using tools and equipment safely, for example joining techniques when making products, watering and mulching gardens, preparing a recipe using a knife safely
• practising a range of technical skills using tools and equipment safely, for example joining techniques when making products, watering and mulching gardens, preparing a recipe using a knife safely

Materials

The Red Beast by K.I. Al-Ghani
Printed origami fortune teller template (with folding lines)
Scissors, glue sticks
Pencils, crayons, or markers

Instructions

Read-Aloud and Discussion

Read The Red Beast aloud to the class. Pause occasionally to highlight Rufus’ taming anger strategies: what helps it calm down.
After reading, ask:
- “What made the Red Beast grow?”
- “What helped it shrink?”
- “Have you ever felt like the Red Beast?”
- “What did you do to calm down?”

Brainstorm Calming Strategies

Create a class list of calming strategies, including ones from the book (e.g. taking deep breaths, going for a walk, using kind words).
Invite children to add their own.

Make a Regulation Helper

Give each child a fortune teller template.

They can either glue the calming strategy cutouts from the book or write/draw their own ideas in each flap.
Decorate the outside with calm colours or their own drawings of what helps them relax.
Help them fold the fortune teller into a Regulation Helper.

emotional regulation helper steven de gc the red beast (fortune teller origami) — How to make a Regulation Helper (fortune teller origami). Source: Wikipedia

Share and Practise

In pairs or small groups, children use their Regulation Helpers to practise emotional regulation strategies and acting them out:
- Pick a number (e.g., 3)
- Move the regulation helper with their fingers 3 times.
- Show the group what the helper says.

Reflection Circle

End the lesson with a circle time question: What’s one thing you’ll try next time you feel like the Red Beast?

Extensions

Creative Writing: Students write or draw a short story titled When I Felt the Red Beast and explain how they tamed it.
Class Display: Make a classroom wall display of Taming the Red Beast strategies collected from all students.
Home Connection: Send the Regulation Helper home with a small note explaining how families can use it together.