Summary

Review

In the story Little Meerkat is given a very important job to do - he must be the 'look out' for the rest of the Meerkat group. Unfortunately, he falls asleep. When he wakes up he finds that the rest of the group have vanished. He is left in utter panic. Through the help of a friendly elephant who empathises with his feelings and a clever little monkey who teaches him to breathe calmly to help himself feel better Little Meerkat is able to manage his feelings and approach his problem effectively and efficiently. The three animals personify common emotions and the colourful illustrations make the story very accessible to young children. Throughout the story there are plenty of discussion opportunities where children might feel able to share their memories of when they felt particularly anxious or scared. Jane provides practical ideas and techniques to help children recognise and manage these feelings. The clear descriptions and explanations enable adults to understand what is going on from a phsyiological point of view. Jane provides scientific explanations to empower adults to explain to children what is happening when they begin to feel anxious or scared. The clear exercises described in the book make for an excellent starting point for adults and children to work through tricky feelings together. The easy accessibility of the story means that adults can begin to help children understand their own emotional range and begin to 'read' the emotional needs of others.