Author Showcase
Article provided by The Cadence Group
The Children’s Book Review | December 31, 2016
Angie Harris helps both parents and children recognize and positively manage their ever changing emotions in Mad to Glad.
Mad to Glad offers five beautifully illustrated children experiencing common daily plights such as asking for a toy and being told no, and all the emotion that can arise from such an interaction. Through the eyes of the five ethnically diverse characters, the reader is guided through positive ways of managing common emotions. The emotions addressed include anger, sadness, frustration, fear, and loneliness. The reader is reminded that these emotions are not only common, but normal, and okay to feel. Harris then guides the reader to actively participate in an age appropriate coping skill using imagination, breathing awareness, and physical exercise.
It is important to reinforce the ever present goodness in all children, even when they feel or act out unpleasant emotions such as anger, fear or sadness. To accomplish this, Mad to Glad includes affirmations or positive phrases, to be read aloud by the listener and reader, at the end of each experience. Children are guided to repeat the phrase “I am happy again. I am good always.” These phrases reinforce confidence and self love, which is an important part of every person’s social and emotional development.
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About the Author
Angie Harris is a mother to two brilliant boys and aunt to eight beautiful nieces and nephews. As a teenager Angie suffered the sudden loss of her beloved mother, Rosemarie. It was then she was introduced to contemplative practices such as yoga and meditation. She quickly realized the more she practiced, the more comfort she felt, even while grieving such a tragic loss.
A decade later, Angie’s sister Stephy was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Stephy fought bravely, but lost her battle in 2014. It was during this time that Angie’s meditation practice turned outward, toward teaching. She wanted to share meditation with her young nieces and nephews, who are grieving the loss of their mother, as she was once taught to do. To learn how to deliver lessons to children, Angie attended the Mindful Schools training in 2012. Since completing the program she has been welcomed into public and private schools to teach mindfulness meditation to both students and teachers. Teaching mindfulness has led to her first professional writing project. Her children’s meditation teachings have come to life in Angie’s first book, Mad to Glad: A Mindfulness Lesson on Emotion.
Angie is currently attending the Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction teaching program through UMASS Medical School in Shrewsbury Massachusetts.