I AM A SPICY NUGGET, by Loryn Brantz

Just from the cover illustration of a girl with flaming red cheeks and red streaks in her wild flowing hair, the tantrums ready to erupt are set to go. When denied a pet penguin by her Mom, the first tantrum consumers the girl, who feels overwhelmingly angry and wanting to act out in rage by throwing her teddy bear across the room.

The girl identifies as being an extra spicy nugget (which seems like a kind way her parents have contextualized her outbursts) and she feels sad after exploding as she didn’t really mean to be “bad.” But she refuses anything that might calm her down…until she starts breathing in and out, in and out.

The girl gives herself permission to be angry as long as no one gets hurt and eventually gets soothed by her Mom . The Mom distinguishes for emotions you experience from who you are as a person, and that growing kids have to gain mastery of their frustration and sadness- which this little girl proudly does.

Seems like a perfect tale for the “terrible-twos!”

Stacy DeBroff

Stacy DeBroff, founder and CEO of Mom Central.com and social and digital consultancy, Influence Central, is a social media strategist, attorney, and best-selling parenting author. A sought-after expert for national media, she trend-spots regularly with national brands and speaks frequently to national and international audiences on a wide range of subjects, including influencer marketing, social media, entrepreneurship, and consumer trends. A passionate cook, gardener, reader, and tennis player, she adores this new chapter of post-college-age parenting.