Calm

Counseling psychologist Gail Hayes presents four relatable scenarios — a potential rivalry, a changed plan, a packed to-do list, a public stumble — and invites young readers to choose between a constructive Bubble response and a negative Slug response for each character. The interactive format turns emotional regulation from a lecture into a decision, which is smart. Hayes draws directly on fifteen-plus years of private practice, and the back matter adds discussion questions and a feelings chart that parents and teachers will actually use. Published in October 2025, broader reception data is still thin, and the school-centric scenarios may not land equally for every child. A solid, psychologist-backed tool for building emotional vocabulary early.