Grappling With the Grumblies

by Deborah Fannie Miller, illustrated by Diane Jacobs

Turn Angry Battles into Joyful Play

“Grump!” said the Grumblie, and the Grumblie grew. When Jessie went to bed, everything was great. But when Jessie woke up, everything was GRUMPY! That’s when the Grumblie appeared and all the trouble started! You try getting ready for school with a great big Grumblie in your way and getting bigger and Bigger! With every angry word and action, the Grumblie grows until there is no room left for Jessie. Finally, with Mom’s help, Jessie wiggles and giggles those Grumblies away.

About the Series

“Dealing with Feelings” picture books deal with difficult emotions in comic and comforting ways. The books provide tools to stop anger and anxiety from escalating out of control and teach emotional resilency. The books are written for children in kindergarten through grade 4 to be enjoyed with parents, teachers, and other caregivers.

The plot of each book involves a parent and a mischievous “monster" (an external projection of the child character’s emotions) who happily hinders and then helps the child - with their anger in Grappling with the Grumblies and their anxiety in Juggling the Jitters.

SKU: 9781927823002 Categories: , Tags: , ,

$12.95 CAD

Additional information

Weight .125 kg
Dimensions 7 × 9.25 × .125 in
Page Count

32

Binding

Soft Cover

Year Published

2013

Deborah Fannie Miller

Deborah Fannie Miller is a poet, singer, actor and children’s book author who lives in Calgary, Alberta. Miller’s poetry has been showcased on CBC Radio, The Women’s Television Network, and Vision TV. She has been widely published in literary journals throughout Canada and is in two anthologies: Tributes in Verse and Writing the Terrain: Travelling through Alberta with the Poets. She has had three collections of poetry published. Her first, I Will Burn Candles, was published by Bayeux Arts in 1995, as was her second, Grandmother’s Radio, in 2002, co-authored by Susanne Heinz. Vision TV produced Two Worlds Apart? a frequently repeated short film about Grandmother’s Radio. Her third collection, Landing at Night, came out in 2008, and her first children’s book, Grappling with the Grumblies, came out in April 2009. In March 2011, Grappling with the Grumblies won “The Steffie Young Readers Choice Award.”

Miller is a trained actor and singer with a BFA in Drama from Scripps College in California. She has done post graduate work at the Goodman Theatre School in Chicago, and is a graduate of both the Opera and Music Theatre Programs at the Banff School of Fine Arts. Miller brings performing expertise to all her presentations. Highlights of her singing career include playing Maria in West Side Story at the Banff Summer Arts Festival and originating lead roles in two world premiere Musicals at the Canmore Opera House: “Ferret God” and “Cafe Society” with Hummingbird Productions. In 2009, Deborah sang and performed her own poetry in the two women Cabaret “Heart Ache and Healing”, with Joanne Chapin, a Grammy and Juno nominated singer/actress.

“Everyone grapples with the grumblies from time to time, but this lovely (and funny!) book will help your child — and you — discover new ways of dealing with difficult feelings. I recommend it for anyone who has ever had a rough day and had trouble turning things around. In other words, it’s a great book for every family.”
~Lawrence Cohen, Ph.D., psychologist and best selling author of Playful Parenting

“Through engaging and playful storytelling, Grappling with the Grumblies and Juggling the Jitters offer adults and young children practical tools to work through anger and anxiety together.”

~Judy Arnall, best-selling author of Discipline Without Distress, a regular contributor to Calgary’s Child Magazine and a regular guest on Global TV, City TV, Shaw TV, CTV. She is regularly quoted in national magazines such as Chatelaine, Today’s Parent, Parents, Canadian Living, Natural Parenting, Parents Canada and Canadian Family Magazine, and newspapers such as Globe and Mail, Postmedia News, National Post, Metro News and Huffington Post. She is a behaviour expert at Mothering Magazine Online.

“Every child gets the jitters sometimes, and parents are often unsure how to help. This funny (and profound) book helps children recognize how to ease anxieties, and also gently guides parents towards a compassionate and effective approach. A fitting follow-up to Miller’s wonderful Grappling with the Grumblies.”

~Lawrence Cohen, Ph.D., psychologist and best selling author of The Opposite of Worry: The Playful Parenting Approach to Childhood Anxieties and Fears.