Fergal is Fumingis a brilliant new picture book about a dragon with a short temper–and how he learns to calm down.

One of the most powerful things about using books is the way that we can "distance" the topic. Children might be able to talk about the feelings of a character in a way they could not if it were about themselves. Book characters can be powerful allies–we pour our feelings into them as we imagine their point of view. We recognise ourselves in their experiences; through a book we might also find a name for the strange feelings we are having.Children may also find comfort in You've Got Dragons by Kathryn Cave, where a simple, clever metaphor could give shape to all sorts of concerns. Badger's Parting Gifts by Susan Varley or The Scar by Charlotte Moundlic might help a child to begin to explore very difficult, unfamiliar feelings associated with loss and death.

A book can put into words or pictures a feeling that a child is unable to express. In Shaun Tan's The Red Tree, we see feelings of sadness, frustration and loneliness–and hope–manifested as stunning, evocative paintings. It can be hard to articulate a feeling, even for us adults–but a picture might give us a way in. Students also discover how to create a plan and make better decisions using different self management techniques using the mindful moments strategy, activity, and writing prompt. We could also extend their understanding by creating a "missing chapter'"to explain how a character felt between scenes, or write about what happened after the story. In this STEM Lesson, students learn about the importance of Self Management. They design and build their own "Hot Air" balloon for Fergal and fill it with their own "Hot Air" to help cool down.

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By encouraging the children to think about why characters are behaving in a certain way, we can help children to put themselves in another's shoes. Fergal is a very pleasant chap, unless you try and tell him what to do. And then he gets incredibly angry. When Fergal gets angry he loses control of his temper and this leads to somewhat fiery situations. His friends are not impressed with his behaviour and his fiery temper has ruined the football match, burnt delicious cakes and ruined a game. Can this hot headed little dragon learn to keep his cool… A well-chosen book can help us explore all kinds of feelings. With a class of children who are about to move up to the next year– a key time for anxiety–a book like Anthony Browne's Silly Billy could help them discuss their worries and what they might do about them. This is one of the stronger picture books about emotions that I've read. Like Sangeeta Bhadra's Sam's Pet Temper, it uses a somewhat silly premise to get its more serious message across. I think Fergal and the Bad Temper is a bit easier to understand, however, especially for the target audience. I love Fergal, he is such a brilliant representation of those children who are a little bit hot-headed and who have a fiery temper. After Fergal has upset all of his friends he seeks comfort and advice from his mum and he learns that there is a way to perhaps control his anger. Fergal realises that everyone gets angry but all of his friends have ways of managing their anger. Ideas for dealing with anger that feature in the story include; counting to ten, talking to others, focusing on a moment of calm and having a stretch. The most valuable lesson that Fergal learns is that life is not always fair and that you can not always get what you want.