The Ugly Place

This impactful social-emotional story will encourage children to express their emotions and identify their feelings. One of the most unique aspects of the book involves the background images created by Emma Pederson; as the main character emotes, the weather, objects in nature, and animals all share his mood. The boy feels consumed by his bad feelings and enters a vivid land known as “the ugly place.”

The author, Laura Deal uses some advanced language that may be difficult for children under the age of five to fully comprehend; I encourage adults to explain these more challenging words to younger readers so they can expand their emotional vocabulary. Overall, Deal articulately captures the complex emotions of the troubled boy attempting to connect with reality. Gradually, the boy’s mood begins to shift and his surroundings start to brighten. The boy not only achieves peace, but experiences joy after working through his ugly emotions.