"Meltdown!" by David Griswold with illustrations by Merle Goll is a children's picture book that uses robots to explore the concept of big emotions and meltdowns.

Bolt is a young robot. Robots never have meltdowns until a chain of things don't go their way. The book shows ways that robots (and young readers) can cope when things aren’t going well. There is also a good parents guide with advice for training kids to deal with sudden anger outbursts.

The book is fun, and the message is clear but never feels like a lecture. The illustrations are lots of fun also.

I was a little surprised when I first started this book at the pictures and description but then it all quickly made sense. I thought that was a cute way to introduce the subject. I appreciated all of the advice for dealing with meltdowns. Having an autistic grandchild it’s helpful to know how to calm them down and have the resources to help them cope better. I appreciated that this was a quick get to the point problem-solving solution.

I love this cute and clever concept - using robots to teach kids that it's okay to lose control now and then. The robots then demonstrate ways to calm down after a meltdown occurs. Bright colorful illustrations by Merle Goll add to the fun.

Meltdown! is a great book for guiding student discussions on big emotions and how to cope. Comparing people to robots helps kids to infer, relate, and understand in a less-intimidating way. I'm excited to read it with kids!

My thanks for the ARC goes to NetGalley and American Psychological Association, Magination Press. I'm voluntarily leaving a review.

Genre and age: Picture books about mental health and emotions

This book is wonderful! The robots are adorable. The emotions are relatable. And the back matter is helpful for parents wondering how to help their little robots.

I loved this book! I highly recommend it!

Happy reading!

I received an Arc from NetGalley and the APA in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own.

What do people do when they meltdown? Who cares about that when we can talk about robots! This book was so cute! However some kids with disabilities could get confused how a robot has anything to do with them. As a result some kids might need more of a discussion about this book and the meaning. However this is a great book to explain meltdowns and what robots and kids can do to calm down. This will be a great edition to any picture book library

Thanks NetGalley for the advanced reader copy! Overall a super cute book. It has good ideas for helping teach kiddos how to cope with big feelings. The one part I struggled with was calling these big emotions a "malfunction". But even so, they do a great job normalizing and explaining coping skills.

Meltdown by David Griswold is truly a story for children and adults alike to relate to. With adorable illustrations and a relatable message, we follow robots who sometimes meltdown too and how to cope when it comes. I really enjoyed the message of this story and I think it will be perfect in the classroom as well as in home environments. I can’t wait to share this with my students when the meltdowns arise!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me the E-ARC.

We can never have enough books about affect modulation and behavioral responses to big emotions. Meltdown! by David Griswold is a new option that has my creative mind on overdrive. This adorable picture book normalizes emotional and behavioral “meltdowns” by giving examples of robots who struggle and then have to find ways to “reboot.” The coping strategies shared include taking time to “recharge”, “refuel”, and comparing notes with others. The book includes notes for caregivers regarding ways to “program” ourselves to manage big feelings. Clinically, the robot metaphor provides fun traction for script building in family, individual, and group therapy sessions. I think this one will be a great resource and will appeal to a lot of our younger mental health clients!

Programmed to sleep at seven, have good manners, and generally follow expectations, even robots malfunction sometimes. David Griswold did an excellent job of taking a robot, something kids LOVE, and don't normally think of as emotional, to show that everyone has big emotions sometimes. Not only does he give great direction and ideas to kids in a non-confrontational way through the story, but he also includes a fantastic section in the back giving parents even more ideas. This one is a winner for sure!

"Meltdown" is a delightful, robot-themed picture book that introduces young readers to the world of big emotions. Through colorful illustrations and a clever use of programming language, this book normalizes the experience of meltdowns and offers creative ways to cope with them. The message that it's okay to ask for help and seek assistance when needed is essential for both kids and adults. The inclusion of a section for families at the end of the book, which explores how to "reset" and "when to seek help," is a valuable resource. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this advanced review copy (ARC) in exchange for my honest review on the book!

Excellent, caregiver and child-friendly look at how we all have moments of frustration, but how that also does not define us. I particularly appreciated the section for families at the back that goes over how to "reset" and "when to seek help". The framing of it being okay to ask for assistance, and there not being any shame in it is essential. The "programming language" is a bit odd, and could take some getting used to, but many families are already teaching their children how to name their emotions and needs. Definitely need to add this to the library collection!

5 out of 5. Meltdown! provides a useful story about when robots have meltdowns, and most importantly, normalizes meltdowns. Full of fun robot puns and humor, this book is a great resources for families and educators to read aloud and provide strategies on how to work through a meltdown. Julia Martin Burch, PhD provides quality caregiver tips in the back on how to teach "programming language", grow coping skills, reset yourself, reset as a family, and when to seek help.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book provided by the publisher, American Psychological Association, via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I found “meltdown” to be incredibly engaging. As a therapist I could see myself utilizing this book in sessions with some of my younger clients. I appreciated that it gave some great strategies (coping skills) while also validating big emotions. Well done!

I received an advance copy of this book provided by the publisher, American Psychological Association, via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Even the most up to date robots can have meltdowns. This humorous and colorful story lets readers know that meltdowns happen and there's a reset button for when the meltdown is over. Everyone needs to find their own way to handle a meltdown. The notes at the end of the book are helpful for caregivers in helping their little robots cope with the occasional meltdown, even themselves!

+Digital ARC was gently provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.+

"Meltdown!" is a fantastic book aimed at elementary-aged children that uses simple robot-themed language to help them identify what it looks like when they "malfunction" or "blow a fuse." With a lineup of clever puns and 21st-C coding language for today's generation written by David Griswold and adorable yet wildly relatable illustrations by Merle Goll, this team has put together the tale of a young robot with very familiar scenarios of what happens when it gets too much screen time or not enough snacks. Happily, the ensuing "meltdowns" are normalized as perfectly okay (phew!), and the following pages give the reader several excellent options for how to "reboot" (because one size does NOT fit all). My little robots were significantly different at this age; one needed space and (when *he* was ready) a squeeze, and the other needed "that solar snack!"

This book also comes with a comprehensive Reader's Note at the back (more for grown-up readers than the intended target audience of the book) that provides excellent tips from a clinical psychologist (Dr. Julia Martin Burch, Ph.D.) who discusses the big emotions of childhood and how to help our kids navigate them.

All parents know how overwhelming and stressful meltdowns can be to live through. For both the parents and the children. The story serves as a great reminder that sometimes, no matter how hard you try to avoid them, meltdowns can sneak up and that it is okay because they are only temporary. The author's note also provides great examples of what can be done for both the child as well as the parent in the event of a meltdown.

With a hint of scifi-tech and a little modern jargon, the power of an emotional meltdown hits in a fun and meaningful way.

Robots have a great life. So calm. So calculated. So punctual and exact...until something makes their circuits spark and wires smolder. When a meltdown hits, chaos threatens to break through the control, but there are solutions to dampen even these impending explosions.

This book starts out with cute robots, their family, and the calm, organized way they go through life. It's impressive to watch how little situations of frustration just fly by with ease. After all, robots aren't emotional. They're logical. When something happens, which doesn't compute (a situation which irritates to the extreme), it's funny to watch the inner circuitry go haywire. The reasons behind these meltdowns are understandable. Situations aren't always nice and fair, and this is something young readers will have no problem recognizing and sympathizing with. The solutions come smoothly and teach readers how to calm down and work through problems with other means.

I recommend this read for the lower end of the suggested age group. While some of the terminology will push some readers/listeners in this age group, the general story flow is well suited for their level. The situations are clear and familiar, and it's obvious what message each moment carries with it. Older readers will catch on right away and the preachiness glistens through. Younger ones will enjoy the robots' antics, though, and be able to see themselves in more than one of the circumstances.

The illustrations are bright and bring across each scene with a touch of humor and lightness, making sure the messages come over with lightness and fun. It's a cute read for more than just robot fans. I received a DRC through Netgalley and found it to be a clever read.

This book is a really great metaphor. We’re looking at a robot world where they never do anything bad because they’re programed not to. However, robots occasionally have a meltdown. It doesn’t matter the reason, maybe it’s not enough food, maybe it’s not enough sleep, maybe the robot had to wash behind it’s ears. Every once in a while, malfunctions happen, but the best part is a reset button. While this story is a metaphor, I do think kids will understand it and see themselves as the robot and would take the idea “I need my reset. I need a break. I need something because things are happening.” This book is well done. The illustrations are fantastic, and the story is engaging.

Cute use of computer terminology to describe a child's or adult's behavior, and offer ways to avoid a meltdown. Familiar phrases like power down, use your programming language, mega bytes when eating, a bag of computer chips. Meltdowns are avoided by pressing the escape, reset, or reboot buttons. Back matter provides advice on navigating tantrums and frustrations which lead to a “meltdown”.
#Meltdown #bookaday #NetGalley
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book provided by Magination Press, an imprint of the publisher, American Psychological Association, via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.